History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 64

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1714

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 64
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 64

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The agreement with Mr. Dudley took effect imme- diately, and he undoubtedly entered upon the dis- charge of his ministerial functions at once. Indeed, there is reason to believe that he had been serving the town in the same capacity before that time. We learn, moreover, from the agreement that the church that had been gathered and maintained during Mr. Wheelwright's stay in Exeter had failed to preserve its organization for the seven years when it was with- out a pastor.

At a town-meeting on the 26th of June, 1650, it was voted to pay Francis Swaine twenty shillings " for his pains and time in going into the bay to col- lect Mr. Dudley his pay." This refers, no doubt, to the " English commodities" which the town were to furnish Mr. Dudley in part payment of his salary. There was little money in the frontier settlement, and some merchant in the bay (Massachusetts) was contracted with to supply the imported goods for Mr. Dudley, and to receive in exchange from his Exeter

At the same town-meeting it was resolved "that a meeting- house shall be built, of twenty foot square, as soon as workmen can conveniently be procured to do it, and the place appointed for it is at the corner of William Taylor's lot next the street, and William Taylor is to have of the town twenty shillings for five rods square of his land in that place."

The people of Exeter having engaged the services of Mr. Dudley, took prompt and efficient measures to procure the payment of his stipulated salary. The town records inform us that at a meeting on the 5th of December, 1650, it was "agreed upon that the townsmen (who performed substantially the duties of selectmen) shall have power to make a rate upon all such of the inhabitants of the town as do not volun- tarily bring in according to their abilities, for the satisfying of the town's engagement unto Mr. Dud- ley for his 'maintenance." It had previously been determined that every inhabitant of the town should pay, " for every thousand of pipe-staves they made, two shillings, which should be for the maintenance of the ministry ; and for every thousand of hogshead- staves, one and sixpence ; and for every thousand of bolts that is sold before they be made into staves, four shillings ; and also what is due from the saw- mills shall be for the maintenance of the ministry." And in order to establish the priority of this claim shall deliver any staves or bolts before they have satisfied the town order shall pay ten shillings for every thousand staves, and twenty shillings for every thousand bolts."

It was also voted at said meeting on the 5th of December, 1650, that if Francis Swaine and Henry Roby, or either of them, shall make a bargain with any able merchant of the bay to pay or cause to be paid unto Mr. Dudley the sum of forty pounds in good English commodities in May next, for his whole year's maintenance, and to accept of hogshead-staves or pipe-staves for the said forty pounds worth of goods, then the town do agree to stand to their bar- gain which they shall make, and to bring in their proportional parts of hogshead-staves or pipe-staves unto the said Henry Roby or Francis Swaine to sat- isfy their agreement."

While the inhabitants were thus solicitous to secure their minister from want, they were no less ready to protect him from defamation. They authorized the three townsmen-Henry Roby, Thomas King, and John Legat-" to vindicate the credit and reputation of Mr. Dudley against the reproachful speeches and calumniations of John Garland, by proceeding against him in law, according to the demerits of his offence." It is not known that any suit was ever brought against the slanderer ; he probably found means by apology, or otherwise, to avoid such a result ..

Apparently nothing was done under the vote to

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HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

build a meeting-house, passed June 26, 1650, for a couple of years after. To be sure, at a town-meeting held Sept. 1, 1652, it was ordered that the house should " begin to be built upon the next second day (Monday), and a rate to be made how much work every man shall do towards it, and so to be called forth to work upon it by Thomas King and John Legat as need shall require; that the work be not neglected till it be finished, and that every man that neglects to come to work upon a day's warning, he shall pay five shillings a day, to be forthwith levied by the constable." Yet at a subsequent meeting, July 8, 1652, " it was ordered that a meeting-house shall forthwith be built, and that every man, both servants as well as others, shall come forth to work upon it as they are called out by the surveyor of the work, upon the penalty of five shillings for every day's neglect; and teams are to be brought fortli to the work by the owners as they are called for by the said surveyors upon the penalty of ter shillings a day for their neglect, and the surveyors or overseers appointed for the said work are Mr. Edward Gilman, Thomas King, and Edward Hilton, Jr., and they are to see the work finished and not to have it neglected."

Undoubtedly the people were moved to commence and carry through the enterprise soon after; for a vote of the town in November, 1652, alludes to the "finishing" of the building, and the return of a board of commissioners to lay out the west part of Hamp- ton, in August, 1653, mentions the "Exeter meeting- house," which would imply that it was then com- pleted.

Where Mr. Dudley's congregation worshiped in the mean time, whether in the primitive structure that is understood to have been erected in Mr. Wheel- wright's ministry or elsewhere, we have no means of knowledge, nor is it certainly known where this church was located; but there is reason to believe that it was not far from the site which tradition as- signs to the earlier building. It continued to be used as the place for public worship for more than forty years.

In 1664 a Jean-to with a chimney was added to the meeting-house, to serve as a watch-house. Some time after this, probably, Edward Smith, Biley Dud- Jey, Edward Gilman, and perhaps others built a gal- Jery in the house, which was confirmed to them by a vote of the town in 1678; and at the same time said Smith, Gilman, Jonathan Thing, Peter Folsom, Na- thaniel Lad, and Moses Levit were allowed to build a gallery for their wives at the end of the men's gal- lery, leaving room for still another, if desired, which Mrs. Sarah Wadley, Sarah Young, Alice Gilman, Abigail Wadley, Ephraim Marden's wife, Grace Gil- man, and Mary Lawrence had Jeave to ereet and set up at the north end of the house.

It would appear that within a few years after Mr. Dudley's settlement the town had lost some inhabit- ants. perhaps persons of means, so that they were un-

able to continue his salary ; and as he "was not wil- ling to urge that from them which they could not comfortably discharge," it was agreed between them, on the 13th of June, 1655, that "the contract made at the time of his settlement should be annulled, that he should lay down his minister-character, and that his future exercises on the Sabbath-day should be done as a private person, he intending and promising to be helpful, what so may with convenience, either in his own house or some other which shall be ap- pointed for the Sabbath exercises."

The next year the town of Portsmouth, under- standing, probably, that Mr. Dudley was relieved of his Exeter charge, passed a vote to invite him to re- move thither and become their minister, and the selectmen of that town were authorized to communi- cate the vote and make a contract with him. He re- ceived the proposition favorably, and agreed to visit Portsmouth the next spring.

The danger of losing their minister seems to have aroused the inhabitants of Exeter to new efforts, for at " a full town-meeting" on the 8th of June, 1657, "it was ordained and agreed that so long as Mr. Samuel Dudley sball continue to be a minister in the town of Exeter, which shall be till there be some just cause for him to remove, whereof he is not to be judge himself, but other indifferent, understanding men,-the fewness of the people, or greater main- tenance to be a cause are expected,-the town of Exeter is to pay the said Samuel the sum of fifty pounds yearly in merchantable pine boards and mer- chantable pipe-staves, both to be delivered at the water-side, at the town of Exeter, at the current price as they shall go at when they are delivered." The residue, in case full compensation was not thus made, was to be taken in corn, and the payments were to be in equal installments on the 29th of September and the 24th of June in each year. The wheelwright property was also fully confirmed to Mr. Dudley, and it was provided that the selectmen of the town should yearly "gather up" the said sum of fifty pounds, and in case they should fail to do so, they should be an- swerable to the town for their default, and make up out of their own pockets whatever they failed to col- Ject! It is somewhat doubtful if the selectmen of our day would be willing to accept such a liability ; and perhaps it was only the fear of being deprived of their minister which reconciled them to the condition two centuries ago.

This action on the part of the town had the desired effect of inducing Mr. Dudley to abandon all thoughts of removing to Portsmouth, and to retain him to pur- sue his useful Jabors in Exeter.

Mr. Dudley being an excellent man of business, and holding the pen of a ready writer, was frequently employed by his parishioners in secular affairs. At a meeting of the town on the 4th of March, 1658, a grant of certain land was made to him in considera- tion of his drawing off from the town book all the

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former grants and necessary orders in relation thereto, which it it was stipulated were to be " fairly written," It was also provided, singularly enough, that if he should find recorded any grant or order to hinder this grant of land to himself, the latter should be void, which is evidence of the entire confidence re- posed by the people in his integrity.

In 1660 something was needed to be done to the house of worship, either by way of addition or re- pairs, as the selectmen were authorized, in case they should be " forced to lay ont of their own estates to- wards the fitting up of the meeting-house," to make a rate to reimburse themselves. This was a great advance on the earlier rule, which apparently re- quired the selectmen to make good any deficiency in the minister's salary ; and subsequent votes of the , him for the work. town, as will be seen, still further relieved them from responsibility in parochial affairs.

was ordered that Lieut. Hall be empowered to " ar- community in relation to the spiritual concerns of

At a town-meeting on the 15th of March, 1668, it rest and sue any that belong to the town that refuse to pay to the rate of the ministry." And in 1671 it was agreed that the selectmen should be exonerated from the duty of collecting the minister-rate, and that thenceforth Mr. Dudley was to "gather up his rate himself," in consideration whereof he was to receive sixty pounds, instead of fifty pounds, yearly. The se- lectmen were to assess the tax, and in case any in- habitant should refuse to pay, they were to empower Mr. Dudley to "get it by the constable." -

Either this method of obtaining his salary was im- practicable or unsatisfactory to Mr. Dudley, or the infirmities of age soon compelled him to withdraw from his charge; for it was but five years later that the place of worship in Exeter appears to have been strangely neglected, if we may give full credit to the allegations of the record of a court held at Hampton in May, 1676, which was as follows: "The town of Exeter being presented for letting their meeting-house lie open and common for cattle to go into, this Court doth order that the selectmen of Exeter do take ef- fectual care that the said house be cleaned, and be made clean enough for christians to meet in, and the doors hung and kept shut; and this to be done and signified to Mr. Dalton, under the hand of the con- stable, by the next Sabbath day, come se'ennight, or else to forfeit five pounds; that for the time to come they should keep the said house commodiously tight and suitable for such a place, upon the like penalty."

Mr. Dudley died in 1683, at the age of seventy- seven years, the last thirty-five of which he passed in Exeter; and was buried, it is believed, in the old graveyard near the present gas-works. He was con- nected by blood and marriage with some of the prin- cipal men of Massachusetts, and the people of Exeter were fortunate, in every respect, in having him to settle among them. He was able to allay all jealous feelings on the part of Massachusetts towards Exeter by his acquaintance with the dignitaries of that colony,

and he was unquestionably a diligent and faithful spiritual teacher and guide.

For some years after Mr. Dudley's decease there was no settled or regular minister in Exeter, but it is probable that religious worship was conducted by such clergymen as might be temporarily engaged. In 1683, Rev. John Cotton, before and afterwards of Hampton, is mentioned in a contemporary account as of Exeter, so it is probable that he ministered here for a time. Elder William Wentworth certainly officiated here before October, 1690, as the town then voted to treat with him "for his continuance with them in the min- istry." Mr. Wentworth remained in the office of minister in Exeter until some time in 1693, when the growing infirmities of years must have disqualified

The course adopted by the town in selecting his snecessor strikingly illustrates the simple fashions of the time, and the general concern felt throughout the even a remote and feeble settlement. On the 23d of June, 1693, Capt. John Gilman and Biley Dudley were chosen "in behalf of the town to go to the neighboring ministers and take their advice for a meet person to supply the office of the ministry in the town of Exeter." The search seems to have been successful, for only three months afterward a com- mittee was raised to treat with Rev. John Clark, and on the 10th of October, in the same year, Capt. John Gilman, Capt. Peter Coffin, and Capt. Robert Wad- leigh were empowered to agree with Mr. Clark to become the minister of Exeter, and to fix his salary for the first half-year, the town engaging to pay the same.

But Mr. Clark was not to be seenred at once. It is not known why he did not remove sooner to Exeter, but it may be conjectured that he required, not un- reasonably, that the inhabitants should first prove their disposition and ability to sustain a religious so- ciety by erecting a suitable bouse of worship. How- ever that might have been, in January, 1695, at two meetings of the town, the subject of building a new meeting-house was discussed, and at length deter- mined ; and " the major part of the town saw cause to erect and set the house on the hill between the great fort and Nat Folsom's barn." But the location of a public building is never an easy matter for a town to agree upon, and a controversy afterwards arose in regard to it, which was only settled at last by a com- mittee chosen for the purpose. Capt. Coffin was em- ployed to keep the account of the work done by the inhabitants upon the house, and the rate allowed was three shillings a day for men, and for lads what the committee should order.

The location decided npon was just in front of the site of the present lower ( First Congregational) church, and there the meeting-honse, evidently of no mean proportions, was placed, heing completed about the beginning of the year 1697. It had doors at the east

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HISTORY OF ROCKINGHAM COUNTY, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

and west ends, the pulpit on the north side, and stairs leading to a women's gallery on the south side. Pews were built round the sides, and the middle space was probably occupied with benches.

At a town-meeting on the 3d of February, 1697, it was voted "that the new meeting-house should be seated by the committee now chosen, viz., Capt. Moore, Mr. Smart, Biley Dudley, Capt. IIall, Lieut. Leavitt, and Mr. Moses Leavitt ; and the committee have full power to seat the people in their places and power to grant places for pews to whom they see meet; and those men that have places for pews shall sit in them with their families, and not be seated nowhere else." On the same day the committee assigned places for pews, as follows : to Kinsley Hall, his wife and five children, at the west door; to Moses Leavitt and fam- ily, at the left hand of hall; to Edward Hilton, for wife and son Winthrop, his wife and two daughters, Mary and Sobriety, on the north side of the meeting- house, joining to the pulpit and Moses Leavitt's pew ; to Richard Hilton, for himself, wife, children, mother, and sister Rebecca, on the north side of the meeting- house, joining to the parsonage pew ; to Mr. Wilson, his wife and son Thomas, and two daughters, Martha and Mary, and Elizabeth Gilman, joining unto Rich- ard Hilton's, on the east side of the meeting-house ; to Nicholas Gilman and wife, and John and Else and Catherine, at the east door ; to Robert Wadleigh and wife and son Jonathan a place at the south side, ad- joining to the women's stairs ; and to Elizabeth Coffin, widow of Robert Coffin, and children, Simon Wiggin and family, next to Jeremiah Gilman's.

It is probable that Mr. Clark preached for a time in Exeter before his ordination, which was fixed to be on the 21st of September, 1698. The 7th of Sep- tember was ordered to be observed as a day of humilia- tion. On the Sunday preceding the ordination a confession of faith and covenant, which had been pre- viously agreed npon, were signed by the following- named persons, who were the first members of the first church in Exeter, the organization of which has ever since been maintained: John Clark (pastor), John Gilman, Peter Coffin, William Moore, Thomas Wiggin, Kinsley Hall, Theophilus Dudley, Samuel Leavitt, Biley Dudley, Moses Leavitt, John Folsom, llenry Wadleigh, Jonathan Robinson, Thomas Dud- ley, John Scrivener, Nicholas Gilman, Richard Glid- den, Elizabeth Gilman, Elizabeth Clark, Judith Wil- son, Margaret Beal, Sarah Dudley, Deborah Sinkler, Deborah Coffin, Sarah Lowell, Mehitabel Smith.

The church having been organized on the day ap- pointed, the ordination exercises were performed by Rev. Mr. Hale, who preached the sermon, Rev. Mr. Pike, who made the prayer before imposition of hands, Rev. Mr. Woodbridge, who gave the charge, and Rev. Mr. Cotton, who gave the right hand of fellowship.

Mr. Clark received at first sixty pounds a year for . his salary, with the use of the parsonage lot and a certain meadow, to which ten pounds more were

afterwards added to cover the expense of firewood and fencing of the lands. It was also agreed that the town should furnish him a parsonage honse, but he subsequently consented to dispense with that stip- ulation on condition that the town should pay him one hundred pounds instead thereof.

Mr. Clark remained in charge of the church in Exeter until his death in 1705, at the age of thirty- five years. He was highly esteemed by his people; they paid to his widow the full amount of his salary, and erected a tomb over his remains at the expense of the town, and twenty years later made repairs upon the same. The grave of Mr. Clark is in the yard of the lower church, and upon his tombstone were inscribed these lines :

" A prophet lies under the stone, His words shall live tho' he be gone. When preachers die, what rules the pulpit gave Of living are still preached from their grave. The faith and life which your dead pastor taught Now in one grave with him, sirs, bury not."

A few days after the decease of Mr. Clark the town voted to observe the last Wednesday of August as a day of humiliation, and appointed a committee "to take care of the ministers" who should preach in Exeter before that day and take advice of them or any other person they might think proper respecting a suitable minister to be settled here. Early in Sep- tember a committee, consisting of Lieut. Nicholas Gilman and Jonathan Thing, was appointed to give some minister a call and engage him for the term of three months, and were instructed to invite Mr. Adams, Mr. White, or Mr. Curin (?) for that duty.

It is probable that a temporary engagement was not found satisfactory, for two months afterwards a vote was passed to call a minister in order to a full settlement should the town and said minister agree. In the April following (1706) the town voted to give Rev. John Odlin a call to carry on the work of the ministry, and appointed a committee of ten persons, a major part of whom were empowered to make a full agreement in behalf of the town with him " for his salary and other things needful." Under this author- ity they contracted to pay him seventy pounds a year, together with the strangers' contribution money, and allow him the use of the parsonage and two hundred acres of land, and to give him an outfit of one hun- dred pounds in money towards his settlement.

Mr. Odlin was ordained on the 12th of November, 1706. He was a young man, having graduated at Harvard College only four years before. He married Mrs. Clark, the widow of his predecessor, and his pastorate only ended with his life.

Ere many years had passed the want of a new place of worship began to be felt. The town had in- creased in population, and the Indian wars had for the time ceased to alarm and keep down the frontier settlements. When men ventured to go to church without arms in their hands, the tide of immigration

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began to assume its natural flow. On the 16th of December, 1728, it was determined that a new' meet- ing-house should be built, and placed on some part of the land purchased of Capt. Peter Coffin, on which the meeting-house then stood.

But so important an undertaking required time, 'presented it to the town, and a bell was purchased and it was not until the spring of 1731 that the new building was finished. It was placed close by the old meeting-house, which was not removed until after its completion. In March and April, 1731, the pews were sold as follows :

No. 14 to Maj. Nicholas Gilman, Esq., for £21

24 Capt. Theophilus Smith, 16

Lieut. Bartholomew Thing, 21

20 Dr. Thomas Dean, 15

30 Capt. Eliphalet Coffin, 18 10s

" Peter Gilman, 13 10

Dea. Thomas Wilson, 13

Jonathan Gilman, 23

Nathaniel Webster,

21 Francis Bowden,

12 Samuel Conner,

Edward Ladd,

23 5 4

Benjamin Thing,

12 10

Nathaniel Bartlett,

16 10

Daniel Gilman,

13 5

Dea. John Lord,

12 15

Nathaniel Gilman,

Mrs. Hannah Hall,

13 5

3 Ezekiel Gilman,

29 Caleb Gilman,

Thomas Webster,

Capt. John Gilman, Jr.,

28 Jeremiah Connor,

20 10

7 Col. John Gilman, 15 5

2 Jonathan Connor, 21 15

Mr. John Odlin, 15

17 Col. John Gilman, 12 13

And in the " lower gallery" the following sales were made :

No. 9 to Col. John Gilman, €10

1 Nicholas Gordon, 12 5s

5 Bartholomew Thing, 10 5

6 Jeremiah Connor, 10 5

7 Richard Smith, 13 .

8 Daniel Thing, 11

4 Philip Connor, 11

10 Joseph Thing, 10

3 Nathaniel Webster, 13

2 William Doren, 12

This, which was the fourth house of worship erected in Exeter, was a large structure, with two galleries, and a broad aisle runuing up to the pulpit, on each

side of which were benches for those who did not own pews, and who, agreeably to the fashion of the time, had seats assigned them according to age. A high steeple was added to the edifice soon afterwards, at the charge of some public-spirited citizens, who

and hung to make all complete. The steeple stood till 1775, when it was blown down in a heavy gale, and rebuilt at the expense of the town ; the building lasted till 1798, when it was replaced by the present edifice, which is still standing on the same spot.

In November, 1731, the town voted to take down the old meeting-house at once, and with the materials to build a court-house, which was located on the op- posite side of the street, just below where the Squam- scott Ilonse now is.

Mr. Odlin ministered to the people of his charge to their acceptance for more than thirty years, and until the time of the "great awakening" under the influence of Whitefield. Mr. Odlin set his face con- scientiously against the "new lights," and though a majority of his parishioners agreed with him, a con- siderable minority were of a different opinion and zealously supported the views of Whitefield. In 1743 the major part of the people joined in a request to Rev. Woodbridge Odlin, son of Rev. John Odlin, to settle over them as the colleague of his father. As it was known that the sentiments of both were iu harmony, the partisans of the Whitefield doctrine voted against the younger Mr. Odlin, and being out- numbered, withdrew to the number of forty-one per- sons, and on the 7th of June, 1744, were organized into the Second Church.

Mr. W. Odlin was ordained on the 28th of Sep- tember, 1743, his father preaching the sermon on the occasion. He is represented as having been a man of genuine piety, and of modest and nnaffectedly simple manners. He succeeded in keeping his church and people well united, though in time of the troubles between the colonies and Great Britain he took an early and decided stand in favor of the former. He died in 1776, and his parish voted a gift of twenty-five pounds to his widow.

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History of Rockingham and Strafford counties, New Hampshire : with biographical sketches of many of its pioneers and prominent men, Part 64

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton) Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis Number of Pages: 1714

Author: Hurd, D. Hamilton (Duane Hamilton)
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. W. Lewis
Number of Pages: 1714