History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and representative citizens, Part 81

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

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The following are the successors of Rev. E. L. Scott: Revs. S. P. Everett, 1882-85; W. K. Davey, 1885-91 ; E. S. Cotton, 1892-1901 ; E. M. Willard, 1901-02; J. E. Dame, 1902-05; H. Y. Vinal, 1905-08; A. Mason, 1908-10; R. A. Burrows, 1910-13; H. E. Levoy, 1913.

Free-Will Baptist Church .- August 14, 1830, the first Free-Will Baptist Church in South Hampton was organized with seven members,-James Woodman, Eunice Woodman, Ezra Flanders, William Carr, Mary Carr, and Dorothy Goodwin. The first meeting was held in the house of James Wood- man. The second meeting of the church was held at Brother Reuben Flan- ders'; Elder Asa Merrill preached. The first monthly church meeting was held at Levi B. Pierce's, October 16th. December 16th, Ezra Flanders and Levi B. Pierce were chosen deacons, and James Woodman clerk. June 14, 1831, Brother Asa Merrill preached at the house of Brother Moses Tuxbury. Elder Bean, Elder Knowles, and Elder James Merrill frequently preached at this time. The first record of the breaking of bread was on November 20, 1831, at the house of Reuben Flanders. On May 15, 1833, the church united with the New Durham Quarterly Meeting, afterwards was dismissed from that. and united with the Rockingham Quarterly Meeting October 7, 1835. On July 7, 1833, their meeting was held at the old meeting-house, and on April 6. 1834, at the schoolhouse, District No. 2, and later the same year at the town house June 22d. Elder Samuel Emmons Brown preached at the town house; nearly all the meetings of the church were held at the town house at that time. Brother Charles Stevens, Elder John Kimball, and Elder D. H. Lord were among the preachers who supplied the pulpit at this time.

In 1837 we find the church record dated Salisbury for the first time. In

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1838 meetings were frequently held at Allan's Corner schoolhouse. July 4, 1840, Pelatiah Hanscom was ordained to the work of the gospel ministry, and became the first regular pastor of the church.

A general rule was established that at church meetings each member present should make a verbal statement of God's dealing with him for the month past, and those who did not attend were required to send a written excuse.

In 1841 the services were nearly all held at the town house and the school- house in District No. 2.

March 20, 1841, Elder Hanscom became the subject of church discipline, and the records say that he has had repeated personal entreaties, and he has also been kindly admonished by two or three, and we hope the trial will be settled without entering into church labor. May 2, 1842, the following cer- tificate appears :

"This certifies that Brother Pelatiah Hanscom expresses to us, the under- signed, that he has no trial with the First Free-Will Baptist Church of Christ, in this town, from which he is dismissed this day.

"CHARLES W. HOIT. "JAMES WOODMAN. "AZOR G. WOODMAN."

The Rockingham quarterly conference was held in the town house May 24, 1842. The church meetings this year and afterwards were frequently held at Dorothy Woodman's at Amesbury, and at Allen's Corner schoolhouse, Salisbury. In 1844 services were held at the Amesbury Academy, Elder Asa Merrill frequently preaching. In 1845 the meetings were held at Allen's Corner and the Mills village, with an occasional sermon at South Hampton. In 1847 the church is spoken of as being in a lukewarm state. In 1848, Elder Benjamin H. McMurphy became the second pastor of this church. In 1848 and 1849 the meetings were nearly all held at Allen's Corner schoolhouse and Amesbury Academy.

September 26, 1849, the Free-Will Baptist meeting-house was dedicated. It was situated near the residence of Mr. James Quimby in Salisbury.

During the nineteen years' history of this church forty-eight persons were admitted to its membership. The church was continued at Amesbury, it being considered advisable to change its location to that thriving and pros- perous town.

Other Religious History .- The population of South Hampton in 1775 was 498; in 1790, 448; in 1855, 472; and in 1880 it is 383. The income of the parsonage from 1800 to 1833 averaged between seventy and eighty dol- lars, and the town usually raised a sum not exceeding $150 a year for preach- ing. This, together with the interest on the north parsonage money, $263.33, was expended by a committee, consisting of two or more persons with the selectmen, and was divided among the different religious denominations pro- portionately to their tax. In 1810 the Congregationalists had about three- tenths of the income, the Methodists two-tenths, and the Universalists one- tenth. In 1820 the Methodists had about one-fourth, the Congregationalists one-fifth, the Universalists a little less than one-third. In 1830 Unitarians had one-twelfth, the Methodists one-ninth, the Congregationalists one- seventh. and the Universalists one-third. From 1825 to 1830 the Universal- ists employed as preachers Rev. Messrs. Case, Farnsworth. King, Adams.

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and others; the Congregationalists, Rev. Messrs. Barrett, Sawyer, Cook, Milton, Grovenor, Babbitt, Walsh, and others; the Methodists, Rev. Messrs. Brooks, Peasley, Bulfinch, and others; the Unitarians, Rev. Mr. Turner; the Christians, Rev. Elijah Shaw; the Baptists, Rev. Jabez True, Rev. James Barnaby, Rev. Benjamin Harris, and others; the Free-Will Baptists, Miss Nancy Towle and Rev. Messrs. Boothby, Ambrose, Marsh, and others ..

In 1830 the subject of selling the parsonage began to be agitated. Already the barn had been sold for a small sum, and two acres of land leased for 900 years. In 1832 the present town house was located. The next year the standing wood was sold, the site for the Barnard schoolhouse granted and that of the Baptist Church, and in 1834 the burying ground was laid out, and the remainder of the property sold in 1842. The amount put to interest for religious purposes was $2,585.97. The income of this money in 1834 and 1835 was divided among the following societies: Deists, Naturalists, Second Universalists, Congregationalists, Quakers, Unitarians, Episcopalians, Baptists, Free Baptists, Methodists, Philanthropists, Free Thinkers, and Uni- versalists.

The Second Universalist Society was simply an accommodation for some who had little or no religious belief, to secure a part of the income of the parsonage fund. The regular Universalist society was at this time at the height of its prosperity. It is probable that when Rev. George Richards was settled in Portsmouth, from 1793 to 1809, the seeds of that faith were sown in this town, and when, later, Hosea Ballou was settled in the same place, his biographer says, "He did not hesitate sometimes to leave the dear people of his charge and journey to other places. He went into other parts of New Hampshire, and sometimes extended his visits in Massachusetts." Among the Universalist ministers who visited the town was Rev. Sebastian Streeter, and a society was formed as early as 1815, with Joseph Jones as clerk. The prominent citizens who embraced Universalism were Benjamin Barnard, founder of the Barnard school, Col. Abel Brown, Nathan Brown, Richard White, and Jacob Jewell. In 1828, at a meeting of the Rockingham Univer- salist Association, held at Kingston, Mrs. Richard White was the only lady present. In 1830 the Universalist society at South Hampton was reported in a flourishing condition; the old society had been reorganized, and Benja- min Clifford was clerk. The Rockingham Association met in this town for the first time in 1832. Among the speakers present we can name Rev. Messrs. Farnsworth, Thomas King, Hosea Ballou, Thomas Whittemore, and Sebas- tian Streeter. In 1838 the Rockingham Association again met in this town. Revs. Messrs. Sebastian Streeter, Daniel Smith, and Thomas Whittemore preached. Of this meeting Mr. Whittemore said, "We know that if we described this meeting as we viewed it and felt it, we should be regarded as too enthusiastic; nevertheless, we must say that taken altogether it was one of the most precious meetings we ever attended. The conference and praise meetings were peculiarly interesting ; all the addresses were marked by sound wisdom and deep evangelical feeling." In 1851, the Rockingham Association again met at South Hampton. Sermons were delivered by Rev. William Bell, Rev. S. S. Fletcher, Rev. N. Goldsmith, Rev. T. J. Greenwood, and Rev. L. B. Mason. Rev. Samuel Ladd, of the Baptist Church, was an atten- tive listener. In 1856 a new impetus was given to the Universalist society through the activities of the Ladies' Sewing Circle.

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Rev. A. J. Paterson and Rev. G. V. Maxham came to this town under the direction of the United States convention, and regular meetings were established at the town house. Messrs. B. F. Eaton and J. J. Woodman read sermons, with occasional preaching in the summer months by Rev. Messrs. Greenwood, Patterson, Spaulding, Chambre, and others. A Sunday school was organized with J. W. Eaton as superintendent, and a library of more than two hundred volumes secured.

The summer of 1859 closed these lay services. The Rockingham Asso- ciation met in this town in 1864. The preachers were Rev. Messrs. William Bell. S. S. Fletcher, A. St. John Chambre, and T. J. Borden. While at Portsmouth, Rev. Mr. Patterson was much interested in the people of this town. A large number of the inhabitants still hold the doctrines of the Uni- versalist Church. No services have been held here for several years.

There were quite a number of Methodists in the town between 1810 and 1835, and Rev. John Brodhead frequently preached here. He was stationed at different times in nearly all the surrounding towns of the county. He was a very prominent man, chaplain to the Legislature, member of the State Senate, and for four years member of Congress. In whatever situation Mr. Brodhead was placed, he considered it his chief honor to be a faithful min- ister of Jesus Christ. He spent twenty-eight years of his ministerial life in this immediate vicinity, and died at Newmarket, April 7, 1838. He had a commanding personal appearance and eyes beaming with intelligence and benevolence.

Another prominent Methodist divine who preached in this town was Rev. Marton Ruter ; he was stationed at Salisbury in 1815. He was born at Charl- ton, Worcester County, Mass., and was thirty years old when he preached here. The degree of doctor of divinity was conferred upon him five years later. His preaching was adapted at once to please, to instruct, and to awaken.

Rev. Elias Smith, a member of the Christian Church, and the father of Matthew Hale Smith, occasionally preached here.

The distribution of the parsonage money, which occurred in 1842, was a blow to all denominations except the Baptist. Our fathers set apart cer- tain property for the maintenance of religious worship, and we cannot but regard the disposal of the property and the distribution of the proceeds among the inhabitants of the town was a great wrong.

As we review the religious history of 140 years, can we discern any prog- ress? Has light come to the people ?

There has at least one great problem been settled,-the question of re- ligious toleration.

The germ of all the trouble in regard to religious liberty is found in that compact made in the Mayflower before the pilgrim fathers had stepped upon the rock in Plymouth harbor. The question was raised, How shall the min- isters of the new country be supported ? It was ordered that houses be built for them at the public charge, and their salaries were established. Those people who had fled from persecution themselves did not fully comprehend the principles of religious liberty or possess its spirit. In this compact of the pilgrims was the union of church and state, and immediately following this was a law 'for the suppression of anti-church and state sects, and banish- ment from the colony was the penalty for not sustaining this unjust law.

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People were compelled in those days to pay for churches they never en- tered, for teaching they never heard, and clerical services they did not desire. The Quaker, the Baptist, the Methodist, and the Universalist was taxed for the support of a religion he did not believe.

Barstow, in his "History of New Hampshire," says, "That all ministers not of the standing order were viewed as thieves and robbers, as wolves in sheep's clothing, who had gained a dishonest entrance into the fold, and whom it was the duty of the standing order to drive out."

The law of 1791 recognized only one religious sect, and the agitation for its repeal shook New Hampshire from seaboard to mountain.

When the toleration bill was pending, in 1819, Mr. Hubbard said, "Pass this bill, and the temples now consecrated to the worship of the Saviour of the world will soon be deserted and forsaken."

Ichabod Bartlett, a young and talented lawyer of Portsmouth, espoused the cause of toleration, and finally the bill became a law, and all religious denominations in the state were possessed of equal rights and privileges.

The Association Test was signed by eighty-five, and four did not sign.

MILITARY RECORD, 1861-65

Henry Wilson, Company K, Second Regiment, enlisted November 30, 1863. transferred to United States Navy April 29, 1864; James Wilson, Company K, Second Regiment, enlisted December 2, 1863; John Smith, Com- pany K, Second Regiment, enlisted December 2, 1863; George Baker, Com- pany I, Second Regiment, enlisted December 2, 1863; Ammi Farr, corporal Company C. Sixth Regiment, enlisted November 27, 1861, promoted to sec- ond lieutenant Company B, Seventeenth Regiment, discharged April 16, 1863; Otis S. Currier, Company C, Sixth Regiment, enlisted November 27, 1861, absent, sick, July 17, 1865, no discharge furnished; John G. Colcord, Company C, Sixth Regiment, enlisted November 27, 1861, promoted to cor- poral, discharged May 27, 1865; Joseph F. Deleware, Company C, Sixth Regiment, enlisted November 27, 1861, died September 16, 1864; Newell F. Hill, Company C, Sixth Regiment, enlisted November 27, 1861, discharged July 17, 1865; Stephen M. Towle, Company C, Sixth Regiment, enlisted November 27, 1861, died November 27, 1863; Amos S. Osgood, Company C, Sixth Regiment, enlisted September 3, 1862, discharged June 4, 1865; Edwin S. Osgood, Company C, Sixth Regiment, enlisted September 3, 1862, promoted to corporal, discharged June 4, 1865 : Charles Blumney, Company K. Sixth Regiment, enlisted September 17, 1862, discharged May 31, 1863; George L. Eaton, Company C, Sixth Regiment, enlisted September 3, 1862, discharged January 14, 1863; Evander A. Goodrich, Company C, Sixth Regi- ment, enlisted September 3, 1862, discharged September 3, 1865; Estwick E. Morrill, Company A, Sixth Regiment, enlisted September 17, 1862, absent, sick, July 17, 1865, no discharge furnished; George H. P. Rowell, Company C, Sixth Regiment, enlisted September 3, 1862, died September 20, 1863; Cyrus W. Tenney, Company C, Sixth Regiment, enlisted September 3, 1862, promoted to corporal, discharged June 4, 1865 ; Phineas P. Whitehouse, Com- pany C, Sixth Regiment, enlisted September 3, 1862, promoted to corporal, absent, sick, no discharge furnished; John H. Hardy, Company C, Sixth Regiment, enlisted November 27, 1861, promoted to corporal and sergeant,

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discharged July 17, 1865; Edwin Bragg, Company D, Sixth Regiment, en- listed August 17, 1864, discharged July 1, 1865; Thomas Bell, Company B, Sixth Regiment, enlisted September 3, 1862; Oliver H. F. Delaware, Com- pany B, Eighth Regiment, enlisted December 20, 1861, discharged July 5, 1862; George H. Flint, Company B, Eighth Regiment, enlisted December 20, 1861, died February 24, 1863; James Frederick, Company C, Ninth Regi- ment, enlisted August 25, 1864; Edward J. Stevens, Company B, Ninth Regi- ment, enlisted December 1, 1863; Michael Summers, Company I, Eleventh Regiment, enlisted September 2, 1862, discharged June 4, 1865; George R. Huse, Company I, Eleventh Regiment, enlisted September 2, 1862, discharged June 4, 1865 ; Lewis Little, Company E, Thirteenth Regiment, enlisted Sep- tember 24, 1862; Daniel S. Davis, Company D, Fourteenth Regiment, en- listed October 6, 1862, discharged July 27, 1863; John Rourke, Company F, Fourteenth Regiment, enlisted August 6, 1864, discharged July 8, 1865 ; Abel K. Fowler, Company H, Eighteenth Regiment, enlisted February 9. 1865, discharged July 29, 1865; Israel S. Merrill, Company H, First Cavalry, en- listed February 21, 1865, discharged July 15, 1865; George Brewer, corporal Company K, Heavy Artillery, enlisted September 17, 1864, discharged June 15. 1865; William F. Dame, Company K, Heavy Artillery, enlisted Septem- ber 17, 1864, discharged June 15, 1865 ; George H. Lang, Company K, Heavy Artillery, enlisted September 17, 1864, discharged June 15, 1865; Thomas G. Wentworth, Company K, Heavy Artillery, enlisted September 17, 1864, dis- charged June 15, 1865; Samuel Campton, United States C. T., enlisted August 5, 1864, date of discharge unknown; John Jones, United States C. T., enlisted August 5, 1864, date of discharge unknown; John O. P. Clifford, navy, enlisted August, 1862, date of discharge unknown; Benja- min S. Gordon, enlisted 1863, date of discharge unknown; William Delaney. enlisted August 17, 1864, date of discharge unknown.

The South Hampton Public Library was established on December, 1892. with state aid. There are at present 1,716 books on the shelves, exclusive of the state records. Israel S. Merrill is the librarian.

G. W. Palmer is master of Fidelity Grange, P. of H.

A pamphlet has been issued by Fred B. French of South Hampton dated February, 1914, entitled "South Hampton Never a Part of Hampton." The pamphlet is illustrated with maps showing without doubt that Belknap and other historians were in error in their statements that South Hampton was formerly a part of Hampton.

CHAPTER LIV STRATHAM

Geographical-Charter-History of Churches-Military Records-Wiggin Public Library

The town of Stratham is located in the eastern part of the county, and is bounded as follows: on the north by Great Bay and Greenland, on the east by Greenland and North Hampton, on the south by North Hampton and Exeter, and on the west by Exeter and South Newmarket.

The population in 1910 was 602.

The surface of Stratham is rolling, and the soil very fertile and produc- tive.

A petition signed by fifty inhabitants of Squamscot patent to the gov- ernor and council, in which they set forth that they are in number upwards of sixty families, and live very remote from any public meeting-house for the worship of God, and meet with great difficulties to get to the nearest meet- ing-house in the winter time (which is Exeter), that they have never been joined to any town, and that their children had no advantages for education, etc., was presented December 3, 1709, praying that a charter for a town might be granted them with the following bounds: Beginning at a rock called Brandy Rock (so called to this day), near Sandy Point, and to run up the river to the mouth of a creek called Wheelwright's Creek, and to run at each end into the woods upon a southeast line three miles. The petitioners also represented that they had the capacity and were willing and ready to main- tain a minister and schoolmaster.

It appears by the records that there was a remonstrance to this petition, signed by nineteen men living within the bounds of Squamscot, in which they desire that the petition will not be granted. As for the petitioners, they say, most of them are poor people, and several of them, according to the best of our knowledge, instead of defraying any town charge, are likely to be a town charge themselves. Signed your earnest desirers.

In one of our early record books I find the following in relation to the charter of the town: Ordered and appointed that Squamscot patent land be a township by the name of Stratham, and that there be a meeting-house built for the public worship of God with all convenient speed, and that it stand on the king's great road leading from Greenland to Exeter, within half a mile of the midway between the two southeast lines of said towns, and that a learned and orthodox minister be obtained to preach in the same by the 14th day of March next.

Signed by George Vaughan, lieutenant-governor.

March 20, 1716.

The following interesting old documents are not only of general interest, as illustrative of the early times, but also furnish us with a list of early inhabitants :

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PETITION FOR A TOWNSHIP

To the Honourable the Left Governour, Councill and Representatives con- ven'd in Generall Assembly :

We the subscribers hereof inhabiting in and about Swamscott, not lying in any Township and living att a considerable Distance from the publique worship of God, not haveing the benefitt of instructing our youth, besides many other great inconveniences which we labour under, Being now by the Providence of God att peace in our severall Dwellings and being no less than thirty five familys all well disposed to maintaine the publique ministry and defraying of all other necessary charges to the best of our abilities, and hope- ing that within a little time we shall increase to a far more considerable number, Doe most humbly pray that your Honours would please to settle and confirm us the severall Inhabitants extending from Wheelwright's Creek downwards to Sandy Point as a distinct Township of ourselves, impowering all such officers among us as your Honours in your great wisdome and pru- dence shall judge most meet: We crave leave to subscribe your Honours most humble and most obedient servants.

Andrew Wiggin, senr

William Moores Senr

James Rundlet Charles Rundlet

Isaac Cole

William Moore, junr

Simon Wiggin

Oen Renels, his mark C

Saml Leavett, sen Saml Leavitt, jun

Thomas Vesy

Richard Downes ?

Edm Gramon X mark

William French

Jonathan Norris

Edward Masry Z mark

Jonathan Wiggin Thomas Read

Richard Morgan Sen. R. mark

mark Richard Mongen, O mark

Tho. Wiggin

A SUBSEQUENT PETITION FOR A TOWNSHIP

To the Honble Geo: Vaughan, Esq. Lt. Govr & Commander in Chief of his Majesties Province of N. Hampr & to his Majesties Council of ye Prov : aforesaid :

The Petition of his Majties good subjects sundry the Inhabitants of ye town of Exeter : Most humbly shewith :-

The great hardships & Inconveniences which we (yr Honrs Petitioners) are made the subjects of by a late order from the Honble Board :- (viz. )- yt all ye Inhabitants of Exeter to ye eastwd of west creek line should be joyned to ye Parish of Greenland, in answer to a petition presented by Mr. Josh: Weeks subscribed by sundry the inhabitants of the town of Exeter aforesd, praying to be added to ye sd Parish of Greenland, for that we ye subscribers who are on ye east side of sd line never had any knowledge of sd Petition till after 'twas p'sented & then not seasonably enough to counter Petition before ye ordr

May it Please yr Honrs :

We have once & again Petitioned to be made a township : yt is, ye Inhab- itants of Swampscutt Patent wrof we are some and Intend one address more to yr Honrs on the same head, tho' were that nothing at all we cannot but

Andrew Wiggin, jun.

George Vasay

Bradstreet Wiggin

Thomas - -? Stephen England

Nathaniel Wright

Mark Stacey

Thomas Spild, sen X

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HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY

represent to yor Honrs the gt hardship we labour under on acct of ye ordr aforesd inasmuch as there is a majr numbr yt never knew of sd Petition (that are joyned to ye Parish of Greenland by ye ordr made upon it) than those that signed it. Whereupon we cannot but humbly pray for a Counter Ordr to the Order aforesd at least for so long a time as till both p'titions may have a hearing wth will be a plain means to a final determination of the matter. However all is submitted to yor Honrs by yor Honrs most obedt servts

ANDREW WIGGIN THOMAS WIGGIN JONATHAN WIGGIN WILLM FRENCHI.

Jany 4th 1715-16.

PETITION TO BE SET OFF A TOWNSHIP

To his Honour George Vahan Esqr Lieut Governour and commander in cheif in & over his Majesties Province of New Hampshire in New England, & to his Majesties honoured Counsell for sd Province :

We the Inhabitance of Quamescuk patent, humbly sheweth :- The very bad circumstances we lay under by reason of our great distance from the pub- lick Worship of God and haveing no benifitt of any School, notwithstanding we have ever paid our proportion to the School of Exeter, and are now by the Providence of God increased to shuch a number as we hope we are able of ourselves to maintain a Minister & a school & other town charges as shall nessesarily fall upon us, with our proportion of publick assessments: There- fore we your petitioners does humbly pray that your Honours would pleas to set us of from all other Towns and Parishes and grant us a Township by ourselves & bound us as followeth : viz. Beginning at Sandey Point bounding upon Exeter river untill it comes into Wheelwrights Creeks mouth & from thence upon a southeast line three miles into the land; from sd Sandey point to run three miles into ye land upon a southeast line with an head line ac- cording to ye sd Patent, which will be greatly to the joy & sattisfaction of your petitioners whose names are under writen.

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History of Rockingham County, New Hampshire and representative citizens, Part 81

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