History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 151

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1168

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Mr. Lincoln has made farming his principal busi- ness through life, and still conducts a farm, and he can boast of having mowed more or less every sum- mer for seventy-eight years. He has been a man of remarkable vigor, and has never had a serious spell of illness in his life. He has been regular and prim- itive in his habits, has led a quiet, unostentatious and unambitious life, never having sought or held office, and he has made it a rule through the long years of his business life to always do unto others just as he, under similar circumstances, should desire to be dealt with. He was appointed Sabbath-school teacher in 1819, and held that relation for more than sixty years, and in the various communities in which the different periods of his life have been passed he has always deserved and received the unqualified respect of his fellow-citizens.

Leavitt Lincoln

HISTORY OF PELHAM.

BY REV. AUGUSTUS BERRY.

CHAPTER I.

PELHAM.

LOCATION-SETTLEMENT-INCORPORATION - ECCLESIAS- TICAL.

PELHAM is situated on the southern border of the State. It is bounded on the north by Windham and Salem, on the east by Methuen and Dracut, on the south by Draent and Tyngsborough, on the west by Hudson. It is intersected by Beaver River,-named from the beaver, which formerly had large settlements on it. This stream has, as tributaries, numerous trout brooks. There are four ponds of crystal waters and picturesque scenery,-the resort of sportsmen and picnic-parties. The soil is well watered and generally fertile. The surface is diversified. The natural scenery is romantic and beautiful ; much of it truly grand.

Settlement .- The exact date of the settlement is not known. Tradition gives it as 1721. Mr. Fox, in the "History of Dunstable," says 1722.

The earliest settlers were Butler, Hamblet, Rich- ardson, Wyman and Jaques, who came from Woburn and vicinity ; also Gage, who came from Bradford.

In 1721 or 1722, John Butler and David Hamblet bought land two miles west of the Centre, at what has since been known as the John Gage corner, on the Mammoth road. They cleared land, sowed grain and went back to Woburn for the winter, and returned in the spring with their families. Mr. Butler's house is said to have been on the site of the present John Gage house.

About two years previous, and two miles below, where now stands the house of Frederic A. Cutter, Esq., the first settlers of Londonderry built a block- house to establish a line of communication between their settlement and Boston ; a few rods below the block- house the Richardsons settled. Jaques settled a little east of the Centre, on what has since been known as the David Atwood place. Exactly where Gage and Wyman settled is mere conjecture. In the following years families came to this region and generally located on the hills. The Baldwins and Barkers settled on Baldwin Hill. There came, prob-

ably between 1735 and 1740, four families of Gages from Bradford, who settled on what is now known as Gage Hill. These were Josiah Gage, Daniel Gage and Amos Gage, sons of Daniel and Martha Gage, of Bradford, and their nephew, James Gage.

About one mile and a half from the Centre, on the road to Lowell, tradition points to the spot where the first sermon was preached,-a high rock on the ledge. A company going to some place above, having their minister with them, encamped here over the Sab- bath.

But while there is no evidence of any settlement previous to 1720, extensive grants of land had been made to gentlemen in Boston and vicinity,-one to Mr. Kimble, known as the Kimble Farm, which name is still perpetuated in a brook ; another as Mr. Coburn's farm, which lay near Gumpas Pond ; and another, a tract of four hundred acres, purchased by Governor Endicott, the deed of which was given in 1664. The present farmi of Mr. William W. Butler is a part of the Endicott farm. Mr. Butler has, in a fine state of preservation, a plan of the Endicott farm, surveyed and made by Jonathan Danforth in 1774.

In the "History of Dunstable," Endicott's grant is described "as lying in the westerly part of Pelham, about six miles from Pawtucket Falls, and one mile west of Beaver Brook, at a great hill called Masha- Shattuck (Deer Hill), lying between two other great hills and adjoining southerly on a great pond, called Pimmo-Mitti-quonnit (Long Pond)."

Incorporation .- The incorporation and settlement of the town was probably very much delayed by the unsettled condition of the line between the provinces of Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The old town of Dunstable included a large territory. The north- west portion of the present town of Pelham was within this territory. In 1732 that part of Dunstable east of the Merrimack was set off as the Nottingham Distriet. The boundary line between the provinces was established in 1741, leaving a portion that was des- ignated the Dracut District; this, with a portion of Nottingham, was incorporated in 1746. Nottingham was incorporated the same year as Nottingham West, to distinguish it from another Nottingham in New Hampshire.

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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

CHARTER.

" Province of 3 George the Second, by the Grace of God of Great New Hampshire. > Britain, France and Ireland, King, Defender of the faith, etc.

" To all whom these presents shall come Greeting :

"Il'hereas, Sundry of our Loyal Subjects, inhabitants of a tract of land within the Antient Boundrares of the towns of old Dunstable and Dra- cute, in our Province of New Hampshire, two miles and Eighty Rods East of Merrymack River, herein hereafter described, have humbly Petitioned and Requested of us that they may be Erected and Incorpo- rated into a Township and Infranchised with the same Powers, athorities and Privileges which other towns within our said Province by law have and Enjoy, And it appearing to us to be conducive to the General goud of our said Province, as well as of the said Inhabitants in Particular, by maintaining Good Order and Encouraging the Culture of the Land that the same should be done; Know Ye, Therefore, That We, of our Especial Grace, Certain Knowledge, and for the Encouraging and Promoting the Good Purposes and Ends aforesaid, by and with the Advice of our Trusty and well beloved Benning Wentworth, Esq., our Governour and Com- mander-in-Chief, and of our Council for said Province, have Erected, Incorporated and Ordained, and by these Presents, for our heirs and suc- cessors, Do will and Ordain, that the Inhabitants of the Tract of land aforesaid, Bounded as follows : viz., Begining at the Boundary Pitch Pine tree, made by Mr. Mitchel, and Running on the north Boundary line of the Massachusetts until it Comes within two miles and eighty rods of Merrymack River ; then north twenty Degrees East to London- derry; then by Londonderry East South East five miles and one hundred and forty Rods ; then South to Methuen line and to meet the Curve Line Called Mitchel's Line ; then by said Curve Line to the Pitch Pine Tree, where it began, and that shall Inhabit the Same, -Be and by these Pres- ents are declared and Ordained to be a town Corporate, and are hereby Errected and Incorporated into a Body Pollitick and a Corporation to have Continuance forever by the name of Pelham, with all the Powers and authorities, Privileges, Immunities and Franchies which other towns within our Sª Province or any of them by law have and enjoy : To Have and to Hold the said Powers, authorities, Immunities and Franchises to them, the said Inhabitants, and their successors forever al- ways, Reserving to us, our Heirs and Successors, all White Pine Trees Growing and being, and that shall hereafter Grow and be, on the said Tract of Land, for the use of Royal navy ; Reserving also the Power of Dividing said Town to us, our heirs and successors, when it shall appear necessary or Convenient for the Inhabitants thereof, And as the Severall Towns within our said Province are by the Laws thereof Enabled and authorized to assemble, and by the majority of Votes to Choose all such officers as are mentioned by the Said Laws We do by these Presents Nominate and appoint Zacheus Lovewell, Gentleman, to call the first meeting of the said Inhabitants to be held within said Town at any Time within thirty Days from the date hereof, Giving Legal Notice of the time, Place and Design of holding such meeting. In Testimony whereof, We have caused the Seal of our said Province to be herennto affixed. Witness, Benning Wentworth, Esq., our Governor and Com- mander in Chief of our Said Province the 5th day of July, in the year of our Lord Christ one thousand seven hundred and forty-six, and in the Twentieth Year of our Reign. By his Excelencies Command with advice of Council.

" BENNING WENTWORTH.

" THEODORE ATKINSON, Secretary.

" Entered and recorded, accorded, according to the Original, this six- teenth day of September, 1747, Page 33 & 34.

" THEODORE ATKINSON, Secretary."

WARRANT FOR THE FIRST TOWN-MEETING.

" Pursuant to anthority from his excellency, Benning Wentworth, Esq., Governour, &c .: or from this, his majesty's Province of New Hamp- shire, to nie given for the calling the first meeting of this town of Pel- ham ; These are therefore to notify the freeholders and other Inhabit- ants in Pelham Qualified to vote in the choice of town officers that they assemble and meet at the house of Captain Henry Baldwin on Monday, the twenty-first day of July currant at two of the clock in the afternoon then and there to chuse all such town officers for the ensuing year as the law directs.

" ZACHEUS LOVEWELL."

"Dated July ye 11th, 1746."

PROCEEDINGS OF THE FIRST TOWN-MEETING.

" At a General town-meeting of the freeholders and other Inhabitants of the town of Pelham Regularly assembled July ye 21, 1746 : The town

then Proceeded to chuse town Officers as follows : viz., Capt Henry Baldwin, Moderator ; Eleazar Whiting, Town Clerk, &c. ; Selectmen, Joseph Hamblet, Ifenry Baldwin, William Richardson, Josiah Gage and Eleazar Whiting ; Town Treasurer, Henry Baldwin, jur. ; Constable, Thomas Wyman; Surveyors of Highways, viz., Jacob Butler, John Baldwin, Daniel Gage and Simon Beard ; Tythingmen, viz., Henry Rich- ardson and Amos Gage ; Fence-vewers and field-Drivers, viz., William Elliot and Hugh Richardson ; Sealer of Weights and Measures, viz., Henry Richardson ; Surveyor of timber, &c., viz., Amos Gage ; Hog- reafs, viz., Simon Beard and David Jones."

Ecclesiastical .- At a town-meeting in October, 1746, the second meeting after the incorporation of the town, it was voted to hire as much preaching for the coming winter as could be procured for sixty pounds, old tenor ; a pound, old tenor, equaled about forty-two cents.

In the following years appropriations were made to support preaching and committees chosen to hire ministers. At a meeting in May, 1751, there was " a reconsideration of the vote to call in two or three candidates, as the town was willing to make choice between the two last."

At a town-meeting, June 3d, the town voted to call Mr. James Hobbs, of Hampton, "to be their gospel minister ;" also, to give him seven hundred pounds, old tenor, as a settlement and four hundred pounds as his yearly salary.

At this meeting a committee was chosen-viz .: Henry Richardson, Esq., Captain William Richard- son, Mr. Joseph Hamblet, Lieutenant Josiah Gage and Daniel Hutchinsion-" to apply to the neighbor- ing ministers for advice in the matter of the ordina- tion of Mr. Hobbs."

At a meeting on the 9th of August, "it was voted to add one hundred pounds to the settlement of Mr. Hobbs and one hundred pounds to his salary, twenty pounds a year for five years, old tenor." It was further voted to give him "twenty-five cords of fire-wood yearly during his ministry." "The furnishing of the fire-wood to commence when he has a family and keeps house." At a subsequent meeting in the same montlı, "it was voted to state Mr. Hobbs' yearly sal- ary so long as his ministry continued in town, Indian corn at twenty-six shillings per bushel, pork at two shillings per pound at the time of slaughter and beef at sixteen pence per pound at the time of slaughter, reckoned in old tenor."

Mr. Hobbs' acceptance of the call is as follows ;

" PELHAM, Nov. 11, 1751. " GENTLEMEN, -Whereas you have seen fit to give me an invitation to settle amongst you as your minister, and have made your proposals to encourage and enable me to settle and carry on the work of the ministry amongst you, and have confirmed the same as a legal vote, therefore, upon the consideration of those proposals, and also when fulfilled are found insufficient to support me in the quality becoming a minister of the Gospel, that you will be ready to contribute all needed support, I do accept your call, &c.

" JAMES HOBBS."

November 13th, Mr. Hobbs was ordained and a church was organized. The churches invited were the Church of Christ, in Methuen, in Dracut, in Not- tingham, in Salem, in Kingston, First and Fourth in Hampton.

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PELHAM.

The Rev. Thomas Parker, of Dracut, was modera- tor of the conneil ; the Rev. Ward Cotton, of Hamp- ton, opened with prayer ; the Rev. Peter Coffin, of Kingston, preached from Titus ii. 15: " Let no man despise thee ;" the Rev. Nathaniel Merrill, of Notting- ham, gathered the church ; Thomas Parker, of Dracut, gave the charge; the Rev. Christopher Sargent, of Methuen, gave the right hand of fellowship; the Rev. Abner Bagley, of Salem, made the last prayer.

The church consisted of ten members,-James Hobbs, Joseph Hamblet, Henry Baldwin, Daniel Hutchinson, David Jones, Henry Baldwin, Jr., Thomas Gage, Jonathan Kimball, Samuel Butler, Amos Gage.

Mr. Hobbs was twenty-six years old. He proba- bly married in January, 1752, as the following appears in the town records :

"The Rev. inr. James Hobbs and mis Elisabeth Bachelder was Pub- lished in pelham Decembr ye 28, 1751."

The following from the records of the church has interest in this connection :

" April ye 8th, 1753, Admitted to the full communion in this ch'h Elis- abeth, wife of James Hobbs, Pastor of the Ch'h in this Place."

Mrs. Hobbs was from Hampton. Her maiden-name was Batchelder. There is a tradition that her father was unwilling that she should visit Pelham before her marriage, lest she should shrink from making her home in the wilderness. The contrast between Hampton and Pelham was very great. Mrs. Hobbs endured many privations and hardships. But the young woman of twenty-two, who left her father's house to make a home for the husband of her love in this newly-incorporated town, found it her home for more than sixty years; saw, instead of the wilder- ness, cultivated fields and happy homes, good roads constructed, two meeting-houses successively built and thriving schools established in the five districts of the town. Mrs. Hobbs is said to have been a model of a housekeeper and to have abounded in ministries among the people. She was sent for in sickness, at births and deaths and she dispensed charities from lier own door.

At a town-meeting December 2, 1751, a committee was chosen to buy a tract of land for Mr. Hobbs, so that the young minister and his wife were probably at once established in the parsonage as their home. In less than a year from his ordination there was an appropriation of four hundred pounds to pay the balance of his settlement. His salary was duly cared for with each passing year. Committees were chosen from time to time to treat with him about "stating " it in the necessaries of life, as the prices of these varied. The years passed. The people were sub- duing their lands, comforts were increasing in their homes, the institutions of the town were assuming form and fixedness. There were births, baptisms and funerals. The following record is one of in- terest :

"March ye 28th, 1753, baptized Phylliys, a negro servant of Edward Wyman, junr., and on April ye 1st, 1753, baptised John and Edward, sons of Edward Wyman, jun."

Thirty-seven had come into the church.

There had been the vicissitudes and varying ex- periences of human life, when, suddenly, the min- ister, the shepherd of the sheep in the wilderness, was stricken down; for, at a town-meeting held June 5, 1765, "it was voted to hire one month's preaching; " at another meeting, June 21st, "it was voted to bury Mr. Hobbs at the town's charge," and twenty pounds sterling, money of Great Britain, was appropriated " for the funeral expenses and other charges."

William Richardson, Josiah Gage, Robert Evans, Joseph Butler, Daniel Hutchinson, Amos Gage and Benjamin Barker were chosen a committee to "see that the Rev. Mr. Hobbs is decently buried." This committee was also instructed to provide preaching for the remainder of the year, and " not to bring any minister to preach in this town without the ap- probation of the association we belong to."

Thus the first pastorate of thirteen years and seven months terminated. There can be no question but this pastorate did much in determining the future character of the town. It was a period when founda- tions were laid, when tendencies received their diree- tion, when principles were established that were to control the future ; and in this plastie period the gos- pel ministry formed the high-toned character for which the town has always been distinguished.

There is a tradition that Mr. Hobbs was a man of great strength ; that once he overtook a man taking home a load of Inmber from the saw-mill. One wheel of the loaded cart had accidentally come off. Mr. Hobbs said to the man, " You take the wheel and put it on while I lift the end of the axle-tree," and Mr. Hobbs actually lifted so much of the load as was necessary to replace the wheel. The descendants of Mr. Hobbs have been, and are, among the most respected, influ- ential and useful families of the town, and the first minister lives not only in the continuous ministry, but in a posterity identified with the growth, develop- ment, fair fame and sterling character of the town. In October, 1766, the town voted to provide grave- stones for the Rev. Mr. Hobbs' grave.

There was no suspension of the gospel ministry. At a town-meeting, September 3d, " it was voted to make choice of Mr. Amos Moody, from Newbury, for their minister." Seventy pounds sterling of the cur- rency of Great Britain was voted to Mr. Moody as a settlement, and fifty pounds sterling as his yearly salary.

Mr. Moody was ordained November 20th. The churches that assisted were Methuen, Newton, Not- tingham, Kingston and Newbury.

" At a town-meeting October 28, 1765, moderator,"Captain Richardson.

" Voted, at said meeting the ordanition to be on November the 20 next insuing.

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HISTORY OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

" Voted, to Chuse a commitey to take care of the meeting-house the day of the ordanition, to sea that the Doors be sheat while Counsel is redey to raign, namely, Jonathan Stickney, Ebent Jaques, William El" liot, Uriah Abbot, James Gibson."

About three years from his ordination Mr. Moody married the widow of his predecessor. For several years his pastorate was harmonious and pleasant. During the hard times of the Revolutionary War his salary was in arrears; but this was attended to, and once a consideration was made to him on account of "the sink in money." After fifteen years a dissatisfaction with his ministry began to be ex- pressed. At a town-meeting in September, 1783, a committee was chosen "to confer with Mr. Moody on what method is best to be taken in order to remove the unhappy uneasiness that now subsists between a number of his parishioners concerning his continuing or not continuing as the minister, and make report to the town." At a town-meeting, January 25, 1785, this vote was passed,-" The town to release all those that think in conscience they can't attend on his min- istry from any tax to him, according to his proposal he made in writing."

June 23, 1786, it was voted "to request some of the neighboring ministers to give their advice with respect to the difficulties now subsisting in the town between the Rev. Mr. Moody and some dissenting in- habitants of the town."

At this meeting permission was granted to form a " Pole Parish." This was a parish of individuals in- stead of territory.

October 2, 1786, a committee was chosen "to agree with Mr. Moody on what terms he will leave of preaching in said town ;" at an adjourned meeting it was voted "not to accept of the proposition of Mr. Moody sent in writing."

March 5. 1787, it was voted that "the selectmen should be impowered to discharge from paying their tax to the Rev. Mr. Moody all those who can make it appear that they are of a different persuasion from the Congregationalists, at or before the first day of May next."

July 5, 1792, it was voted "to pay the sum due to Mr. Moody from the town, agreeable to his answer to a committee sent to him from the old parish to known on what terms he would resign the desk ;" it was also voted "to choose a committee of two per- sons to call upon those persons nominated by a committee of both parishes to apprise the meeting- houses."

Mr. Moody was dismissed by an ecclesiastical coun- cil October 24, 1792. His pastorate was twenty seven years, wanting twenty-six days. He received sixty- one to the membership of the church. He remained in town, a respected and valuable citizen, and co-op- erated with his successor in his work. He was delegate to the convention that adopted the Federal Constitution, and was chosen representative a number of times. He died March 22, 1819, aged eighty

years. Mrs. Moody died February 21st, preceding her husband by one month, aged ninety years. She had been a member of this church nearly sixty-six years.

The town was now without a settled ministry for six years. There were two parishes, but, probably, only one church organization. After the dismissal of Mr. Moody the parishes united. There was still a division in doctrine, and the partisan spirit intensi- fied this. Preaching was sustained during these years. Calls were given to several different men, some of whom afterwards became eminent, of which number was Samuel Worcester, afterwards Dr. Wor- cester, pastor of the Tabernacle Church, Salem, Mass., one of the secretaries of the American Board of For- eign Missions, whose death occurred while he was on a visit to the missionary stations of Elliot and Brain- ard. The records of Mr. Worcester's call and the provision made for his settlement and salary would indicate that the people were united in him.

The calls extended to several other gentlemen gave rise to decided opposition and the expression of a bitter partisan spirit.

In July, 1793, Mr. Eli Smith received a call by a majority of seven ; but at a meeting a month latter the article to make provision for his support was dis- missed.

But the scene of the greatest excitement was the attempt of the church to complete a call extended to Mr. John Smith by his ordination. In March, 1796, the town concurred with the church in giving Mr. Smith a call,-forty-two yeas, twenty-nine nays; also voted to give him as a settlement the interest of one thousand dollars annually, and a salary of ninety pounds an- nually ; but at a meeting the 17th of May, "Voted not to compromise matters with Mr. Smith." " Voted that all who are not agreed to settle Mr. Smith shall be free from paying taxes to him." " Voted that all those who are dissatisfied with Mr. Smith shall have their just proportion of the meeting-house and the money the parsonage land was sold for according to the last year's invoice." " Voted not to choose a committee to join the church committee in appoint- ing a day for the ordination of Mr. John Smith, and providing for the council." At a towu-meeting in June, " Voted to enter a protest against the proceed- ings of the church in ordaining Mr. John Smith." " Voted to choose a committee of seven persons to lay the proceedings of the town in regard to Mr. John Smith settling in said town as a minister be- fore the council." A protest of sixty-nine persons was entered on the town records "against Mr. Smith's settlement and against ever paying anything for his support."

The council convened, but did not proceed to the ordination of Mr. Smith, and the day was called " flus- teration day " by the party zealous for Mr. Smith. Mr. Smith afterwards became professor in Bangor Theological Seminary. He married Hannah Hardy,

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PELHAM.

of this town, daughter of Adjutant Daniel Hardy, and he subsequently died. Later in life she married General Richardson, of this town, and was esteemed among this population as a Christian lady of a large public spirit and generous charities.

February 15, 1798, a call was given to Mr. John Emerson, with a settlement of the interest of one thousand dollars, and a salary of ninety pounds. But at a meeting, April 23d, "to see, by vote, how great the union among the people for Mr. John Em- erson, with respect to his settling with them in the work of the Gospel ministry," seventy-nine voted for Mr. Emerson and twenty against.

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History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Part 151

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis Number of Pages: 1168

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : J.W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1168