USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 53
USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men > Part 53
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Brother Dudley Norris died March 1, 1860, leaving to this church five hundred and twenty-five dollars, the income of which is to be appropriated to the support of preaching.
One thousand dollars, raised by subscription, was paid for a pipe-organ, which was built here for the church, and ready for use Aug. 21, 1866.
Aug. 21, 1865, this church received from Brother Isaac B. Morrill, deceased, a bequest of five shares in the Boston and Maine Railroad Company, the income of which is to be appropriated to the support of preaching. Sept. 1, 1867, a beautiful church service was received as a present from Deacon Jacob E. Prescott. .
For forty-six years preceding 1871 this church had received aid from the New Hampshire Missionary Society in supporting the ministrations of the word. At said date we assumed the responsibility of self- support, and have maintained it ever since.
The church edifice was thought to be unfavorably located, and during the summer and fall of 1875 an eligible site was purchased by the society, the house was moved upon it, enlarged, and greatly improved at a cost of $6717.63. This sum covers improve- ments on the surroundings of the house, and some finished work done soon after.
By the efforts of our own people, in which our ladies have acted a noble part, aided by the gener- osity of a few family friends, among whom stand prominently Mr. D. B. Fitts and family, of Newport, R. I., the premises are held free of debt.
Brother Rufus Smith died Jan. 8, 1882, leaving to the society a bequest of three hundred dollars.
For the spiritual improvement of Christians, and to win others to Christ, we depend mostly on the usual means of grace. Our Sabbath services. preach- ing, Sabbath-school, superintended by the minister, and social meetings are very regularly held; so are week-day meetings, both monthly and weekly. But help from abroad has at times been beneficial. The Young Men's Christian Association have repeatedly visited us and left a blessing. So have other Chris-
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HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
tian workers. It was specially so in the union effort and revival of 1873. During this period sixty-three have been baptized, and one hundred and two re- ceived into the church.
The good accomplished by this church has not been confined to operations at home. Important po- sitions as preachers, professors in colleges, and edu- cators in other institutions of learning have been occupied by children of members of this church, while some have gone forth to engage in other call- ings, we trust to exert an influence for good morals and religion. We have a record of what we have publicly contributed during the last fifteen years and seven months for missionary and other religions operations to give the gospel to needy parts of the world. The amount is $2559.27. From this we can judge what had been sent out during previous years. The mites of small churches, if regularly contributed, aggregate more than many would anticipate.
The Methodist Episcopal Church.1-The Con- gregational Church was the only ecclesiastical organ- ization in the town (if we may except a Society of Friends) till the introduction of Methodism, which event came to pass near the beginning of the present century.
As nearly as can now be learned, the first sermon preached here by a Methodist minister was by Rev. Epaphras Kibby in 1799. He was sent by Rev. George Pickering, presiding elder, to preach to a va- cant Congregational Church in Kingston, as was sometimes done in those days, and making frequent evangelizing tours into the neighboring towns, he came to Epping and was invited by Rev. Mr. Holt, the Congregational pastor, to preach in his church, which he did, greatly to the satisfaction of the people. Mr. Holt was not aware at the time that Mr. Kibby was a Methodist, and when he learned that he was of the sect "everywhere spoken against" he very nat- urally refused him admission to his pulpit on his subsequent occasional visits to the town.
We should not be too severe on these old Puritan pastors for their frequent refusals to countenance these early itinerants. They felt that they were constitu- tional guardians of the flocks, and they were honest in their suspicions and prejudices towards these strangers, who came, as they thought, in a disorderly and irregular way, and brought doctrines they had been trained to regard as dangerous heresies, and pro- claimed them with a zeal which seemed to them the fruit of ignorance and fanaticism. Nothing but the good sense and true piety of these early pioneers could have enabled them to finally win their way among the people, and even to the respect and fellowship of these honest but mistaken pastors, as they did after no very long time.
When Mr. Kibby was denied the use of the regular pulpit, he was invited by the late Capt. Jonathan
Fogg to hold his services in his hospitable home, near the centre of the town. This Mr. Fogg was a prominent citizen, and a brother of the late venerable Rev. Caleb Fogg, of the Maine Conference, who is well remembered by the writer of this sketch, who in his boyhood often saw him and heard much of him as a strong but somewhat eccentric man.
Mr. Kibby appears to have been a young man, and is represented as a "traveling preacher on trial." He was a man of marked abilities as a preacher, and was afterwards distinguished as a leading minister in New England Methodism.
During the years 1800, 1801, 1802 there was no regular Methodist preaching in this town, but occa- sional services by Mr. Kibby, Daniel Webb, and probably some others. In 1803, William Gookins' name is mentioned in connection with Epping, and he probably also preached in Hawke, now Danville, and Poplin, now Fremont, and some other towns. Of this man we have no further information.
Rev. George Pickering preached, mostly in the house of Capt. Fogg, in 1804.
The interest in the Methodist meetings continued and increased, and it was felt that some permanent place of worship was needed, but the friends of the cause were few and not rich in this world's goods. Capt. Fogg was moved to build a house of worship for the Methodists, and proceeded to construct a small chapel, the same building which has been enlarged, but now stands in a dilapidated condition, and will soon become a complete ruin. This property was so encumbered by conditions as to its continued occu- pancy as a place of worship that it ceased to be at the disposal of the society, when it was given up for our present house of worship. Hence the church is not responsible for its present unsightly aspect. It was about this time, 1804 or 1805, according to the best light we can get as to the date, that the first "class" was formed, consisting of some four or five persons, whose names unfortunately are not known to the present generation. These few brave men and women and honored pioneers of our church in this town "builded better than they knew," for though this has never been a strong or popular organization, yet it has during the last eighty years maintained its position as a centre of Christian influence in this community, and has been the means of incalculable good to many souls and to the general interests of the town. We wish we could commemorate them by perpetuating their names, but, though not recorded here, are they not written in heaven ?
At this time there were but 113,134 members in our whole church, and the number of preachers was but 400. In 1797, seven years before the class was formed, the statistics of members were given by States, as the connection was not then divided into Annual Conference.2 The province of Maine had 616,
1 By Rev. James Thurston.
2 Definite boundaries of Annual Conference were fixed in 1800.
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EPPING.
1
Massachusetts had 905, and New Hampshire had but 92 members. Francis Asbury and Richard What- coat were the only bishops. Epping at this time con- tained a population of 1121, only about 400 less than at the present time. There were but five larger towns in Rockingham County.
The records of our society, which no doubt were meagre enough in those earlier days, have unfor- tunately been lost, and we have no written evidence of what transpired up to 1846. We can, therefore, give in this sketch only such items relating to this period as we have been able to glean from Stevens' " Memorials of Methodism," and such minutes of the Conference as we bave had access to, and the uncer- tain recollections of some 'of the oldest of our peo- ple now living. Epping was no doubt connected with neighboring towns in those days, forming part of a circuit, as was the custom of the time. In 1805 and 1806, Nathan Fox was the preacher on a circuit em- bracing Epping, Poplin (now Fremont), and Sandown. Mr. Fox was followed in 1806 and 1807 by Rev. Henry Martin. In 1808, Rev. Wm. Stevens was the " preacher in charge," but Revs. Alfred Metcalf and Thomas Asbury were associated with him on the cir- cuit. In 1809 and 1810, Revs. Asa Kent and Daniel (or Edward) Hyde and Daniel Wentworth were the associate preachers, and during their ministry a gracious revival was enjoyed and many were added to the church. No one of those then brought into the society are now living of whom we have any knowledge. The last survivor was the late Mrs. Bet- sey Norris, of Fremont, who has recently died at the age of ninety-three years.
The society had now acquired a permanent stand- ing in the town, having a comfortable though hum- ble place of worship, and the good will of some of the leading families in the place.
At this time the Methodist " societies" in this part of New Hampshire were embraced in the Boston District, New England Conference. The first note of the number of church-members we find in 1808, when there are reported in the Conference minutes one hundred and sixty-four on the whole circuit. How many of these belonged in Epping we do not know. Unfortunately the local records of the church in this town for this period are lost, and we have to depend on the meagre reports in the published Con- ference minutes of the time. The following limited account, taken from that source, is all we have rela- ting to our church and its circuit connection from 1808 to 1837. In 1810, Salisbury, Mass., Poplin ( Fre- mont), and Salem were connected with Epping in a circuit. Revs. Asa Kent, Benjamin Sabin, and John Jewett were the preachers. There were two hundred and eighty members. In 1811, Revs. John William- son and Orlando Hinds were the preachers. They report two hundred and forty-three members. In 1812 the circuit embraced Epping, Poplin, and Salem, Revs. B. F. Lombard and Orlando Hinds preachers. | church-members, a gain during his labors.
In 1813 no change appears in the circuit bounds. Revs. Leonard Frost and John W. Hardy were the preachers. Number of church-members, two hundred and forty-four. In 1814, Revs. Ebenezer Blake and Elias Marble, preachers.
We have no more record till 1826, when Rev. O. Hinds and Rev. John Brodhead were the ministers. Members reported, 207 white and one " collored." In 1830, Rev. Warren Wilber preached in Epping, and reports sixty-nine members. In 1832, Rev. S. Green and Rev. J. Woorster were the preachers. In 1833, Rev. Jared Perkins preached in Epping, and Rev. Samuel Hoyt was his associate.
Rev. Mr. Perkins was one of the most prominent ministers of the church in New Hampshire. He was for many years a presiding elder. He represented the Third New Hampshire District in Congress. In 1835 Rev. Silas Green was pastor in Epping, which appears disconnected with any other towns. Sixty-seven church-members were reported. In 1836, Rev. C. Fales was the pastor, and Rev. S. A. Cushing in 1837. Members, 66.
In 1838, Rev. Samuel Hoyt was the preacher on the Epping charge. He was very much beloved, and had a season of revival. I find some old members yet who were converted under his labors and were bap- tized by him. He stayed two years. He reports at the close of his years in Epping and Poplin, 180 members ; his salary at Epping, I suppose (for A. M. Osgood was associated with him, and probably preached at Poplin), was $300, which was all paid except $8. Received for missions, $6.
Rev. Samuel Prescott came in 1840 as Mr. Hoyt's successor. He served two years. He was a devoted and faithful pastor. He reports at the end of his second year for Epping and Poplin 206 members. I suppose there must have been a revival which brought an addition to the church. His claim was $335, and he reports a deficiency of $60 at the end of one of his years.
Rev. John Smith was appointed in 1842, and con- tinued two years. The first of his years Poplin, as usual, was connected with Epping, but he had Epping alone his second year. His salary was $365, and he received $241.67. Members, 165. In the report of the second year it reads " Epping and Candia," though the latter place does not appear in his appointment. How many of these members were in Candia we do not know.
In 1844, Rev. Matthew Newhall was stationed at Epping. He remained only one year, reporting at its close : members, 70; salary, $300.
Rev. Caleb Dustin came as the next pastor, and served one year. He was followed in 1846 by Rev. H. N. Taplin. He remained two years. He was greatly beloved by the people for his amiability and faithfulness. He reports in 1848 claims all paid for the first time, viz., three hundred dollars; eighty-two
220
HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.
His successor in 1848 was Rev. A. C. Manson. IIe served one year, was very popular, and had a success- ful year. Here we find the first current records, which give the following as the official members in 1847 : Class-leaders, Gardner Tilton, Jonathan Cram ; stewards, D. Clifford, B. M. Smith, J. G. Webb, J. P. Sanborn, J. F. Lane, Jeremiah Sanborn ; Ezra F. Barber, licensed exhorter.
In 1849, Rev. C. 11. Chase came as the successor of Mr. Manson. He remained two years and had pros- perity in his work. The meeting-house was repaired inside. He reports at the end of the second year fifty-seven members. His claim was three hundred and twenty-five dollars. He gives but fifty Sun- day-school scholars.
Rev. John Gould came after Mr. Chase in 1851. It reads in the minutes " Epping Mission" for the first time. This we suppose was about the beginning of that period during which missionary money was appropriated to feeble charges in the regular work. Mr. Gould remained but one year. Ile reports but forty-six members. Ilis claim of three hundred dol- lars was all paid. Number of Sunday-school scholars, fifty-six.
It will be seen that the charge was not gaining but rather losing in strength and membership. Rev. J. M. Hartwell came after Mr. Gould in 1852. The ap- pointment reads "Epping Mission and Poplin." He remained but one year. The local records are de- ficient for these years, and so we can give no account of the official members, or what was especially done in the society, except by the Conference minutes.
In 1853, Rev. Elihu Scott was the pastor, and served one year. IIe is remembered with interest by the people to this day, as he was greatly respected when he was among them. He had previously lived in the place when presiding elder of Dover District, owning a pleasant home near the church, the same property subsequently owned and occupied by Rev. M. Newhall. Mr. Scott returned for Epping and Poplin one hundred and four members and eleven probationers, which indicated some addition by re- vival. Twenty dollars were raised for missions, a larger amount than ever befere.
In 1854, Rev. Lorenzo Draper was appointed to Epping and Poplin, but preached in Epping, as did the preachers generally who had both places in charge. He stayed but one year, and was succeeded in 1855 by Rev. Kimbal Hadley. Mr. Draper re- ports at the end of his year: members, one hundred and seven ; claim, three hundred and eighty dollars. Mr. Hadley remained but one year. He reported, members, one hundred and eleven. He was suc- ceeded in 1856 by Rev. Ebenezer Smith, who was in a supernumerary relation. His labors were very ac- ceptable and profitable, and though he was not a sound man in health, and still held his residence in Concord, where he had served for several years as chaplain to the State prison, few pastors performed
more work than Mr. Smith did. Rev. Matthew New- hall lived in town as a superannuated minister, and was a friend and helper to the pastor and the church. Mr. Smith reports in 1857 for Epping fifty members ; probationers, seventeen ; showing that there had been spiritual prosperity.
From 1857 to 1863 the church was "supplied" by young men who were licentiates and students in the " Biblical Institute" at Concord. Their names are as follows in the order of their services : - Glover, F. T. George, Joseph Wilde, James V. Saunders, and N. A. Fisher.
A student supplied in 1858-59, but we do not learn his name. The reports in the minutes of 1859 from Epping are very meagre. The society was in a feeble and languishing condition in these years. I find in the Quarterly Conference record for July 17, 1859, this minute : "Voted, that Brother George be made preacher in charge."
Rev. A. Folsom came to the church in 1863, and served two years with great acceptance and success. He lived at his home in Raymond, and walked back and forth, and all over his field of labor, holding numerous meetings and visiting the people. A good revival was enjoyed, and several persons were added to the church. It was during Mr. Folsom's ministry that the proposi- tion to purchase the Universalist meeting-house began to be agitated. Mrs. Gardner Tilton offered to give two hundred dollars towards the fund for that pur- pose. It was principally through the friendly agency of Dr. Nathaniel Batchelder that the proprietors of the house were induced to sell out their rights to our church.1 Mr. Folsom aided this enterprise by his best efforts, and it became a certainty before his term expired, but was not taken possession of till May, 1866. When Mr. Folsom came to the charge D. Clifford, Gardner Tilton, E. K. Jenness, J. P. Sanborn consti- tuted the board of stewards; who the other officials were does not appear on the record.
Rev. C. E. Hall, then a student at Concord, came to the charge in 1866, having just been received on probation in the Conference. The old church was abandoned in May, and the new one, having been put in order and fitted up with an altar, etc., was occupied by the congregation. No doubt the old house, which though a humble structure and altogether unsuited to the wants of the society, was abandoned with some feeling of regret ; it had been used for so many years, had been the birthplace of precious souls, gracious seasons of refreshing had for years been witnessed within its walls, and many dear ones had been carried forth from its portals to the honse appointed for all
1 The Universalists were at one time quite numerous and influential in this town. They built this church in 1838, and kept up regular ser- vices for many years. They had languished and became very weak at this time, and as there was no prospect of their house being occupied again, they were disposed to transfer it to our people. Some two or three pews, however, are reserved by their old proprietors, and they oc- casionally claim the use of the house for some of their ministers.
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EPPING.
living. It had been a home for the little band through all its varying fortunes of trials and triumphs. No doubt many a heart was sad and some tears were shed as the last echoes of the voice of worship sounded from the venerable walls of the poor, decrepit, but still dear old structure.
The new (new to this people and new in its improve- ments), was found a much more convenient and com- fortable place, and this, together with the interest at- tendant upon the change and improvement, and the popularity of the young and eloquent pastor, tended to the increase of attendance upon public worship.1
Mr. Hall returned in 1867 the statistics of the charge as follows: members, 50; probationers, 16; value of church, $1500; Sunday-school scholars, 85; salary, $500, all paid; missions, $21.55; Preachers' Aid Society, $5; centenary funds, $58.35.
In 1867, Rev. James Noyes was appointed as Mr. Hall's successor, and served one year. He was much beloved by the people, and had a prosperous year. He ยท was particularly active in promoting the cause of tem- perance. The Sunday-school also was promoted by the efforts of Mr. Noyes and his excellent wife, whose labors were abundant in every good work. He reports in 1868: members, 53; probationers, 15; claim, $500.
Rev. J. Steele came in 1868, and served one year. He reports at the close of his year : members, 47 ; probationers, 5; Sunday-school scholars, 127 ; salary, $600. Mr. Steele was the first resident pastor since 1855. The Ladies' Circle expended of its earnings during his year some $50 for stoves and furniture for the parsonage, and procured carpets for the church at a cost of $75.
In 1869 the appointment reads quite oddly : "San- down, Fremont, and Epping supplied by A. R. Lunt." Mr. Lnnt came from the East Maine Conference. He lived at Epping, and preached here a part of the time. Mr. Lunt was very acceptable to the people, and labored with good success. He reports in 1871 63 members and 26 probationers, showing some gain, as there was some revival ; his salary, $600. He was reappointed to Epping, as a member of our Confer- ence, in 1871, and had another pleasant and prosper- ous year; 64 members and 21 probationers are re- ported in 1872; $35 were raised for missions.
Rev. D. W. Downs supplied as pastor, appointed by the presiding elder in 1872-73. His pastorate was very successful, a blessed revival was enjoyed, and many valuable 'additions were made to the church. Meetings were held under the direction of the Rev. C. L. Fowler, who was assisted by the Rev. T. Car- ter. The old parsonage was considerably improved through Mr. Downs' efforts. He reports in 1874, however, ouly thirty-one members, showing a consid-
erable decrease from the year before, probably by a needed revision of the register, but there were no pro- bationers reported as the fruits of their revival. He received a larger salary than any one before him, eight hundred dollars ; Sunday-school scholars, one hundred and ten; raised for missions, eighteen dol- lars. The society house on Hedding Camp-Ground was built through Mr. Downs' efforts. It cost two hundred dollars. He was followed by Rev. C. H. Smith in 1874. Mr. Smith served but one year, when, on account of impaired health, he ceased his active ministry and took a supernumerary relation. Mr. Smith received eight hundred dollars as salary. Dur- ing Mr. Smith's year the parsonage, now owned by the society, was purchased and occupied by the pas- tor. A fund, donated by the late Gardner Tilton, one of our old and faithful members, amounting to some eleven hundred dollars, and held in trust by two of our brethren as executors of his last will and testa- ment, subject to claim by a long-absent son, was ap- plied to this purchase, being loaned to the trustees, who gave security by mortgage. The parsonage cost some eighteen hundred dollars. To avoid double taxa- tion, viz., on the Tilton fund and the house bought in part with the money also, the mortgage has since been surrendered, notes taken up, and a bond of indem- nification given to the executors in case the son ever re- turns. This was done by advice of legal counsel. On his removal in 1875, Rev. W. H. Jones was appointed to the charge and remained three years,-the first in- stance of a "third term" on-this charge. Mr. Jones' labors were acceptable and useful, and he carried with him when he left the good will of the people. Evidently a good number of the probationers who re- mained on trial through Mr. Smith's . term were brought into the church in full under Mr. Jones' la- bors, as he reports in 1876 ninety-seven members and sixteen probationers, He received his full salary of eight hundred dollars.
During Mr. Jones' first year the Congregational Church held their services in connection with those of our own church, while their own house of worship was being reconstructed. This was done by invita tion on the part of the Methodist pastor and people, Mr. Jones and Rev. Mr. Stearns preaching alternately, and the social and sacramental services united, the | most perfect and pleasant state of harmony continuing throughout. Some additions were made to the par- sonage furniture during these years.
In 1876-77 the work of improving the interior of the church was undertaken and carried on by the " Ladies' Aid Society." The wood-work was painted, the walls tinted, new matting for the aisles, and car- pet for the pulpit-platform and altar. A new pulpit and furniture to correspond were procured, together with new stoves and pipe, and a clock placed on the wall. The old blinds outside were removed, and new ones placed on the inside, and various other needed improvements made, which added much to the beauty
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