USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Charlestown > History of Charlestown, New-Hampshire, the old No. 4 > Part 23
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The following account of the death of Mr. Olcott is from Dr. Sam- uel Crosby's Journal, in possession of George Olcott.
" June 26, 1793. This day, exactly at 3 o'clock, our worthy and revered pastor Mr. Bulkley Olcott departed this life. He died like a
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man and a Christian. He had long and often been afflicted with chol- ic which at length settled in a bilious fever. But his death was occas- ioned by the bursting of a blood vessel, which drowned him in his own blood. A great loss to this town. We are now as sheep without a shepherd. May God sanctify to us this great (bereavement) and in his own good time give us another minister of Jesus Christ to lead us in the paths of peace."
"On the 29th of May, 1796," (says Dr. Crosby, in his Annals of Charlestown) "the church met, for the first time, after the death of their Pastor, and chose Deacon Thomas Putnam Standing Moderator; and Dr. Samuel Crosby, Clerk." It would appear, from this, that the church had been un-supplied with preaching for nearly three years, and seven- teen years elapsed, after Mr. Olcott's death, before they gave a call to another pastor. During a portion of that time, however, they were sup- plied by Rev. Dan Foster, who had taken up his residence in town, and had opened a family school. The first account we have of the preach- ing of Mr. Foster is the following, from Dr. Samuel Crosby's Journal for the year 1796 : " Thursday, the 17th Nov'r was the Annual Thanks- giving. Mr. Foster preached a good sermon on the duty and pleasure of praising and thanking God for his goodness." June 14th, 1797, he is spoken of in the same Journal, as being of Charlestown, and as hay- ing been chosen to represent the church here in connection with Dr. Crosby, at the ordination and installation of Rev. John Kimball, as pas- tor of the church in Acworth. That he was not, however, regularly supplying the church at Charlestown, at the time, we may infer from the following, which closes the account which Dr. Crosby gives of the services of that occasion : " I returned at Evening. I feel happy that though we are destitute, a neighboring people are so happily supplied." Mr. Foster, however, was the principal supply which the church had from 1796 till his death in March, 1809 .*
* This is the date of his death given by Rev. Jaazaniah Crosby in his Annals of Charlestown. But the following. from an old day-book, bearing date, December 31, 1809, shows that Dr. Crosby's Record is not correct, and we are probably, to substitute 1810 for 1809 :
" This being the last of 1809, We attend to hear our priest resign, And preach his farewell to his people all to witness the same his god he calls ; farewell my priest, farewell my friend Since you must to others goe,
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
Mr. Foster was born in 1747-received the degree of A. M. from Yale College, and the honorary degree of A. M. from Dartmouth College in 1774-was the third and last pastor of the old Congregational Church at Poquonock, Conn .: the last member of which died in 1820, or about that year. He was dissmissed in 1784, after a pastorate of thirteen years. He was settled over the church in Weathersfield, Vermont, in 1787, from which, though he removed to Charlestown in 1796, he was not dis- missed, till 1799. His school, in Charlestown, was opened in the house just north of the old Hastings place, now owned by Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Kimball, where he continued it up to the time of his decease. Hon. Thomas M. Edwards, of Keene, Russell Jarvis, of Claremont, and Ma- jor Enoch Hammond West, of Charlestown, and Hon. Henry Hubbard were among his students. He supplied the church at Charlestown only occasionally, before his dismission from Weathersfield; but was after- wards employed more constantly till death put an end to his ministra- tions.
Mr. Foster, in the latter part of his life, embraced the belief of the final restoration of all rational intelligences to holiness and happiness ; and wrote and published in a review of the sermons of Rev. Dr. Strong, of Hartford, an examination of the extent of gospel grace and mercy in which he sought to establish that view. These are his words : "I frankly declare to you, that I feel myself disposed to extend the divine- ly benovolent design of gospel grace and mercy in such a manner as to include all the children of Adam; Nor can I possibly understand any definitions of the divine attributes or interpretations of the declarations of the gospel itself upon any other supposition." (Foster's Examina- tion, page 289.)
Mr. Foster accepted the divinity of Christ, the atonement, and punish- ment after death, but which would not be eternal. He left it to the wisdom of God to prescribe its limit, but believed that every rational being, whatever period of time he might be called to suffer, would be, ul- timately, restored to the favor of God. Mr. Foster's life was moral and exemplary, and his sermons, which were written in a scholarly manuer, were tastefully and effectively delivered.
pray preach some doctrine more divine
That your people may not prove your foe.
By doing this you will make a living
And your people prove both loving and giving, therefore let Universalism be resigned to those that will support it and live as frends."
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
During a portion of the time that Mr. Foster preached in Charles- town, the services were divided between the village and the north end of the town, where the people, assisted by the town, had erected a meeting- house. After embracing Universalism, although his services were tol- erated they were very far from being acceptable to the whole people. The occurrence of his death, however, prevented any great division, and the town, immediately after, being divided into two parishes, the way was prepared for settling Mr. Crosby in the village with great unanimity.
Mr. and Mrs. Foster had four children born in the following order : I, Betsy ; II, Sophronia ; III, John Mather; IV, William S. John Mather married, November 24th, 1805, Alice Carlisle, but lived only a few years. His widow married Judge Stone, of Vermont, but is now dead, and lies buried in our cemetery.
William S. enlisted, March 12th, 1812, in Captain Joseph Griswold's company of the 11th United States Infantry, and was commissioned 1st Lieutenant. He proved a brave soldier, and subsequently rose to the rank of Colonel.
HISTORY OF SOUTH PARISH.
CHAPTER XV.
INCORPORATION OF SOUTHI PARISH-BY-LAWS OF-MEASURES FOR SET- TLING A PASTOR-REV. JAAZANIAII CROSBY CALLED AND SETTLED-HIS CHARACTER AND LIFE-BURNING OF IIIS HOUSE-DEATH-REGISTER OF HIIS FAMILY-COLLEAGUE PASTORS AND OTHERS TO APRIL, 1876.
HE town, during the pastorate of Mr. Olcott and the ministra- tions of Mr. Foster, had constituted only one parish, with its general place of worship at the village. But the distance to the extreme northern portion of the town, being nearly eight miles, made attendance at church, for those who resided farthest away, exceed- ingly difficult. But, as the law then was, every voter was obliged to pay a tax for the support of the church, who did not present to the town authorities a certificate that he worshiped with and paid taxes to some other denomination. All appreciated the circumstances of the sit- uation of the inhabitants of the north village, and felt willing, if they desired it, that they should be set off into a parish by themselves. An application was, therefore, made to the legislature for that purpose, at its session, in June, 1810; which, on its being taken into consideration, re- sulted in the division of the town into two parishes, each of which, sub- sequently, formed its own separate religious society.
The following is the action of the legislature, by which they were es- tablished :
HISTORY OF THE NORTH AND SOUTH PARISHES. STATE OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE,
In the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred ten. An act for the division of the town of Charlestown into parishes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
Court convened, that the town of Charlestown, in the County of Chesh- ire be, and the said town hereby is, divided by a direct line running from the north corner of the town of Acworth to Connecticut River at the north side of Cheshire Bridge as it now stands, into two Parishes for purpose hereafter mentioned.
And be it further enacted that the inhabitants who now do or shall hereafter reside in said Charlestown are incorporated into and made a body politic and corporate by the name of the "South Parish in Charles- town," and the inhabitants who now do, or shall hereafter reside in said Charlestown, and north of said divisional line, be, and hereby are incor- porated into, and made a body politic and corporate by the name of the " North Parish in Charlestown ;" that each of the said parishes by its name aforesaid may in any court sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded have a common seal, and break or alter the same at pleasure, and be vest- ed with all the powers, privileges, immunities, incident to corporations of a similar nature.
And be it further enacted, that each of said parishes, by a major vote, the qualifications of voters being at times regulated by the Constitution of this State, may, from time to time, raise such sum or sums of money as they shall judge necessary and proper for the purpose of establishing and supporting the preaching of the gospel and for building and repair- ing an house of public worship in such parish ; and cause each inhabitant of such parish, excepting such persons as may be exempted therefrom by the provisions of the Constitution of this State, to be assessed with, and to pay his or her equal proportion of each and every sum so raised, according to his or her poll and ratable estate.
And be it further enacted, that each of said parishes by its name afore- said, shall be, and the same hereby is made capable in law to purchase, take, recieve and hold for the purposes aforesaid, and none other, any es- tate, real or personal, not exceeding in value eight thousand dollars.
And be it further enacted, that any person residing within the limits of either of said parishes has full liberty to become a member of, and to pay his or her parochial and ministerial tax or taxes to the other par- ish, by making application for that purpose in writing to the clerk of the parish to which he or she shall wish to belong, and by causing such application to be recorded by said clerk in the records of said parish, and by causing a copy of such words to be also recorded by the clerk in the records of the parish in which he or she may reside; and in case there shall be no parish clerk within the parish in which any person or persons may - wish to pay their parochial or ministerial taxes, such persons shall have
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HISTORY OF. CHARLESTOWN.
the liberty of becoming members of said parish by lodging their appli- cation with the town clerk of the said town of Charlestown, and causing the same to be recorded upon the book of records of said town ; which pro- ceedings shall have effect on and from the last Tuesday of March next after the time when the same shall be completed in the manner aforesaid and not before ; and the persons so making application shall be entitled to the same privileges and be subject to the payment of taxes, in the same way and manner as though actually residing within the limits of the parish of which they shall have become members.
And be it further enacted, that Timothy Holden and Nathan Allen or either of them, both of the North Parish in Charlestown, and Abel Walker and Timothy West or either of them, both of the South Parish in said Charlestown, be and are hereby authorized to call meetings of the North Parish in Charlestown and of the South Parish in Charles- town, incorporated by this act, by notifications, to be signed by both or either of the persons before named in said North Parish and in said South Parish, one of which said notifications shall be posted up at each of the respective meeting houses in said North Parish and in said South Parish, three successive Sabbaths or public days prior to said meeting, and at the said meetings the said corporation may elect such officers and make and establish such rules and by-laws as to them shall appear necessary and convenient, and annex penalties to the breach thereof, and cause the same to be executed ; provided said rules and by- laws be not repugnant to the laws and Constitution of the State, and at said meetings or any other meetings of said parishes they may agree up- on methods of calling future meetings for the choice of officers and any other purposes contemplated by this act.
STATE OF NEW-HAMPSHIRE.
In the House of Representatives, June 19th, 1810. The preceding bill having had three several readings passed to be enacted.
Sent up for concurrence.
CHARLES CUTTS, Speaker.
In Senate June 20th, 1810. This bill having been read a third time was enacted.
JOHN LANGDON, Gor. Approved June 20th, 1810, A true copy attest,
WILLIAM PLUMER, President,
SAM. SPARHAWK, Sec.
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
In accordance with the foregoing act of the legislature, a meeting was called of the members of the South Parish, in Charlestown, by Abel Walker and Timothy West, the individuals authorized for that purpose, which met at the Court House, on Monday, the 16th day of July, 1810, agreeable to notification, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon.
This meeting was organized by the election of John C. Chamberlain, Moderator ; Frederick A. Sumner, Parish Clerk; Oliver Hall, Treas- urer ; Moses W. Hastings, Jonathan Baker and Roswell Willard, Asses- sors, and Benjamin Labaree, Esq., Collector.
John C. Chamberlain, William Briggs and Henry Hubbard were ap- pointed a committee to draft a set of by-laws, and report the same at an adjourned meeting.
The meeting, then, adjourned to the 13th of August, at 3 o'clock in the afternoon ; at which time they again met, and heard and accepted the following code of by-laws, which was reported by their Committee :
ARTICLE 1st.
There shall be holden at the Parish Meeting House, at one o'clock in the afternoon, the first Tuesday of October, in each and every year, a meeting of the qualified voters of said Parish, for the choice of a board of Trustees, a Treasurer and Clerk, who shall be, respectively, members and freeholders in said Parish, and hold their offices for one year ; and until others be chosen and qualified ; and, if the choice of either of said officers should be omitted, at such annual meeting ; or if either of said offices, by any means, should become vacant, such omission or vacancy may be supplied at any subsequent meeting.
ARTICLE 2nd.
That the board of Trustees shall consist of not more than five, nor less than three persons, whose duty it shall be to take care of the Par- ish Meeting House, and see that the same be kept in good order and re- pair ; to appoint a sexton and discharge him at pleasure ; to assess and apportion among the members of said Parish, each sum of money raised by the Parish, and to appoint and empower some person to collect said taxes, and pay the same to the treasurer of the Parish ; to draw orders on the treasurer for such sums of money, as may be necessary for the use of the Parish, and, generally, to superintend all the concerns of the Parish ; and they shall keep a true, and full record of all their pro- ceedings in a book provided for the purpose, and shall each of them, be sworn to the faithful discharge of the duties of their office. A majority of the Trustees shall be a quorum for transacting business.
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
ARTICLE 3d.
All monies, voted and raised by, or otherwise accruing to the Parish, shall, when collected, be paid to the treasurer, and be, by him, paid out when requested, either by vote of the Parish, or order of the Trustees. The treasurer shall give bonds with one or more sureties to the Parish, to the approbation of the trustees, in the penal sum of one thousand dollars, for the faithful discharge of the duties of his office. He shall also keep in a book provided for that purpose, fair entries of all sums by him received and advanced for the use of the Parish.
ARTICLE 4th.
The clerk shall record all the proceedings of the Parish in a book for that purpose to be provided. He shall be sworn to the faithful discharge of the duties of his office.
ARTICLE 5th.
Meetings of the Parish may, at any time, be called by the Trustees- notice of the time and place, and of the. business to be done, or acted upon, being posted at the front door of the Parish Meeting House, at least, fifteen days prior to said day of holding the meeting ; or meetings may be called by seven members and freeholders of said Parish, mak- ing application, in writing, to the clerk of said Parish, and notice being given as aforesaid.
Recorded by FRED. A. SUMNER, Parish Clerk.
The South Parish; having adopted the above by-laws, assembled at the Court House, according to previous legal notice, on the 13th day of August, 1810, and having elected John C. Chamberlain Moderator, passed the following votes :
" Voted, to settle a minister in this Parish, provided said Parish can agree on the terms of settlement, and the choice of a person.
Voted, to settle Mr. Jaazaniah Crosby, if the Parish can agree with him on the terms of settlement.
Vote 7, to give Mr. Crosby four hundred dollars, as a salary, by the year, provided he will settle with us in the gospel ministry.
Voted, that a committee of five be chosen to wait on Mr. Crosby, with the foregoing terms of settlement. 1
Voted, that Benjamin Labaree, Jesse Healy, David Taylor, Jonathan Baker and John C. Chanrberlain be that committee."
The meeting then adjourned till afternoon, then to the 27th of Aug-
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
ust, then to the 9th of September at four o'clock in the afternoon, when the committee appointed to wait on Mr. Crosby, reported,
" That they had conferred with Mr. Crosby, respecting his settling in this Parish, and that he had no objection."
The Committee also reported "That they had stated to Mr. Crosby, that it must be distinctly understood that his pastoral care over said Parish should continue no longer than a majority of said Parish were in favor of his ministry ; and that his relation might cease at any time, if he found his salary inadequate to his support, or his connections such as rendered his services of less value than they would be in any other con- gregation ; to which terms Mr. Crosby had assented."
It was then voted that, John C. Chamberlain be requested to express to Mr. Crosby, in writing, the sentiments of the church and congrega- tion, relative to his settlement in the Parish, and receive his answer.
The communications follow :
To the Rev'd J. Crosby,
"SIR, at a meeting of the church and congregation of the South Par- ish, in Charlestown, held on this day, it was voted without a dissenting voice, to request you to settle with them as their Pastor. The Parish al- so voted to give as a salary four hundred dollars, annually ; and from other sources one other sum of one hundred dollars, annually, will be given you, in addition to the former sum.
More than seventeen years have elapsed since this town have had a Pastor settled with them in the gospel ministry (and) the Parish are sensible that their spiritual vine-yard requires much labor.
They have maturely considered your talents and abilities for this im- portant station, and feel confident from the best enquiries they have been able to make, that your assent to their request will be for their spiritual and temporal good. It is a subject of great consolation to the church and congregation, that they are entirely united in this request, and they hope this circumstance will have its due influence on your decision.
JOHN C. CHAMBERLAIN,
Moderator of the meeting of the South Parish of Charlestown. September 5, 1810."
Mr. Crosby's Reply.
"To the Church and Congregation of the South Parish in Charlestown,
My answer to the invitation which you have just given me, to settle with you in the work of the gospel ministry, will, I hope, be given un
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
der a due sense of the high importance and responsibility of the office in which you have invited me to engage. While convinced of my ina- bility to discharge my duty in a becoming manner, permit me to consid- er the perfect unanimity, which prevails among you, as a pledge that you will be equally unanimous in your endeavours to assist me in the ardu- ous work ; and particularly in your prayers for grace to help in every time of need. With this impression, I no longer delay to express my acceptance of your invitation, and subscribe myself,
Your Obedient Servant,
J. CROSBY."
On the reception of this answer, the ordination was appointed to be on the 17th of October, next following, and Dr. David Taylor, Deacon Timothy West, Benjamin Labaree, Jesse Healy, Horace Hall, William Briggs, George Olcott, and Enos Stevens were appointed a committee of arrangements, and were moreover directed to procure entertainment for the Council.
The Council convened agreeably to letters missive, at the South Par- ish, in Charlestown, October 16th, 1810, and consisted of pastors and delegates from the following churches :
Amherst, Rev. Jeremiah Barnard, pastor ; and Bros. Robert Means and Samuel Curtis, delegates ; Worcester, Mass., Rev. Aaron Bancroft, D. D. pastor ; Lancaster, Mass., Rev. Nathaniel Thayer, pastor ; Joseph Wales, delegate; Hampton Falls, Rev. Jacob Abbott, pastor ; Portsmouth, Rev. Nathan Parker, pastor; N. A. Haven, Esq., delegate ; Milford, Rev. Humphrey Moore, pastor ; Deacon William Lovejoy, delegate ; Wil- ton, Rev. Thomas Bedee, pastor; Brother Ezra Abbott, delegate ; Springfield, Vt., Rev. R. Smiley, pastor; Deacon David Nichols, dele- gate ; Claremont, Rev. Stephen Farley, pastor; J. Matthews and R. Clark, delegates ; Walpole, Rev. P. Dickinson, pastor; Deacon A. Holland, and Brother R. Vose, delegates ; Acworth, -- Deacons T. Slader, and L. Silsby delegates.
The Council was organized by the choice of Rev. Mr. Barnard, moder- ator, and Rev. Pliny Dickinson, scribe; when, after prayer the proceed- ings of the parish, and the answer of Mr. Crosby were examined, and accepted. The Council then called on Mr. Crosby, for his license to preach and his certificate of Church membership. They then attended to his confession of faith, and answers to certain questions, proposed by the council, on which it was voted, that the council are unanimously satisfied, and the parts for the public performances at the ordination
REV. J. CROSBY, D. D.
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HISTORY OF CHARLESTOWN.
the next day were assigned ; they then adjourned to meet at half past ten o'clock on the following morning.
The services at the ordination were as follows ;
Introductory prayer by Rev. Mr. Bedee ; sermon by Rev. Jacob Abbott; consecrating prayer, by Rev. Mr. Barnard ; Charge by Rev. Dr. Bancroft; Right-hand of fellowship, by Rev. Mr. Thayer; Con- cluding prayer, by Rev. Mr. Moore.
REV. DR. CROSBY.
Rev. Jaazaniah Crosby, thus constituted the second pastor of the church, and the first pastor of the South parish society, was descend- ed from Symon Crosby and Anne, his wife, who came to America in the ship Susan & Ellen, and settled in Cambridge, in 1735, where he died September 7th, 1739; leaving a widow who afterwards married Rev. John Thomson, of Braintree, Massachusetts. From Simon C., son of the above, born 1637, who married Rachel Brackett of Brain- tree, the line of the descent of the subject of this memoir is traced as follows : Joseph, second son of Simon, born July 5th, 1669, married Sarah French, May 6th, 1691 ; William, fourth child of Joseph, born February 13th, 1697, married Hannah Ross ; Jaazaniah, fifth child of William, born in Ashby, October 7th, 1728, was brought up in Billerica. He married and had a son Jaazaniah, born in 1753, who married Elizabeth Gilson of Pepperell, and became the father of the subject of this sketch.
The parents of Dr. Crosby were in humble circumstances, as will be seen from the following fragment of Autobiography, which the Doctor left in his own hand writing, in which is given a very vivid picture of the scenes and circumstances of his childhood.
"I was born in Cockermouth, New-Hampshire, afterwards called Hebron, on the 3d day of April, 1780. The place of my birth was a wilderness, except a small clearing, near my father's farm, and my early residence was in a log hut, erected in this clearing for the benefit of a cow, though never inhabited by that animal, before it was occupied by the writer. When my father moved to the above mentioned wilder- ness, his whole property consisted of twenty-five dollars, an axe, and the clothes which he wore. He lost the avails of about three years labor by the failure of what was called continental money. Till I was of the age of fourteen years, we, nine in family, resided in a house having one room only, whose dimensions were eighteen feet by twelve ; a log house with one window only, consisting of four squares of window
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