History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 60

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia [Pa.] J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1520

USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire > Part 60
USA > New Hampshire > Belknap County > History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire > Part 60

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December 8, 1863, " Voted to raise six thousand dollars to encourage voluntary enlistment in the town of Chichester, and that the selectmen are authorized to apply the same, or such parts thereof as they may think proper, to pay bounties to soldiers to fill any quota that may be assigned to this town."

June 14, 1864, " Toted to raise the sum of ten thou- sand dollars to encourage voluntary enlistment in this town, to fill any quota of the town under any call of the President during the present political year, and that the selectmen pay such bounties as they think proper to each volunteer who may, at any time during the year, enlist into the military service of the United States, and also that the selectmen pay a bounty of three hundred dollars to all persons who have been, or may be, drafted or conscripted into the military service from this town, during the existing rebellion, or to any substitute for such conscript." " Voted to raise fifteen thousand dollars in addition to the sum already raised, and that the selectmen be authorized to enlist twenty men immediately, and put them into

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HISTORY OF MERRIMACK COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

the service, for a reserve to fill any quota of the town during the current year."

August 24, 1864, " Voted to raise twenty-five thou- sand dollars to encourage voluntary enlistments in the town of Chichester, and that the selectmen be author- ized to pay a bounty of one thousand dollars to each and every man who shall enlist from this town, and be mustered into the service of the United States for the term of one year, to fill the quota of the town under the call of the President of July 18, 1864." Sixteen men of the town enlisted under this vote, and received one thousand dollars each.

December 10, 1864, the town passed its last vote in relation to raising men for the army. " Voted that the selectmen be authorized to pay a bounty of three hundred dollars to any one who has been since the date of this warrant, or may be hereafter, mustered into the military, naval or marine service of the Uni- ted States for three years, as a substitute for any enrolled man in the town of Chichester."

In accordance with the above vote, Jacob S. San- born, David T. Brown, S. W. Langmaid, C. C. Shaw, John Shaw, James B. Clifford, Thomas B. Lane, Ho- sea B. Langley and James Hook furnished substi- tutes. Drafted men who furnished substitutes, Geo. M. Munsey, Abram M. Drake, Stephen P. Perkins, John Y. Lane, Freeman H. Fogg, Moses R. Lake, Edward Langmaid, Jr., Franklin O. Kelley, George W. Towle, James P. Hook, John W. Severance, Ira Sanborn and Nathaniel S. Edmunds.

Citizens of the town who enlisted and were mus- tered into the service of the United States during the Rebellion,-

George S. Sanders, Elbridge G. Locke, James McGuire, Albert Hook, William H. Jackson, John P. Haines, Hiram E. Locke, William Spiller, Joseph C. Munsey, Frederick Brown, William Buzzell, Chellis E. Call, Charles H. Edmunds, Joseph C. Perry, Samuel M. Perry, Ira B. Perry, Henry M. Sanborn, James Stanyan, Charles H. Towle, Cyrus Sanborn, James H. Haines, Thomas Haines, Peter Mehier, Thomas Ames, Wil- liam Stanley, Hugh Burne, Alfred Langmaid, Charles Robey, Charles H. Staniels, John A. West, Hiram Hook, Levi Hook, Jamee M. Meserve, Joseph Cilley, Warren Langmaid, Jonathan H. Leavitt, William San- born, Hiram Stanyan, Edward West, George H. Haines, Herbert T. Sanborn, Charles L. Brown, Charles H. Greene, Alonzo P. Hall, James P. Hook, George P. Haines, Charles H. Johnson, James Bachelder, George A. Lear, Sewel B. Bailey, John M. Haines, James J. Locke, Joseph M. Walker, True Sanhorn, Jr. (enlisted September 20, 1861, Fourth Regiment, second lieutenant ; promoted to first lieutenant June 12, 1862; promoted to captain November 9, 1864), Jonathan D. Leavitt.

The following is a list of men who were hired by the selectmen to fill the quotas of the town, under different calls of the President, and substitutes for drafted and enrolled men,-

William Walker, George H. Pearson, John Ames, Thomas Eagan, John Friar, Edward Morris, Joseph Miller, William Robertson, James Noble, William R. Fleming, Charles Hogan, John Smith, James Johnson, John Thomas, Elbridge L. Swain, Edward Anster, Joseph O. Perkins, Charles H. Marston, William Stearns, Edgar L. Carr, George Johnston, Joseph Johuston, Benjamin Johnston, Joseph G. Johnston, Lewis Woodbury, Jolin Wilson, Orrin H. Weeks, William Sinclare, George W. Dwinnel, Patrick R. Garitis, Josephi Murry, Minor Smith, Peter White, Andrew J. Gilman, James Wilson, Martin Johnson, James Smith, Richard Rod-

gers, Charles Anderson, John Rodgers, Thomas Williams, Nathan Munsey, George W. Fitch, Francis Dolan, William D. Locke, William Cook, John Cate, John Ames, John F. Stanyan.

The town responded to every call of the President of the United States for men to go into the Union army, and promptly filled every quota assigned to it, paying bounties ranging from one to ten hundred dol- lars to each man. To do this, the town borrowed the money from year to year, as it was needed, and at the close of the war had incurred a debt of thirty-six thousand six hundred dollars. This amount was in notes, ranging from fifty to three thousand dollars. The interest and part of the principal was paid each year until 1881, when it was found that abont sixteen thousand dollars of the original indebtedness of the town remained unpaid. The town, this year, voted to fund the town debt, and authorized the selectmen to issue bonds bearing four per cent. interest annually, with one thousand dollars payable each year until the debt should be paid. The bonds were issued and sold ; hence, in about twelve years the war debt of Chi- chester will become extinct.

Schools and School-Houses .- The people of Chi- chester early turned their attention to the subject of education. We find, that a few years after the settle- ment of the town, when there were but few houses, and these very much scattered, that a few pounds were appropriated "for schooling." There were then no school-houses in town, and the scholars met at private houses, and were taught to "read, write and cipher " by Joseph Dow, one of the first settlers of the town, who also filled the office of town clerk for many years, and is now remembered by the old peo- ple of the town as " Master Dow and Clark Dow." It does not appear that the subject of education was ever lost sight of, though the poverty and distress of the people, occasioned, or at least increased, by the heavy taxes imposed upon them to raise men for the Conti- nental army during the memorable struggle of the colonies for independence, prevented the full accom- plishment of their laudable design. In 1788 the town built four school-houses,-one near the mouth of Loudon road, one on Bear Hill, one on Canterbury road and one near the settlement of Paul Morrill. The school-house last mentioned was burned in 1840, and the present one in that section of the town (Dis- trict No. 5) was erected in 1841. A school-house in the Lane District was built about 1790, which was burned in 1815, and the present house erected in 1816. In 1842 a union district of Chichester and Epsom was formed, and in 18-, a union district of Loudon and Chichester was formed, and a school- house located on Pleasant Street. Another union school district of Chichester and Loudon was formed and a school-house built on Canterbury road, making eight school districts with as many school-houses. The money appropriated for the support of schools is divided among the several districts, according to the appraised value of property in each district.

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CHICHESTER.

The Revolution .- The following men were fur- nished by the town for the Continental army :

Josiah Barton, Ephraim Garvin, Jonathan Locke, John Bickford, Nathaniel Martin, James Ahearn, Benjamin Brown, Benjamin G. Barry, Jacob Abbott, Ephraim Conner, Danial Paige, Neil Cate, Joseph Morrill Danial Seavey, Joseph Brown, Joseph Dow, Joseph Goss, Jeremiah Abbott, Eliphalet Conner, Simeon Lovering, Dudly Swain, Joshua Smith, Richard Smith, John Chasa, John Maxfield.

War of 1812 .- The following men were furnished by the town for the War of 1812:

Joseph Dearborn, Isaac Stanyan, Samuel Drake, Theophilus Mason, Christophar Page, Jonathan Maxfield, Benjamin W. French, David P. Shaw, Edward Edmunds, David M. Carpanter, Mathew Sanborn.

POPULAR VOTES OF THE TOWN.

In 1800 .- For Representatives to Congress : Abel Foster, 33; Michael McClary, 40 ; Samuel Tenney, 40 ; George B. Toppan, 36.

1810 .- Jonah Bartlatt, 80; Samnel Dinamore, 80; John A. Harper, 80; David Morrill, 80; Obed Hall, 80; George Sullivan, 33; William Hale, 33 ; James Wilson, 33 ; Roger Vose, 33; Daniel Blaisdell, 33.

1820 .- For Governor : Sammel Bell, 173. For Counselor: John Bell, 173. For Senator: Isaac Hill, 87; Ezakiel Morrill, 83 ; John McClary, 1. For Treasurer: William Pickering, 173. For Register: Seth Walker, 173.

1830 .- For Governor: Mathew Harvey, 136; Timothy Upham, 36. For Counselor : Francis N. Fisk, 137 ; John W. Parson, 36. For Sena- tur : Joseph M. Harper, 135 ; Samuel Morrill, 37. For Treasurer : Jona- than Eastman, 136 ; John Wilson, 37. For Register of Deeds: Samuel Coffin, 133 ; John West, 34.

1841 .- For Governor: John Paige, 147; Enos Stevana, 34; Daniel Hoyt, 10. For Counselor: Moses Norris, 146; Arthur Breams, 35; Frederick Sanborn, 9. For Senator: Peter Renton, 144; Simeon B. Little, 35 ; Samuel Forrest, 9. For Treasurer : Caleb Morrill, 147; D. K. Foster, 35 ; Samuel Morrill, 9. For Regiater of Deeds : Mitchel Gil- more, 147 ; Joseph Morrill, 35 ; John T. Morton, 9.

1850 .- For Governor : Samuel Dinsmore, 133; N. S. Berry, 37; Levi Chamberlin, 15. For Counselor : Greenleaf Clarke, 133; Edmund Worth, 33. For Senator : Samuel Montgomery, 133; John S. Furnald, 15 : Charles E. Bartlett, 15.

1860 .-- For Governor: Asa P. Cate, 143; Ichabod Goodwin, 88. For Railroad Commissioner : Frederick Vose, 143; Jeremiah C. Tilton, 88. For Counselor: James Butler, 143; Reed P. Clarke, 88. For Senator : Henry P. Rolfe, 142 ; David Morrill, 88.

1870 .- For Governor : John Bedell, 70 ; Onslow Stearns, 74; Lorenzo Burrows, 5; Samuel Falm, 73.

1880 .- For Governor : Frank Jones, 137; Charles H. Bell, 90 ; George Dodge, I.

Congregational Society .- From the settlement of the town until 1791 but little is known concerning the preaching of the gospel in Chichester. We find that before and after the Revolutionary War appro- priations of a few pounds were made occasionally at their annual meetings to hire a gospel minister to preach a part of the year, but who was employed or where they preached we have no means of knowing; but as the business meetings of the town were held alternately at private houses in different parts of the town, the presumption is that the religious meetings were held in the same way. But during the memor- able struggle for independence through which the colonies passed, although the subject was brought up at almost every annual meeting, the people were so much engaged in furnishing men for the military service, and were taxed so heavily to raise funds to procure these men, that no appropriation was made for the support of the gospel. In 1791, Rev. Josiah Carpenter, a Congregational minister, came here from Vermont and preached a part of the time, and the

town raised fifteen pounds to pay him for his services; and on the 7th of June of this year the people, who for several years had contemplated building a house for public worship, but could not agree upon a loca- tion, decided to build a meeting house, which should be used for the preaching of the gospel and the busi- ness meetings of the town; the house to be forty feet wide and fifty feet long, and fixed upon a spot a few rods east of where the town-house now stands for a location. The building committee were Abram True, Captain James Marden and Jeremiah Sanborn.

The records do not tell us just when the house was completed, but they do tell us that the pews were sold at auction in 1794 to the highest bidders, at prices ranging from two to fifteen pounds.

At a meeting held at the barn of Captain John Langmaid, July 23, 1791, it was voted to set apart August 3, 1791, as a day of humiliation and prayer to Almighty God for his direction and presence with them in all their undertakings; also, to call a council of neighboring ministers to establish a church in this town, in order to have an ordained minister, and Jonathan Leavitt, Hillyard Shaw and Joseph Morrill were chosen a committee to call the council and make preparations for their entertainment.

The council convened August 3, and was held in connection with the exercises of fast-day. This council established the Congregational Church in Chichester. On the 3d day of September following, the town voted to extend a call to Rev. Josiah Carpenter to settle with them in the gospel ministry upon the fol- lowing terms : Salary for the first year, fifty pounds; for the second year, fifty-five pounds; for the third year, sixty pounds; for the fourth year, sixty-five pounds, and that the last-named sum of sixty-five pounds should be his stated salary each year during the time he should remain with them in the gospel ministry ; said salary to be paid yearly, as follows: One-third part in specie, computing six shillings to the dollar ; the other two-thirds in beef, pork, corn and grain at the following rates: Good grass-fed beef, at seventeen shillings nine pence per one hundred pounds; stall-feed beef, at twenty-five shillings per hundred; pork weighing from nine to twelve-score, four pence per pound, from twelve-score upwards, five pence per pound; corn, three shillings per bushel ; rye, four shillings; and wheat at six shil- lings per bushel. That until the parsonage lot should be cleared and put in condition to produce grass suf- ficient to winter and summer two cows, one horse, six sheep, the town would furnish Mr. Carpenter annually and every year with six tons of good English hay and pasturing sufficient and convenient for the above stock; then he was to cultivate the parsonage lot himself and to have all of the income. They also agreed to furnish him annually with twenty-five cords of good birch-wood, delivered at his house; also to give him boards, shingle and clapboards to the amount of fifteen pounds and labor to the amount of forty

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HISTORY OF MERRIMACK COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

pounds, towards building him a house. Mr. Carpenter accepted the call and was soon ordained, and re- mained in the gospel ministry about thirty-five years. During these thirty-five years a tax was assessed an- 'nually, and in a majority of cases cheerfully paid, to pay his salary, but from the start there had been dis- senters, some on account of the location of the meet- ing-house, and some on account of conscientious scruples, not believing in compulsory support of the gospel; these dissenters became more numerous as time rolled on. The town had been accustomed to abate the minister tax of those people who furnished certificates from Rev. Ebenezer Knowlton and Rev. Benjamin Sargent, Free-Will Baptist ministers of Pittsfield, that they were regular attendants upon their meetings.

After the law was passed by the State allowing individuals to form religious societies, with power to admit members, make rules and by-laws for their government, assess and collect taxes of its members for the support of a minister of their own denomina- tion, it became exceedingly diffcult to collect the taxes assessed for the support of Mr. Carpenter, some posi- tively refusing to pay their taxes, and there is a tradition that in several cases the goods and chattels of delinquent tax-payers were taken by process of law and sold to pay their proportion of the minister's salary. It now became evident to the people that something must be done to dissolve the contract made in 1791 between the town and Rev. Josiah Carpenter, as his salary was still going on and the town already iu arrears with him. Consequently, the town, in 1826, chose a committee to make a final settlement with him. The committee attended to their duty, and on the 11th day of December of this year the following agreement was signed by both parties:

"Know all men by (these presents: That I, Josiah Carpenter, of Chi- chester, County of Merrimack, and State of New Hampshire, Minister, for and in consideration of five hundred dollars paid hy the Selectmen of Chichester, do give up, relinquish and forever abandon the contract made with me, the said Josiah Carpenter, and the town of Chichester in the year 1791, heing in full for my support for the term that I have re- mained the minister of said town of Chichester.

" ABRAM DRAKE,

" BENJ. EMERY,

" JAMES BLAKE,

" JOSIAH CARPENTER,"

Thus ended the long and successful pastorate of the Rev. Josiah Carpenter in this town. Of the particular results of his public and private ministrations we know but little, as our ancient records of the church are supposed to have been burned in 1840 ; but we have no doubt that the religious sentiment that has existed in our town during the present century is largely attributable to the pure life and wise counsels of this godly man, who for so many years " went in and out before the people." During these years the popula- tion of the town nearly doubled, and we have no doubt that the number of church-going people corre- spondingly increased. It is said that the people came from all sections of the town to attend church on the

Sahbath, some of them coming four or five miles, and as there were no carriages in those days, they either walked or rode on horseback, not unfrequently two or three upon the same horse, and in winter to sit all day in a cold house, without any fire or any other means of artificial warmth, except in some cases the ladies carried a little tin stove, about ten inches. square, in which were deposited a few coals, which diffused a little heat in their respective family pews. Those of our people who ride to church in richly upholstered sleighs, to sit only half a day upon a nicely- cushioned seat, in a warm room, hardly realize the hardship and physical endurance it cost our ancestors to attend church.

The contract between the town and Rev. Josiah Carpenter being dissolved, and universal taxation to support the Church done away with forever, we trust, the people of different religious proclivities were left free to form societies of their own, admit members, adopt rules and regulations for their government, assess and collect taxes for the support of a minister of their own denomination, build and repair churches, etc. Consequently, a few individuals, who were in favor of forming a Congregational society in Chiches- ter, met at the hall of David M. Carpenter, in said town, on the 20th day of December, 1826, and chose Nathan Marden, Benjamin Emery and Nathaniel Sherburne a committee to designate a title by which the society should be known. At a subsequent meet- ing the committee reported, and the meeting adopted the following title : "The Union Congregational Soci- ety of Chichester, in the County of Merrimack."

At this meeting John Chandler was elected clerk, Abraham Drake, Nathaniel Sherburne and Abijah Lane were elected assessors. For several years the church was without a settled pastor ; money was raised by the society almost every year, and expended by the committee in supplying the pulpit in the old meeting-house. Although during this time several can- didates were tried, it was not until 1832 that a call was given to any one to settle in the ministry. This year Rev. Rufus A. Putman preached for a while, and the church and the society were so much pleased with him that the church, on the 30th day of July, 1832, voted to give him a call to settle with them in the gospel ministry, and chose Deacon Enoch Tilton, Deacon Ebenezer Lane and Joshua Lane, Esq., to present the call. On the same day the society voted to concur with the church in regard to giving a call to Rev. R. A. Putman and settling him in the min- istry, and chose D. K. Foster, E. K. Webster aud John Marden to act in unison with the committee chosen by the church.

On the 6th day of August following, the Rev. Ru- fus A. Putman accepted the call, and remained the settled pastor of the church and society for twelve years, and with the exception of his illustrious predecessor, Mr. Carpenter, the longest pastorate any minister ever had in Chichester. Mr. Putman is

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CHICHESTER.

remembered by the old people of the town as a man of sterling qualities and undoubted piety, and noted more for his depth of thought than for brilliancy of oratory. The old edifice, which had been used for so many years as town-house and church, was now in rather a dilapidated condition, and must either be repaired or a new church built. As is always the case under such circumstances, the society were divided in opinion, some being in favor of repairing the old house and others in favor of building a new one; finally, the latter class triumphed, and David M. Car- penter, J. N. C. Leavitt and Simeon Stevens were chosen as a building committee. But here again the question of location, which had disturbed the fathers so much almost a half-century before, when contem- plating building the old church, presented itself again ; but after holding several meetings and discus- sing the matter thoroughly, Stephanus Kelley, Chas. H. Staniels, Jonathan Marden, Benjamin Farring- ton and Samuel S. Moulton were chosen a committee to select a location for the new church. This committee, after considerable delay, reported in favor of the spot where the Congregational Church now stands. A plan was procured and estimates made, and the con- tract to build awarded to Newell Sanborn for one thousand eight hundred dollars. The house was finished the latter part of 1838, the majority of the pews sold, the bills paid, and from that day to this the society have had no debts of any amount existing against them. Although the church has had new blinds and been several times painted and otherwise repaired, the bills have always been paid by the soci- ety.

In 1843, the people no longer desiring the services of Rev. Rufus A. Putman, he was dismissed. In 1844, Rev. Ezekiel Dow preached a part of the year, and on September 1st of that year Rev. Chas. Willey commenced preaching, and preached one year on trial, when the church and society gave him a call to settle with them in the gospel ministry. He accepted the call, and on October 15, 1845, he was ordained, and continued to preach and labor among us until Decem- ber 3, 1850, when a council was called and he was regularly dismissed. The church and society were without a settled pastor for several years. During this time several candidates were employed, among them Rev. Thomas Kidder, until, in 1853, Rev. Silas Blanchard commenced preaching, and preached for about four years. In 1858, Rev. Joshua Gay com- menced preaching, and preached for five years. The society was without a pastor for some time. In 1865, Rev. Mark Gould commenced preaching and preached until 1872. In 1873, George A. Foss preached for a while, when the church and society, on January 26, 1874, voted to give him a call to settle with them in the gospel ministry. He was ordained February 24, 1874, and preached for about three years, when a council was called to convene at Chichester Septem- ber 7, 1877, and dissolve the pastoral relations exist-

ing between pastor and people. The church was without regular preaching for a time, during which time several candidates were tried, when the assessors secured the services of Rev. John F. Aiken, who commenced preaching in 1879 and preached until August, 1880, when, after a brief illness, he died. This was a sad day for the Congregational Society in Chichester, for, within my recollection at least, no man in our town ever had the respect and love of the people, which amounted almost to adoration, that was manifested for Rev. John F. Aiken. The church was without a pastor until 1882,when Rev. H. W. L. Thurs- ton commenced to preach, and remained until the fall of 1884, when he resigned and went away.

Free Baptist Society .- In 1824 and 1825 an ex- tensive revival of religion prevailed in Chichester, as the result of a series of meetings held in different sections of the town by Rev. William Swain, a Frce- Will Baptist minister from Pittsfield. Up to this time there had been no Baptist society in town, although there were many favorable to that denomination, who had attended meeting at the Baptist meeting in Pitts- field, at which Rev. Ebenezer Knowlton and others preached. During this revival, at the meetings and on other occasions, the expediency of forming a Free- Will Baptist Church in Chichester was discussed. Finally they laid the subject before the Elders' Con- ference of the New Durham Quarterly Meeting, held at Loudon in May, 1825. The Conference, after duly considering the matter, decided in favor of forming a church, and appointed Elders Winthrop Young, Samuel Dyer, Ebenezer Knowlton, Arthur Caverno to organize the church. On the 27th day of May the above-named elders, with the exception of Elder Dyer, met the people at the house of Benjamin Kaime and organized by choosing Elder Winthrop Young as moderator and Elder Arthur Caverno as clerk. A church was here formed, consisting of the following baptized members: Benjamin Kaime, Ebenezer Fel- lows, Stephen Robey, John Fellows, Samuel B. Miller, Dearborn Mason, Levi Staniels, Sarah Fellows, Mary Miller, Sally Kaime, Rhoda Page, Mary Mason. At this meeting Benjamin Kaime was chosen clerk of the church.

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History of Merrimack and Belknap counties, New Hampshire, Part 60

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia [Pa.] J. W. Lewis & co. Number of Pages: 1520

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton), ed
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia [Pa.] J. W. Lewis & co.
Number of Pages: 1520