USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Bedford > History of Bedford, New Hampshire, from 1737 : being statistics compiled on the occasion of the one hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the incorporation of the town, May 15, 1900 > Part 26
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The Traveler's home, kept by Frederick Wallace, brother of the Rev. Cyrus W. Wallace, was a famous tavern. It was located at the northwest corner of Milford and South Main streets in West Manchester. It was moved to its location on wheels from the Eliphalet Bursiel place (then the Thomas Wallace place) in 1838, with eighty-five yoke of oxen. The teams were from Bedford and Goffstown. They were three days on the job. The great number of oxen were needed to get up over. the hill at Wallace's brook. A man rode on the spire, ax in hand, to clip the bow pin of the ox on the rear string if he stepped off of the stringer and fell. The bridge at that time was a low bridge. It has since been raised and an em- bankment built.
After Mr. Wallace, one Gordon kept the tavern; after him a Mr. Glines. There was no hotel there later than 1842.
These taverns were all in use as houses of entertainment in 1840, but the building of the railroad about that time rendered them un- profitable, and they gradually disappeared from use.
260
HISTORY OF BEDFORD.
About 1827 or 1828 Mr. Isaac Riddle kept a tavern in his house at the Centre. The sign hung from the end of the store.
There was a tavern known as the Globe tavern, kept by Ensign Chubbuck. It was probably one of the first, if not the very first tavern in town. It was situated on the high land north of Dr. Woodbury's, on land owned by Freeman R. French. The field is called the "Globe Field " in consequence.
In addition to the taverns in town, there were a great many other places where liquor was sold.
Under the law as it then read the selectmen could license indi- viduals to "mix and sell for one year or less."
Among those who were so licensed we may mention the follow- ing, whose names are taken from the town records :
Thos. Parker, Joseph Buswell, from March 8, 1793, to Sept. 8, 1793. Zechariah Chandler, Esq., 1 yr. from March 11, 1793.
Hugh Moor, from July 19, 1793, to Mar. 19, 1794.
John Patten, from Dec. 20, 1793, to Mar. 1, 1794.
Samuel Gilcrest, from Dec. 20, 1793, to Mar. 1, 1794.
Joseph Buswell,
Thomas Parker, from Apr. 7, 1794, to 1st Wed. of Mar., 1795.
William Parker, from Apr. 7, 1794, to 1st Wed. of Mar., 1795.
Zechariah Chandler, from April 17, 1794, to 17th of April, 1795. William McAfee }
David McAfee, from Apr. 17, 1794, to 1st Wed. of Mar., 1795.
Isaac Riddle, from Mar. 17, 1794, to 1st day of Mar., 1795.
Stephen Dole, from Mar. 17, 1794, to 1st day of Mar., 1795. Samuel Chandler, from Nov. 19, 1794, to 1st day of Apr., 1795.
David Hern, from Mar. 1, 1794, to June 1, 1794.
Wm. McAfee & David McAfee, from Feb. 17, 1794, to Feb. 1, 1795. Isaac Riddle, from Mar. 6, 1795, to Mar. 6, 1796.
Thomas Parker, from May 18, 1795, to Mar. 1, 1796.
Joseph Buswell,
Thomas Chandler, from Feb. 18, 1796, to Feb. 18, 1797.
Thomas Parker, from Mar. 2, 1796, to 1st Wed. of Mar., 1797.
Joseph Buswell, S
Isaac Riddle, from Mar. 2, 1796, to 1st Wed. of Mar., 1797.
Thomas Chandler, from Feb. 27, 1797, to Mar. 6, 1798.
Isaac Riddle, from Feb. 28, 1797, for eight months. Joseph Buswell,
Thomas Parker, from Mar. 14, 1797, to 1st Wed. of Mar., 1798.
Zechariah Chandler, from Mar. 22, 1797, to 1st Wed. of Mar., 1798.
William Parker, from Mar. 22, 1797, to 1st Wed. of Mar., 1798. Wm. McAfee, from Mar. 22, 1797, to 1st Wed. of Mar., next. Samuel Chandler, from Mar. 22, 1798, to Mar. 6, 1799. Thomas Parker, from Mar. 22, 1798, to Mar. 6, 1799.
Isaac Riddle, from Mar. 22, 1798, to Mar. 6, 1799. William Parker, from Mar. 22, 1798, to Mar. 6, 1799. Samuel Chandler, from Mar. 20, 1799, to 1st Wed. in Mar., 1800. William McAfee, for one year from the 6th day of Mar., 1799. George Claggett, for one year from the 25th day of Dec., 1799. Jotham Gillis, for one year from the 25th day of Dec., 1799. Isaac Riddle, from Feb. 16, 1799, to Mar. 5, 1800.
William Parker, from April 2, 1799, to Mar. 6, 1800.
261
TAVERNS.
Thomas Chandler, from March 12, 1799, to 1st Wed. in Mar., next. Zechariah Chandler, for one year from the sixth day of Mar., 1799. William Parker, from 8th of Jan., 1800.
Robert Houston, from 15th of Feb., 1800.
Isaac Riddle, from March, 1800.
William McAfee, from 6th of March, 1800.
Thomas Parker, from 5th of Mar., 1800.
Samuel Chandler, from 6th of Mar., 1800.
Amos Dodge, from Dec. 31, 1800, to first Wed. of Mar., 1801.
Jotham Gillis, for one year from the 3d of Jan., 1801.
Robert Houston, for one year from the 4th of Mar., 1801.
Samuel Chandler, for one year from the 4th of Mar., 1801.
Zechariah Chandler, for one year from the 4th of Mar., 1801. Isaac Riddle, for one year from the 4th of Mar., 1801. William McAfee, for one year from the 19th of Mar., 1801.
Amos Dodge, from Mar. 19, 1801, to Mar. 4, 1802. 1
William Parker, from Mar. 19, 1801, to Mar. 4, 1802.
Capt. Thomas Chandler, for one year from the 16th of Dec., 1801. Jotham Gillis, for one year from the 9th of Jan., 1802. William Parker,
Zechariah Chandler,
Isaac Riddle,
for one year from the 23d of Mar., 1802.
William Parker, Jr., Isaac Riddle,
David Aiken, for one year from the 1st of June, 1802.
Jotham Gillis, for one year from the 1st of Jan., 1803.
Charles Chubbuck, for one year from the 25th of Jan., 1803.
Stephen French, for one year from the 9th of Feb., 1803.
Isaac Riddle, for one year from the 22d of Mar., 1803.
Thomas Chandler, for one year from the 3d day of Mar., 1803. Zechariah Chandler, for one year from the 5th of Mar., 1803.
Capt. Thomas Chandler, for one year from the 3d day of Mar., 1804. Stephen French, for one year from the 4th of Sept., 1804.
John Houston, for three days from the 4th of Sept., 1804. Robert Houston, for three days from the 4th of Sept., 1804. Thomas Wallace, for three days from the 4th of Sept., 1804. Capt. Thomas Chandler, for one year from the 4th of March, 1805. Samuell Roby, for one year from the 4th of March, 1805.
Messrs. Boynton & Redfield, for one year from the 3d of Dec., 1806. Capt. Thomas Chandler, from Mar. 29, 1808, to the 2d Tu. of Mar., 1809. Dr. Wm. Wallace, from May 11, 1808, to the 2d Tu. of Mar., 1809.
Thos. Wallace, Jr., S
Jonathan Palmer, from Jan. 21, 1809, to the 1st day of Jan., 1810. William Parker, from Mar. 25, 1809, to the 2d Tu. of Mar., 1810.
Capt. Thos. Chandler, from May 15, 1809, to the 2d Tu. of Mar., 1810. Isaac Riddle, from Aug. 11, 1809, to the 1st day of Apr., 1810. Isaac Riddle,
Thomas Whittle, from Aug. 11, 1809, to the 1st day of Apr., 1810.
Capt. Thomas Chandler, from Mar. 29, 1810, to the 2d Tu. of Mar., 1811. William Parker, from Apr. 16, 1810, to the 2d Tu. of Mar., 1811. Samuel Chandler,
Robert Wallace. from Sept. 7, 1810, to the 2d Tu. of Mar., 1811.
Robert Wallace, from May 3, 1811, to the 2d Tu. of Mar., 1812. Capt. Thos. Chandler, from Mar. 29, 1811, to the 12th day of Mar., 1812. Capt. Thos. Chandler, from Mar. 27, 1812, to the 2d Tu. of Mar., 1813. James Griffin, from Dec. 29, 1812, to the 2d Tu. of Mar., 1813. Isaac Riddle, from Mar. 27, 1812, to 2d Tu. of Mar., 1813.
William C. Riddle, from Mar 27, 1812, to 2d Tu. of Mar., 1813. Samuell Chandler, from Jun. 9, 1812, to 2d Tu. of Mar., 1813. Robert Wallace, from Jun. 12, 1812, to the 2d Tu. of Mar., 1813.
262
HISTORY OF BEDFORD.
Isaac Riddle,
Wm. C. Riddle, Jona. Palmer,
from May 17, 1813, to the second Tu of Mar., 1814.
Robert Wallace,
Thos. & Sam" Chandler, from Mar. 27, 1813, to the 2d Tu. of Mar., 1814.
Capt. Thos. Chandler, from Jan. 19, 1815, to the 2d Tu. of Mar., 1816.
Dennis Parker,
Samuel Chandler, from Apr. 12, 1815, to the 2d Tu. of Mar., 1816. Thos. Chandler, for one year from Mar. 16, 1818.
Samuel Chandler, for one year from Mar. 18, 1818.
Thos. Chandler, from Apr. 3, 1819, to 2d Tu. of Mar., 1820.
Capt. Saml. Chandler, from Apr. 3, 1819, to 2d Tu. of Mar., 1820. Jonathan Dowse, from Apr. 3, 1819, to 2d Tu. of Mar., 1820. Jonathan Palmer,
William Palmer, from Apr. 3, 1819, to the 2d Tu. of Mar., 1820.
Riddle & Foster, from Apr. 3, 1819, to the 2d Tu. of Mar., 1820.
Licenses were undoubtedly issued of date later than 1820, but the foregoing are all that are found on record in the town books.
The Church.
We are accustomed to say that our forefathers came here for " freedom to worship God." That is not, however, literally true ; they came here to establish their peculiar form of worship of God, and so strongly were they imbued with the idea that the observance of their peculiar form was essential to future salvation that in Massa- chusetts, at least, even citizenship in the colonies was made to de- pend upon membership in, and attendance upon, the form of religious worship there established. We remember that Bedford was granted by Massachusetts, but organized under New Hampshire. The grants of land made by the Massachusetts Bay Colony were uniformly upon condition that the proprietors should maintain " a learned and ortho- dox ministry," and a portion of the land granted was reserved for that purpose. There was, therefore, no real " freedom to worship God." The settlers were not free to worship God as they chose, but were obliged to do so in accordance with the vote of the majority. Bedford was no exception to this rule. It differed from other towns only as to the form of worship established. The grantees were Congregationalists and Englishmen in Boston and the towns about there, but very few of them ever came to, or settled upon, their lands in Bedford. They sold the titles to their lots to settlers who had come across the river from Londonderry to take up the wilderness. These settlers were almost without exception Scotch-Irish by birth or extraction, and strongly attached to the Presbyterian form of worship. This form they, therefore, estab- lished at once. The proprietors or their assignees, the settlers, were not only at liberty to tax themselves and each other to support the particular form of religious worship, agreeable to the majority-in this case the Presbyterian form-but by the terms of their grant from Massachusetts they were obliged to do so. The identity, therefore, between church and state was complete, and was continued until 1784, when a clause in the constitution of that year relieved towns of the necessity of supporting the ministry by public tax, although the practice was continued. On December 26, 1819, an
264
HISTORY OF BEDFORD.
act of the legislature, passed in pursuance of that clause of the con- stitution, made it illegal for the towns to raise money to support any ministry. The church, or organized body of believers, is to be con- sidered as having been first begun in Bedford when it was organ- ized by the Boston Presbytery on August 15, 1749. Unfortunately, the church records have been lost in part, but from a summary in the recent record books we find that the following have served as elders, it being remembered that in the early history of the church elders were chosen in town-meeting: 1
James Little, 1757-1783; James Gilmore, 1757 ; Benjamin Smith, 1757; William Moor, 1757-1789; James Moor, 1757; Silas Dole, 1786; James Wallace, 1786; John Orr, 1786; 2 John Craig, 1803- 1832; David McQuesten, 1803-1829; John Houston, 1803-1837; Phineas Aiken, 1803; William Moor, 1803-1844; John Holbrook, 1804-1834; Stephen Thurston, 1817-1833; John French, 1817- 1861 ; John Orr Houston, 1817; Richard Dole, 1817-1848; Moody M. Stevens, 1817-1870; Thomas Atwood, 1832-1838; Samuel McQuesten, 1832-1845; Daniel L. French, 1832-1854; Daniel Mack, 1836-1866; James French, 1847-1878 ; Phineas French, 1847-1865; William B. Stevens, 1859-1861; Gardner Nevins, 1865-1876; Charles Gage, 1865-1878; Elijah P. Parkhurst, 1865- 1878; Jesse .Witherspoon, 1867-1891; Stephen C. Damon, 1867; Hugh R. French, 1876-1888; Oliver R. Clark, 1876-1883; Free- man R. French, 1876-1900; Frederick Hodgman, 1876-1890; Nathan W. Cutler, 1876-1895 ; Frederick F. French, 1876-1880; John Hodgman, 1876-1880 ; Samuel Gardner, 1878-1883; Walter Gage, 1878; William Walker, 1878-1882; Samuel P. Duncklee, 1883 ; Jasper P. George, 1886-1895; Jacob P. Buswell, 1899.
The following is a corrected list of the members of the church in 1850. The names of those who had been absent but a short time prior to that date had been retained, and the names of those who may be still living and appear not to have removed their relation, but have been long absent and reside at a great distance, are omitted :
MALES.
David Atwood,
John D. Armstrong,
John Barr, William Bursiel,
Thomas Bursiel, Daniel Barnard, Nathan Cutler, Stephen French,
Leonard C. French, William French, Phineas C. French,
John U. French,
1 The year given with each name is the date of election; a second date with hyphen shows the date when each person ceased to act.
2 1787, Mar. 14. " Voted that Wednesday the 28th instant be set apart for the elec- tion of elders and that the Rev'd Mr. Hutchinson be requested to preach a sermon on the occasion at 10 o'clock on said day and moderate at said meeting." At a parish meeting March 28, 1787, held for the purpose of electing elders, the Rev. Aaron Hutch- inson, moderator, "Voted that seven new elders be elected-Robert Alexander, John Orr, John Aiken, Silas Dole, James Wallace, Jesse Worcester, and Asa Barnes, elders." No such election is recorded in the church books now extant.
265
THE CHURCH.
Frederic French, Solomon Gage, Isaac Gage, Jr., Samuel Gardner, Abijah Hodgman, Robert Houston, John Houston, Nathan Kendall, Oliver Kendall, Nehemiah Kittredge, Solomon Manning,
Joseph Manning, James Morrison, Samuel B. Needham,
Gardner Nevens,
Blanchard Nichols, Benjamin Nichols, Willard Parker, Adam N. Patten, William Patten, Gawn Riddle, Chandler Spofford,
John T. Spofford, Brooks Shattuck,
David Stevens,
Moody A. Stevens,
William B. Stevens, John Shepard, Joshua Vose, Joshua Vose, Jr., Peter P. Woodbury,
Robert Walker,
Benj. F. Wallace.
FEMALES.
Margaret Adams, Sally Adams, Elizabeth Aiken,
Martha P. Anderson, Anna Armstrong,
Mary Atwood, Mary Atwood, 2d, Clarissa Barr, Rhoda Barr, Anna Baldwin, Margaret Chandler, Elizabeth Cada, Susan J. Clark,
Mary J. Conant, Elizabeth Cutler, Submit Darrah, Cynthia Darrah, Charlotte Dole, Nancy Dow, Mary Dowse, Hannah French, Nancy French, Rhoda French, Harriet N. French, Annis C. C. French, Sally D. French, Lucy French, Isabella French, Almira N. French, Sarah R. French, Sarah French, Sophronia French, Dolly French, Nancy Flint, Dolly Gage,
Annis Gage, Mary Gault,
Nancy Gardner,
Dolly A. Gage, Sally J. Gage, Anna Goffe, Jane Goffe,
Mary E. Goffe,
Ann J. Goodwin,
Sally Harnden, Mary Harris,
Hepzebah Harris, Abigail Hodgman, Maria Hodgman, Submit Holbrook, Nancy Houston, Lettice M. Houston,
Elizabeth Kendall, Betsey R. Kendall, Sophia Mack, Mary A. Mack,
Susan C. Merrill, Letitia Merrill, Jane McPherson,
Fanny Mclaughlin,
Margaret McQuesten, Hannah Moore, Sybil Moore, Margaret A. Moor, Hannah Morrison, Eliza A. Morrison, Jerusha Mclaughlin, Sarah E. Mullett, Jane Moore, Abigail Needham,
Esther Nevens, Comfort Nichols, Phebe A. Noyes, Sarah A. Paige, Mary Patten, Achsah Patten, Clarissa Patten, Hannah Patten, Jane Parker, Anna Parker, Harriet E. Putnam, Dolly Riddle, Rebecca Riddle, Sarah Savage, Lucretia Savage, Dolly Sanborn, Mary Shattuck, Lucy Shepard, Margaret Stevens, Sally F. Stevens,
Mary J. Stevens,
Abigail Stevens,
Eunice Stevens, Mary Sprague, Mary Vose, Maria Vose, Mary Walker, Sarah Walker, Rebecca Wallace,
Polly Wallace, Fanny W. Wallace, Olive Wallace, Margaret A. Wallace, Eliza B. G. Woodbury.
266
HISTORY OF BEDFORD.
During the last twenty-five years (1850), there have been added to this church, by letter and profession, 332 members. By death, dismission to neighboring churches, and emigration to the West, united with absence of any special interest in religion, the number is greatly diminished. Notwithstanding the endeavor to make the list. of members correct, there may still be some errors in names.
With regard to the religious character of the people of this town, it may be remarked, that from the first they have been distinguished for their attachment to the house of God. The first settlers of the town were under the necessity of attending public worship at Lon- donderry. They performed the journey on foot, and generally car- ried one or two children with them-a distance of twelve miles. They passed Merrimack river in a canoe, or on a raft. They did not always walk, though, as appears by the following incident: Mr. James Walker, one of the brothers that first settled the town, was remarkable for his attachment to the horse, and always kept the very best in his stable. One Sabbath morning, while a young man, he mounted a beautiful black horse, and started for meeting. He crossed the river at Goffe's Falls, and there found Col. John Goffe and wife, also about to start for meeting, in Londonderry, it being the fashion in those days to ride two on a horse. Colonel Goffe's daughter, Esther, was then a little girl, she was crying to go to meeting with her parents, but they had no way to carry her. Mr. Walker saw the difficulty, and said to Mrs. Goffe, "Set her on be- hind me, and I will carry her to meeting." They soon had her ready, and as the colonel handed her up behind Walker, he said, "She is a little girl now, but she may be your wife yet." And in fact, it turned out to be so. That little girl was grandmother of James Walker, Esq., of Piscataquog village.
The following circumstance is related illustrative of the general regard for the sanctuary. Rev. Mr. Houston and his neighbor, Gawn Riddle, joined,-their farms bordering on each other. One Saturday they met, and had some sharp and unneighborly talk to- gether about their fences and cattle. Some townsmen were present. and heard their altercation. On the next day (Sabbath) Mr. Riddle was punctually at meeting. Some of his neighbors, who had heard the contest on the day before, looked astonished, and said, " Mr. Riddle, we thought you would not be at meeting to-day to hear your neighbor Houston preach, after having such a quarrel with him." Said Mr. Riddle, "I'd have ye to know, if I did quarrel with my neighbor Houston yesterday, I did not quarrel with the gospel."
267
THE CHURCH.
The church has from time to time sent forth laborers in the vine- yard of the Lord. The following are the names of those who have gone from Bedford to preach the gospel:
Rev. Joseph Goffe,1 Millbury, Mass.
Rev. John Walker, Vermont.
Rev. Silas Aiken,1 Vermont.
Rev. Isaac Orr, never settled.
Rev. Albert F. Newton, Brooklyn, N. Y.
Rev. C. W. Wallace, Manchester.
Rev. Daniel L. French, Nelson.
Rev. Lemuel Spofford, Wisconsin.
Rev. Ebenezer Chase.
Rev. Adoniram Stevens, son of David Stevens, settled out West.
The following are the names of members of this church who have married ministers :
Mrs. Philomela Thurston Garret, previously second wife of Samuel Newell, late missionary in India.
Mrs. Jane Aiken Harris, Dunbarton.
Mrs. Mary J. Chandler Smith, Greenfield, N. H.
Mrs. Ann Orr Worcester, Cherokee, Miss.
Mrs. Mary French Moore, Milford, N. H.
Mrs. Harriet McGaw M. G. Wood, Concord, N. H.
Mrs. Annis Orr McGregore, Bedford.
Mrs. Dolly Bursiel Bryant, South Africa (married a Patten, and is living now in Massachusetts).
Mrs. Nancy French French.
Mrs. Polly Riddle French, Nelson.
Mrs. Sally Orr Chapin, Greensboro, Vt.
Mrs. Mary Orr Miltimore.
Mrs. Frances Savage House, daughter of Mr. Savage.
Mrs. Sarah Chandler Eaton, now of Wilton, and Mrs. Hannah Moor Beckwith, New York, natives of the town, but not members of this church, also married ministers.
The officers of the Bedford Presbyterian church, January 1, 1904, were :
Pastor, Rev. Albert P. Watson.
Session, Stephen C. Damon, Walter Gage, Samuel P. Duncklee, Jacob P. Buswell.
Clerk, Stephen C. Damon.
Treasurer, James R. Leach.
General Manager, Charles P. Woodbury.
Treasurer of Benevolences, Stephen C. Damon.
1 Deceased.
268
HISTORY OF BEDFORD.
Custodians of Communion Service, Martha R. Woodbury, Stephen C. Damon, Harriet M. Durgin.
Ushers, George H. Hardy, Ernest A. Jenkins, Robert Bursiel, Perley W. Gage.
LIST OF MEMBERS.
Jane Atwood Barr, Thomas E. Barr,
Jennie L. (Shepard) French, Myra A. French,
Alice L. Barnard,
Lizzie E. French,
Mary E. (Gilmore) Bean,
William B. French,
Adeline E. Brickett,
Fanny B. Fuller,
Frank H. Brown,
James Fullerton,
Hannah S. Brown, Abby J. Burns,
Charles H. Fulton,
Arthur E. Bursiel,
Minnie E. Fulton,
Charles E. Bursiel,
Robert Fulton,
Mehitable Bursiel,
Samuel W. Fulton,
Olive A. Bursiel, Robert Bursiel,
Georgiana Gaffney,
Susie E. Bursiel,
Perley W. Gage,
Jacob P. Buswell,
Walter Gage, Abigail A. (Patten) Gault,
Angeline Campbell,
Mary Campbell,
Mary J. (Stevens) Gault,
Susan Campbell,
Emma L. (Turney) George,
James W. Clapp,
Annie S. Goffe,
Sarah J. (Cutler) Chase,
Maria L. A. Greenough,
Georgie D. (Seavey) Hanson,
Lillian (Kingsley) Hardy,
Laura E. Cutler,
George H. Hardy,
Mary F. Cutler,
Belle (Parker) Henson,
Stephen C. Damon,
Julia (Flint) Hodgman,
Ella C. Darrah, Fannie A. Darrah,
Sarah A. Hodgman,
Nellie B. (Chamberlain) Darrah,
William W. Darrah,
Gerda L. Huntoon,
Emmie Josie Dearborn,
Frank S. Dearborn,
Sabra J. (Mudge) Dearborn,
Grace M. (Lane) Kilton,
Harriet M. Durgin,
Elmer S. Esterbrooks,
Hattie L. Esterbrooks,
Sophia Farley,
Anstress (Flint) Manning,
Hattie L. Ferguson,
Harriet F. Manning,
Addie N. Fields,
Julia L. Manning,
Amy N. Flint,
Margie A. Manning, Mary E. Manning,
Almira J. French,
Augusta A. French, Ethel A. French,
Mary H. (Brown) Manning, Solomon Manning, Charles H. Marshall,
Ella L. French,
Mary E. (Morrison) Marshall,
Fred A. French,
Alice S. Matot,
Minnie A. (Stevens) Melendy, William Melendy, Jr.,
Jennie A. R. French, Mary F. French,
George A. King,
Eunice (Stevens) Kinson,
Gertrude M. Lane,
Mary Francis Lane,
Georgie K. Leach, James R. Leach,
Bertha J. (Cheney) Foster,
Ernest A. Jenkins, Allen F. King,
Margaret A. (Barnard) Dimick, Edward Dobson, Samuel P. Duncklee,
Nellie A. Hodgman,
Alonzo H. Huntoon,
Mary S. Currie, Robert Currie,
Abbie Gault, Lewis Gault,
Mindie A. Buswell,
Sarah E. Fulton,
Mary L. Buswell,
Herbert R. Fulton,
269
THE CHURCH.
Orline (Flint) McAfee,
John Taylor,
Caroline A. Moore,
Mrs. John Taylor,
Hannah S. Moore,
Margaret (Currie) Tinker,
Sarah Elizabeth Mudge,
Nettie B. Tinker,
Bertha E. Parkhurst,
Annie R. Townsend,
Louisa P. Parkhurst,
Harriet N. Turney,
Ellen M. Patten,
James B. Turney,
William M. Patten,
N. Edmund Vincent,
Mary L. Peaslee,
Alice S. Vincent,
Augusta W. Pollard,
Clara A. Walker,
John W. Riley,
Ella D. Walch,
Mrs. John Sharp,
George L. Walch,
Louise Sharp,
Wayland F. Walch,
Harry A. Shepard,
Lucy J. Wallace,
Sophronia J. Shepard,
Edward B. Witherspoon,
Alice Signor,
G. H. Witherspoon,
Louise C. Smith,
Mrs. G. H. Witherspoon,
Abby (Nichols) Spaulding,
Evelyn A. Stevens,
Charles P. Woodbury, Charlotte E. Woodbury,
David Stevens,
Jenny H. Woodbury,
Nellie A. Stevens,
Laura R. Woodbury,
Lucy M. (Foster) Stewart,
Martha R. Woodbury,
Elsa Taylor,
Gordon Woodbury,
Flora E. Taylor,
Harriet A. Woodbury,
Jennie C. (Nichols) Taylor,
Sarah J. Woods.
From the organization of the town the support of the ministry had been a town charge, but after the Revolution the injustice of taxing men for the support of a ministry which did not appeal to their con- victions became more apparent. Accordingly, in 1784, the state con- stitution, then adopted, contained in the Declaration of Rights, Art. 6, a provision empowering the legislature to authorize
The several towns, parishes, bodies corporate or religious societies within the state to make adequate provision at their own expense for the support and maintenance of public, Protestant teachers of piety, religion, and morality ; provided, notwithstanding, that the several towns, bodies corporate or religious societies, shall have the exclusive right of electing their own public teachers, and of contracting with them for their support and maintenance, and no person nor any one particular religious sect or denomination shall ever be compelled to pay towards the support of the teachers of another persuasion, sect or denomination.
Under this power the legislature acted and made permanent the right to raise money for ministry and meeting-house, setting forth the powers and duties of towns, as the following, from an act of 1792, attests :
The inhabitants of each town in this state, qualified to vote as aforesaid, at any meeting duly warned and holden in such town, may, agreeably to the constitution, grant and vote such sums of
270
HISTORY OF BEDFORD.
money as they shall judge necessary for the settlement, mainte- nance, and support of the ministry, schools, meeting-house, school- houses, etc.
Under it, from the time of the settlement of the Rev. David Mc- Gregore, in 1804, to the close of his pastorate, an assessment was annually made, along with the other taxes, to raise the amount needed over and above the income from the ministerial land fund, to make up his salary of $400.
At the legislative session of 1819, in December, what was known as the "Toleration Act" was passed. This measure removed from the clauses above quoted the words "ministry " and "meeting- houses," but added,
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