History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and representative citizens, Part 17

Author: Hazlett, Charles A
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold
Number of Pages: 1390

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In 1705, at a public town meeting, it was "ordered to be laid out into house lots for peopling the town and that the advantage which arises thereby be for the benefit of the ministry," reserving a conveniency for a meeting house, courthouse, almshouse, and burying place. The rest was divided into fifty-one lots of about fifty by eighty feet each, and leases were made for 999 years at from seven to fifteen shillings per year. For many years the rents were collected somewhat regularly, but in 1788 many lessees owed for from twenty to thirty years' rent, amounting in all to £216. A compromise was made and nearly all paid up. In 1823, nearly half the lots were still under the leases with from $40 to $167 due for each lot. Suit was commenced against the delinquents. This action resulted in the collection of the rents due and also in the payments for the discharges of the leases. The writer,

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a few years ago, found some counterparts of the leases that enabled him to draw the plan of the glebe lands showing the holders of the leases from 1709 to 1823 as printed in "Portsmouth Historic and Picturesque."

The first minister in the chapel was Rev. Richard Gibson. He was of the Church of England and no doubt represented the religious views of the leading inhabitants at that time. He officiated in August, 1638, and continued until 1640. It is recorded in the provincial papers of New Hampshire that an inventory of goods at Piscataway, made July, 1635, consisted of "for religious use, one great Bible, twelve service books, one pewter flagon, one communion cup and cover of silver, two fine table-cloths, two napkins," all of which had been sent over by John Mason from England. After Mr. Gibson left Ports- mouth, the chapel seems to have been used, without any protest, in maintaining such form of worship as the majority of the inhabitants-that is, if the parish -saw fit; and that was the Congregational form.

Then came James Parker, who was of the Congregational Church and preached for three years, and he was succeeded by James Brown in 1654. He, like Mr. Parker, was not an ordained minister. All the preachers in Ports- mouth down to 1659 held service in the chapel.

Rev. Mr. Moodey and his bride began housekeeping in the remodeled chapel-parsonage, and it was occupied after his death in 1697, by the second minister, Rev. Nathaniel Rogers, until October, 1704, when it took fire and burned to the ground. His infant child, his mother-in-law and a negro woman perished in the flames.

Rev. Joshua Moodey came to Portsmouth in 1658. He preached for thirty-nine years, except while imprisoned by Governor Cranfield in New Castle, and while absent for several years in Boston. He was a graduate of Harvard, as were all the early ministers here, and was offered its presidency but declined. The fourth minister, Rev. Samuel Sangdon, resigned to become its president, and his successor, Rev. Ezra Stiles, became president of Yale. Mr. Moodey wrote over four thousand sermons, and they were not brief ones, for two-hour discourses were not uncommon in his day. There were no trolley cars to shorten the sermons or spoil the perorations, though probably the half-frozen audiences stamped their feet as the live coals in their foot-stoves ceased to burn. He was at first supported by the subscription of eighty-six persons.

The change from Episcopacy to Puritanism in previous years was shown by the use of the name "meeting-house" instead of "chapel," while the term "warden" was retained for the officers of the parish. The title was used in 1640, when the glebe lands were granted to the church wardens. And, as in after years churches in other sects were required in town, the North Congre- gational Church, the Middle Street and Christian Baptist churches, the Unita- rian and Universalist churches, retain the same name for their officers, and annually-even to this year of Our Lord 1914, they have each and all chosen wardens ; a peculiarity for which Portsmouth is noted, as it is for the celebra- tion of Pope Night on the 5th of November.

The new meeting-house, authorized by vote of the town in 1657, is so minutely described in the Rockingham county records at Exeter that the vanished building could be drawn and illustrated as were the old State House

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and South Meeting-house in the recently issued book entitled "Portsmouth, Historic & Picturesque." The contract specified that the new structure should be "forty ffeete square and sixteen ffeete wall plate high, a flat ruff & substanciall turrett with a gallery about it, twelve windowes, three substanciall doers & a complete pulpit." It was on the front door that wolves heads were nailed to secure the captor's bounty. As late as 1693 nine were paid for.

A committee was appointed who concluded that the "meatest and most commodious place to erect the meeting-house is the little hill adjoyninge to Goodman Webster's poynt on the crotch of the roads;" that is, at the inter- section of South and Marcy streets. The panes of the windows were about four inches long and three wide, set in lead and strengthened by small oak bars on the inside. For thirteen years the windows were unprotected by shutters. Then the town agreed, in a very liberal manner, with the versatile John Pickering, for thirty shillings. to make shutters "to draw backwards and forwards, and in case it be too little, then the said Pickering shall have something more."

A bell was placed in the tower of the meeting-house on April 18, 1664. undoubtedly the first in the state. In 1692, "it was proposed to the town whither William Wacker should pay for the bell whom he carlessly crackt. It was voted in the negative because he was poor. It was voted that the selectmen take care to provide a bell, and as for the hanging of him as they may judge most convenient." Whether the "him" refers to the bell or to the man who "crackt" it, the record does not plainly show. The bell the select- men "sent for to England" was removed with a portion of the old meeting- house to the south schoolhouse in 1732 and remained there until 1846, when the new Haven schoolhoust was built, at which time it was sold to George Raynes and hung over his office in his shipyard, remaining until 1870, when being badly cracked, it was sold to Andrew Gerrish, the brass founder, and melted down.

A new bell was purchased by the North Parish in 1720 and hung in the 1713 meeting-house on the parade. In 1764, a century after the hanging of the first bell, the new bell was reported "crackt." But its end was quite dif- ferent, for it was "sent home to be run" and the vessel on which it was shipped was lost at sea off Cape Ann on its passage to England.

The parish and subscribers bought a new one weighing eight hundred pounds. It was inscribed: "For the First Parish of Portsmouth in New Hampshire --- Lester & Peck of London-fecit 1764."

In 1854, this bell was taken down and hung in the steeple of the present church. Another century was just closing and the 1764 bell was cracked in 1863 and recast in Troy, New York, the city paying $493.81 of the expense. So for all the years from 1664, the curfew has, year after year, been heard in this old town by the sea, for we find frequent mention in the records, of the wardens being authorized "to allow the bell man for ringing at nine o'clock."

At first there was no regularity in building the pews in the Mill Dam Meeting-house, as from time to time the leading parishioners were granted permission to build at their own cost seats for themselves in various parts of the house, of varying length and breadth, so the aisles ran among the seats,

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and it was not till 1693 that the pews were made uniform, permission being first obtained to cut off the corners of the pews of President Cutt and Major Vaughan. In April of that year, at a general town meeting, a vote was passed to regulate the seating of the people, and a copy of the originl docu- ment with the list of occupants and quaint location of the seats, can be read in the "Rambles About Portsmouth." It designates who sat with the min- ister in the pulpit, in the seat under the pulpit, and on which separate sides of the floor and galleries the men and women should sit. The back seat was left "for young people about fourteen years of age unmarried." Where the married ones of about fourteen years sat, the report does not say.

"As for boys under that age ( fourteen) they are to sit in the men's allyes and the girls in the women's allyes." That boys were troublesome in those good old days is evident from the frequent votes of twenty shillings and upwards per annum to various men "for to look after the demeanor of the boyes at meeting."

From 1750 to 1771, three different persons were appointed to be in charge of the upper gallery in the Three Decker Meeting-house to keep the boys and negroes in good order. At that time there were 187 negro slaves in Ports- mouth. For more serious offences on the Sabbath day there were various modes of punishment. On the 25th of September, 1662, at a general town meeting it was "ordered that a kage be made for the unruly and those who sleep in meeting or take tobacco on the Lord's day out of the meeting in the time of public exercises." Not for nine years was the enactment put in force. Then the selectmen employed John Pickering to build a cage "twelve feet square and seven feet high ;" also "a substantial payer of stocks and place the same in said kage, and build on the rough a firm pillory ; all to be built and raised in some convenient space from the westward of the meeting-house."

In 1669, there was "granted to Mr. Ffryer the town's right to twentie foote square of land neere the meeting-house to sett up a house and keep wood in to accommodate himself and family in winter time when he comes to meeting."

It was customary in the early days of New England for small houses, called "Sabba-day Houses" or "Noon Houses," to be built near the church, with large fireplaces where the worshippers went before, between, and after services, to warm themselves or to replenish their foot-stoves with coals.

It was not till Joshua Moodey had preached twelve years and gathered a congregation which could hardly find room in the meeting-house at the mill bridge, that steps were taken towards the formation of a church. The oft- quoted "Account of the Gatherings & carrying on ye Church of Christ, in Portsmouth, Anno 1671" can still be read in Mr. Moodey's own handwriting in the first volume of the church records carefully preserved in the safe of the First National Bank, together with his

Old Bible .- It was printed in London in 1670 and Rev. Joshua Moodey wrote his name on the fly leaf 240 years ago. The leaves of the original printed book measured 334 by 61/2 inches, and each leaf was bound between two blank leaves measuring 7 by 9 inches, on which many comments and references were annotated by Mr. Moodey and subsequent owners.

It was presented to Rev. Mr. Leverett by Mr. Moodey's son, Samuel, in

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1717. Finally, after being owned by several ministers in other states it was presented to the sixth minister, Rev. Mr. Putnam, in 1821 and handed down by him to his successor.

The first meeting-house on the present site was ready for occupancy in 1714. It was seventy feet long and three stories high, with two galleries one above the other and three tiers of windows, hence the popular nautical title of "Three Decker." The pulpit occupied the middle of the western side and was surmounted by a large sounding-board. A belfry was added in 1720, and in 1730 a spire was built 150 feet high.

We are indebted again to Charles W. Brewster for the minute word de- scription in the "Rambles About Portsmouth" of the location and occupants of the pews in the Three Decker. Among the prominent pew holders were General William Whipple, a signer of the Declaration of Independence ; Governor John Langdon; and Daniel Webster, who took a prominent part in parish work in 1816. Town meetings were held in this meeting-house until 1762, when the parish voted not to permit further public use of the building. The doors were locked, but the selectmen's warning had been issued; and the citizens, considering the meeting legally warned, made forcible entrance and transacted their business.

For over a century there were no means of heating this meeting-house. Small square tin stoves filled with live coals were carried. In 1762, the wardens voted that "whosoever leaves any stoves in the meeting-house shall pay a fine of twenty shillings."

Mrs. Ichabod Goodwin informed the writer a few years ago that stoves for heating the church were first put in in 1822, as we found afterward re- corded in the parish book.

The next year the wardens paid John Knowlton $35.00 for an octave violin and bow. The introduction of a "big godly fiddle," as a Scotchman called it, was an innovation warmly opposed, and to some warranted the sarcasm of Rev. Mr. Milton, of Newburyport, who announced "You will now sing and fiddle hymn number" whatever the selection was. Whether the viol gave satisfaction or not the North Church records do not state, but three years after, in 1827, an organ was bought for $800.00.

One of the most distinguished ministries this church has seen was that of Rev. Dr. Joseph Buckminster, who served the parish with marked ability for thirty-three years. He was justly regarded as one of the greatest and most eloquent preachers of his day. When President Washington visited Portsmouth in 1789, he attended service on Sunday afternoon at this church dressed in a black velvet suit and heard Doctor Buckminster deliver a very excellent and appropriate sermon. Another distinguished listener, who fre- quently attended this church, was John Paul Jones while he was superin- tending the building of the frigate "America" in 1779.

Many public meetings were held in this building during the exciting times of the Revolution.

In 1761, the house was enlarged by adding thirteen feet to the western side, which gave the steeple a place, as Uncle Tobey wrote, "like a man's nose being on one side of his face," but it was not very noticeable till the old state house in the center of the parade was removed.

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In 1806, the interior was furnished with a fine clock, a brass chandelier with three rows of candlesticks to compare with the old three-decker of a house; the walls and ceilings tinted with indigo blue wash; the seats painted green; and the high pulpit decorated with splendid crimson silk draperies. And when the sexton let go of the halliards and lowered the curtain from the great arched pulpit window at the west side, then it was that Uncle Tobey, to again quote him "thought that Solomon's temple might look as well but had no idea that it could look better." Subsequent alteration re- placed the chandelier by "a circlet of squash-like lamp glasses," which in turn gave way to gas pipes.

In 1837, the house was remodeled at an expense of $5,800, and fur- nished with a single tier of windows, three on each side of the church instead of seventeen.

The Brick Church Building .- On the site of the old meeting-house, the present brick church building was erected in 1854-55 at a cost of $30,000. The name "meeting-house" had been changed to "church," notwithstanding that Cotton Mather had written in Puritanical days that he found no just ground in Scripture to apply such a trope as "church" to a house for public service.

THE SUCCESSIVE MINISTERS OF THE NORTH PARISH

After the death of Mr. Buckminster, Rev. Israel W. Putnam was in 1814 installed and had a successful ministry of twenty years. His successors were: Edwin Holt, 1836-42; Rufus W. Clark, 1842-51; Henry W. Moore, 1853-55; Lyman Whiting, 1855-59; William L. Gage, 1860-63; George M. Adams, 1863-71; Carlos Martyn, 1872-76; Rev. Mr. Hubbell, acting pastor, 1877-79; William A. McGinley, 1879-89; Rev. Lucius H. Thayer, 1891-1914.

The chapel on Middle Street was built in 1870 and the church has its parsonage on State Street.

ROLL OF HONOR OF CONGREGATIONAL MINISTERS WHO HAVE SERVED THEIR CHURCHES FOR A PERIOD OF TWENTY YEARS OR MORE IN ROCKINGHAM COUNTY

Edward Robie, Greenland, ordained and installed February 25, 1852.

William A. Rand, South Seabrook, commenced service January 27, 1867; ordained and installed July 9, 1875.

Lucius H. Thayer, Portsmouth, commenced service November 1, 1890; ordained and installed January 28, 1891.

James G. Robertson, Chester, commenced service July 6, 1889; ordained and installed July 30, 1889.

Albert H. Thompson, Raymond, commenced service May 6, 1888; in- stalled May 30, 1905.

John A. Ross, Pastor Emeritus, Hampton, commenced service July I, 1887; installed June 14, 1892.

Theodore C. Pratt, Pastor Emeritus, Candia, commenced service May 22, 1892. 9

CHAPTER XIII

PORTSMOUTH-(Continued)

CHURCHES AND PASTORS

Methodist Episcopal Church .- In the year 1790, Jesse Lee made his first appearance in Portsmouth as a Methodist preacher. From that time there was miscellaneous preaching until 1807.

In the year 1807, Martin Ruter was appointed to Portsmouth and Nottingham.

In the year 1808 the church was permanently organized; the first class was organized by George Pickering, in house No. 12 Washington Street, then occupied by a Mr. Hutchins. Brothers Pickering, Metcalf, and Stevens preached in the town, interchanging their labors on the circuit system. This year they purchased a house previously occupied by the Universalists on Vaughan Street, afterwards known as the Cameneum. Rev. George Pick- ering was the active agent in securing the house of worship. The price paid was $2,000. In the same year ( 1808) an act of incorporation as the First Methodist Episcopal Church was obtained of the Legislature.

In the year 1809, Rev. John Brodhead and Alfred Metcalf chiefly sup- plied the desk here.

In 1810, Rev. John Williamson and Asa Kent supplied the desk; the latter preached from December to June, and received as salary $89.29.

In 1811, Revs. John Brodhead and John Lindsey were appointed to New Market, Durham, and Portsmouth, Deacon Lindsey preaching most of the time in Portsmouth. Every Sabbath a collection was taken, and the amount entered on the book of records. For lighting the house they used candles, and this item amounted to $14.56.

In 1812 and 1813, Rev. John Rexford was pastor, and reported sixty members.

In 1814 and 1815, Rev. Thomas W. Tucker was preacher, and received $129.22, including board.

In 1816, Rev. Josiah Chamberlain was pastor, and reported seventy-one members.

In 1817 and 1818, Rev. Daniel Filmore was preacher in charge, and had a universal reformation, and as the house became too small, permission was obtained to use Jefferson Hall for the prayer-meetings, which was crowded to its utmost capacity. This year ( 1818) the Sabbath-school was formed under his labors.

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In July, 1820, Josiah Serritt was appointed to Portsmouth.

In 1821 and 1822, Enoch Mudge; in 1823 and 1824, Ephraim Wiley; and in 1825, Jacob Sanborn were stationed here.

In 1826 and 1827, Shipley W. Wilson was stationed here, and during his labors here the present house of worship (on State Street) was built, at a cost, including land, of about nine thousand dollars. The vestry was in the upper part of the house over the entry. The old house was disposed of in 1829.

The first minister of the State Street church was Rev. John Newland Moffet, the noted revivalist stationed 1828-29, and who resided in the brick house on the southerly corner of Daniel and Chapel streets, still standing. His son, John Jr., was at that time about ten years old and in our Civil war became noted as the commander of the Southern privateer Florida.

On June 10, 1829, the New England Conference met in Portsmouth, and the New Hampshire Conference was formed.

In 1830, Stephen Lovell; 1831, George Storrs; 1832, Holmes Cushman; 1833, Reuben H. Deming; 1834, Eleazer Smith; 1835, Schuyler Chamber- lain; 1837, Jared Perkins; 1838, James G. Smith; 1839, Daniel T. Robin- son; 1841, Samuel Kelley; 1843, Jacob Stevens; 1844, Elisha Adams: 1846, Daniel M. Rogers; 1848, James Thurston; 1849, Samuel Kelley (again) ; 1851, Richard S. Rust; 1853, Justin Spaulding; 1855, Sullivan Holman; 1857, Jonathan Hall.

In 1859 and 1860, Rev. D. P. Leavitt was stationed here. Under his labors a new vestry, costing about fifteen hundred dollars (exclusive of land), was built on Daniel Street.

In 1859, D. P. Leavitt; 1861, Richard W. Humphries; 1863, Sullivan Holman (again) ; 1865, James Pike; 1867, Silas G. Kellog; 1868, H. L. Kelsey; 1870, C. M. Dinsmore; 1873, A. C. Hardy (afterwards became an Episcopalian ) ; 1875, N. M. Bailey; 1876, James Noyes; 1878, C. P. Pit- blado; 1881, W. W. Smith.

The following pastors succeeded Rev. Mr. Smith: In 1882-84, Joseph E. Robbins; 1885-86, O. H. Jasper; 1887-90, Oliver S. Baketel; 1891-95, Otis S. Cole; 1896-99, William Warren; 1900-03, Thomas Whitesides; 1904-05, Joseph L. Felt; 1906-10, George W. Farmer; 1910-14, Lyle L. Gaither.

The State Street building was sold September 1, 1912, to Jewish resi- dents and is now their Temple of Worship.

The new stone church erected on Miller Avenue was begun July 1, 1912; the cornerstone, which was the same used in the State Street Church in 1827, was laid by the ritual of the church September 8, 1912.

The church building and lot cost $26,000 and when the dedication pledges are collected, the society will be free of debt.

The New Hampshire Conference for the fifth time was held here April 1-7, 1914.

The Universalist Parish .- In the year 1784 we have to note another of large importance and influence in the history of church matters in this town. In that year a house of worship was built in Vaughan Street, afterwards known as the Cameneum, where the stable now stands, and this should be,

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in historical accuracy, regarded as the beginning of the sect here instead of the year 1773, from which date the centennial services were reckoned. It is true, Mr. Murray had preached the doctrines of Universalism in Ports- mouth as early as the commencement of the Revolutionary war, at the church building of the Sandermanians and of the Independent Congregational So- ciety, and meetings may have been held with some degree of regularity from the year 1782; but the historical beginnings of the parish should with greater correctness begin with the ministrations of Mr. Parker, a layman of their own number in 1784. Then for ten years the society had only occasional supplies until Rev. George Richards was invited to become the minister in August, 1783, and was ordained in July, 1799. From that time until 1807 the parish had a prosperous life, and in the following year the beautiful church edifice was dedicated.

It was destroyed by fire in 1896 and the present brick church erected on the same site. The pastors from Rev. Mr. Richards have been: Hosea Ballou, S. Streeter, Edward Turner, Thomas Starr King, Moses Ballou, George W. Montgomery, Moses Ballou (second pastorate), S. S. Fletcher, W. A. P. Dillingham, Lemuel Willis, A. J. Patterson, Ambler, Bicknell, Van Clot, E. M. Grant, 1876; W. E. Gaskin, 1882; Lee H. Fisher, 1886; Henry R. Rose, 1891; Curtis H. Dickens, 1894; G. E. Laighton, 1899; C. H. Emmons, 1910; George C. Boorn, 1913.

The Christian Church was organized January 1, 1803, by Elder Elias Smith. How many united in the church organization the church record does not say, but evidently it was very small, for the record says, "That so great was the desire of Elder Smith to see such a church, that he thought a labor of twenty years would be a pleasure, if in the end he might see twenty united and walking according to the New Testament." This was seen very soon, "for in March they numbered twenty-two, and obtained leave to hold their meetings in the courthouse, and the first Sunday in April, 1803, they held their first communion. The interest continued and baptisms were frequent, not only on the Sabbath but on week-days, and in about one year the little company of twenty-two had increased to about one hundred and fifty. The membership of the church was not confined to Portsmouth, but, members were received from Newington, Hampton, Hampton Falls in New Hampshire, Kittery in Maine, and as far as Haverhill and Bradford in Massachusetts.

In 1807 and 1808 there was the greatest revival ever known in Ports- mouth, and large numbers were added to the church. On the Ist of Sep- tember, 1808, Elder Smith commenced the publication of The Herald of Gospel Liberty. This was the first religious newspaper ever published in this country if not in the world, and is still the organ of the Christian denom- ination, and is published at Dayton, Ohio. The records are rather imperfect up to 1826. In that year Elder Moses How took the pastorate of the church, their place of worship then being the old temple on Chestnut Street. During the summer of 1834 Elder How baptized sixty-nine persons.

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History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and representative citizens, Part 17

Author: Hazlett, Charles A Publication date: 1915 Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold Number of Pages: 1390

Author: Hazlett, Charles A
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago : Richmond-Arnold
Number of Pages: 1390