USA > New Hampshire > Carroll County > Wolfeborough > History of Wolfeborough (New Hampshire) > Part 24
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January 12, 1804, the matter was brought before the people at a town-meeting called for that purpose, and Stephen Horne was chosen agent to defend the town in the suit. He subsequently declined the appointment, and Jacob Haines was chosen in his
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stead. The following persons, being present at the meeting, re- quested that their dissent against carrying on a lawsuit with Cot- ton be recorded : Benning Brackett, Isaac Cotton, James Cotton, Cornelius Jenness, Joseph Jenness, Thomas Frost, Valentine Wormwood, Samuel Hide, William Cotton, John Young, Wil- liam Fernald, Moses Thompson, Samuel Hide, Jr., John Snell, Josiah Frost, George Cotton, John W. Fernald, Stephen Nute, John Furbur, Aaron Frost, James Fernald, James Cate, John Warren, John P. Cotton, Josiah Willey.
It is not probable that the suit-Cotton versus the town of Wolfe- borough-progressed much during 1805. Although the parties appeared at the court in Dover, there was no trial. November 6, 1805, John L. Piper was chosen agent to defend the town in the suit. Probably the case was still delayed.
In 1806, Mr. Allen having deceased, the town proposed to settle with Mr. Cotton on the following terms : to pay him twenty dollars for the cow taken by distraint ; to abate the tax for which it was taken; and pay its own costs, which, including the price of the cow, amounted to seventy-five dollars or more. On these conditions Cotton withdrew the suit. This ended compulsory taxation for ministerial support in Wolfeborough; nor did the town as a corporate body ever afterward hire preaching. Propo- sitions to do so were a few times inserted in the town warrant, but in no instance did they receive favorable action.
By an accident which happened many years ago, the manu- scripts of Mr. Allen were destroyed, but some facts have been learned in relation to both his ancestry and posterity.
George Allen was born in England about 1568, and came to America in 1635, settling two years later in Sandwich, Mass., where he was chosen deputy. His son, Samuel Allen, also born in England, came over with the first settlers of Boston in 1628, and died in Braintree, Mass., in 1669. He had a son, James, born in 1636 in Braintree, who married Elizabeth Perkins, and settled on Martha's Vineyard in 1660. Ichabod, the son of James
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Allen, and the grandfather of the town minister, was born in 1676, and died in 1755. His son Ebenezer was born in 1716, and lived at Holmes Hole, now Vineyard Haven, Mass., where in 1746 the Rev. Ebenezer Allen was born.
Mr. Allen came to Wolfeborough in the summer or early autumn of 1792, thus recommended :-
"June 11, 1792.
This may certify that Mr. Ebenezer Allen graduated at the University of Cambridge in the year 1771; that he sustained a good moral character; that he is esteemed well as a preacher of the gospel, and as such may be improved by any people who shall think proper to invite him.
Isaac Merrill, pastor of the church in Wilmington; John French, pastor of a church in Andover; John Shaw, pastor of the First Church in Haver- hill; Gyles Merrill, pastor of the church in Plaistow; Jonathan : Eames, pastor of the church in Newton, N. H .; Samuel Webster, pastor of a church in Salisbury; Ebenezer Thayer, pastor of the church in Hampton; Thomas Cary, pastor of the First Church in Newburyport; John Andrew, junior pastor of the same church; Francis Webb, pastor of a church in Amesbury; Benjamin Thurston, pastor of a church in New Hampton; Samuel Langdon, D. D .; Samuel Haven, D. D .; James Miltemore, pastor of the church in Stratham."
In early life Mr. Allen lost a portion of an arm, the result of a shooting accident. On the stump he always wore, when in the pulpit, a black silk mitten. Here an incident is permissible. Near the close of the day preceding his ordination, it occurred to the manager of the anticipated ceremonials that a silk glove was wanted for the sound hand. None could be found. Mrs. Bas- sett, the wife of John Bassett, the Quaker, had the reputation of being the most rapid knitter in town, and she was deputed to furnish the glove. She accomplished the task, and the required hand-covering was presented to Mr. Allen as he was entering the desk to be ordained.
Mr. Allen was a good man with fair literary acquirements, and though not remarkable for pulpit oratory, maintained a creditable standing as a preacher. He was universally respected by his fellow-citizens, and during his ministry added a score of mem-
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bers to the church of which he was pastor. No doubt his suc- cess would have been greater, had the people of Wolfeborough been in perfect agreement as to the support of the clergy. The care of a rapidly increasing family and the subduing of a forest farm required no small share of his attention. The following memoranda are still preserved in the handwriting of Mr. Allen :-
"Copy of family record (date of marriage and birth of children) of Rev. Ebenezer Allen and Miss Bets Fernald.
On Tuesday, Nov. 8, 1796, Mr. Ebenezer Allen and Miss Bets Fernald were joined in marriage.
On Tuesday, April 4, 1797, moved into Mr. Allen's house.
On Tuesday, July 4, 1797, Mrs. Allen was delivered of a daughter about 3 o'clock P. M. The next morning, July 5, a little after daybreaking the child was baptized ,by the name of Lois.
On Sunday, May 27, 1798, Mrs. Allen was delivered of another daughter about 10 o'clock in the morning., On Sunday, July 1, Mrs. Allen was admitted a member of the church and the child baptized by the name of Sarah.
On Monday, Oct. 21, 1799, about ten minutes before 5 o'clock P. M. we had another daughter born. On Sunday, Nov. 17, the child was baptized by the name of Bets Ann.
On Tuesday, May 5, 1801, about thirty minutes past 9 o'clock P. M. we had a son born. On Sunday, June 17, the child was baptized by the name of Ebenezer.
On Wednesday, Sept. 17, 1803, about thirty minutes past 6 o'clock A. M. we had another son born. On Sunday, ;Octo. 9, the child was baptized by the name of David Tappan.
On Friday, Feb. 22, 1805, about ten minutes rast 1 o'clock P. M. we had a third son born. On Sunday, May 26, the child was baptized by the name of Alpheus Spring."
The oldest child, Lois, weighed only one and a half pounds at birth. The father, fearing it would be short-lived, hastened to bring it ceremonially within the pale of the church. The child did live, however, and became a robust women of more than or- dinary size. She married Henry Veazie, of North Wolfeborough, a shoe-maker and whilom a taverner. Some of her children now live in Minnesota.
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Sarah, the second daughter, died in Boston many years ago. Bets Ann married Dr. Thomas J. Tebbetts, who was the eldest of a family of thirteen children born to Samuel Tebbetts, of Brookfield. He settled in North Wolfeborough in 1815, and re- mained there during his lifetime. Mrs. Tebbetts became the mother of eleven children, all of whom reached maturity, but are now, with the exception of G. W. O. Tebbetts, a pharmacist in Manchester, deceased. Several of them made their homes in Manchester, being either practicing physicians or druggists.
Ebenezer married Mary, the daughter of Capt. James Nute, by whom he had several daughters and one son, George, who be- came a clergyman, dying young. After the opening of the range- road from the town meeting-house to Wolfeborough Center and beyond, he erected buildings on that road. They are now oc- cupied by Frank B. Kenney. David Tappan has already been noticed. Alpheus Spring left home when young, was long ab- sent, and returned an invalid, dying among his early friends.
Mr. Allen died of apoplexy Sunday, July 17, 1806, at the age of sixty years, having preached as usual in the forenoon. His wife died January 24, 1810, aged thirty-three years. They were buried in the cemetery near the town-meeting house. As the neighborhood has never become thickly populated, compartively few persons have been buried there, other places more con- venient for interment having been selected. The graves of Mr. and Mrs. Allen shared in the general neglect of the yard. The headstone was thrown down and broken, and so remained for many years. In 1899 Thomas L. Marden, a native and former resident of Wolfeborough, who now has his home in Lynn, Mass .. but annually visits the town, repaired and set up the headstone. being assisted in the undertaking by William Paris, grandson of the late Elder Cummins Paris.
In the lives and environments of the town minister, Rev. Ebenezer Allen, and the contemporary minister of the town, Elder Isaac Townsend, were some striking similarities and some
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HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
equally marked differences. The father of each was named Ebenezer, and each had a son of the same name. There was scarcely a twelvemonth's difference in the time of their coming to Wolfeborough. Each was ordained the same day, and mar- ried within the same year, although one was a first and the other a second marriage. The wives of both were much their juniors, and survived them. The farm of each was located on the borders of the same beautiful sheet of water, Lake Wentworth, Mr. Allen's being situated on the northwest and Mr. Townsend's on the southeast shore, distant from each other about six miles by land and three by water.
These were the differences: Mr. Allen was physically disabled by the loss of his arm, while Mr. Townsend was a vigorous athlete ; the former received a collegiate training, the latter was uneducated ; in doctrine the one taught election, the other free grace ; in respect to the support of the ministry, the absorbing question in Wolfeborough in their day, one claimed that it was the province of the parish to provide a living for the pastor, even if it required coercive taxation, the other held that the minister should depend on the freewill offerings of his people and his own personal efforts ; Mr. Allen at his death left six orphan children under ten years of age; Mr. Townsend died childless. It is evi- dent that between the two men the most cordial relations existed, Mr. Allen officiating at the marriage of Mr. Townsend.
Isaac Townsend was born in New Market, N. H., March 18, 1756. He was early left an orphan, his father, a New Light preacher, dying when he was four years old, and his step-mother two years later. He then became for several years a member of the family of William Glidden, a brother of his step-mother. At the age of sixteen he bound himself an apprentice to John Tucker, of Berwick, Maine, a shoemaker and tanner, and there remained until he reached his majority. It was then the time of the Revo- lutionary War, and he enlisted on board the privateer Portsmouth. When five days out, this vessel was captured by the Experiment,
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a British fifty-gun ship, which took its prisoners to Halifax. There he remained several months before his release, which he al- ways regarded as providential. One day, while assisting in the burial of a fellow-prisoner, he was so greatly shocked by the pro- fanity and brutality of the soldier having the matter in charge that he prayed very earnestly, though silently, that he might soon be set at liberty and sent home. That night he dreamed that one came to him, assuring him that he would soon be released, and predicting to him some of the events of his future life, which ulti- mately did happen. The following morning he related his dream to his companions, and very confidently declared his conviction that it would be fulfilled, but they only ridiculed him.
A few days after, a vessel appeared in the offing; this he de- clared would take him home, but he was told that his release was very improbable, as, even if the approaching vessel should prove to be a cartel, prisoners who had been held much longer than he would be first exchanged. He, however, was so confident, that he was to leave the place that he distributed the small sum of money which he possessed among his associates, and prepared for his departure.
The vessel proved to be a cartel, and the proper officers pro- ceeded to an exchange of prisoners. The English prisoners had been delivered and the American selected; Townsend was not among them. When the transfer of prisoners was nearly com- pleted, it was discovered that a miscount had been made; two more Americans were wanting to fill the complement. The offi- cers who had charge of the business, observing Townsend, who was standing near, called him, took his name, and directed him to go aboard the cartel. While on his passage home, he was at- tacked with smallpox, and afterwards with fever and ague. He was much reduced by these diseases, and was confined at the hos- pital in Boston Harbor for some time.
When he had partially recovered, he set out for New Hamp- shire, and in the course of a few months took up his residence in
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the first division of New Durham. Here, in 1779, he married Experience Allard of that town, who died in Wolfeborough in 1795. Soon after his marriage he removed to the second division of New Durham, and commenced clearing land, remaining there until 1791, when he came to Wolfeborough, and purchased of Enoch Thomas the farm now owned by George W. Bassett and John L. Wiggin. This some years after he exchanged with Samuel Fox for one in Pleasant Valley, where he spent the re- mainder of his life. In 1796 he married Lydia Evans. They had one son, who died when about twelve years old.
Mr. Townsend began to preach while living in New Durham, but was not a pastor until he came to Wolfeborough. He held that relation to the First Freewill Baptist Church in Wolfe- borough for about forty-five years, and was nominally such from the time of his ordination until his death, nearly fifty-four years. His ministerial labors were mostly confined to the towns in which he lived, although he traveled a little in other towns. By industry and frugality he acquired a fair property, the most of which he bequeathed for religious and benevolent purposes.
Mr. Townsend's school advantages were very limited, yet he became quite an acceptable public speaker, being very con- versant with the Scriptures. After some years of illness he died August 30, 1846, lacking about four months of being ninety years old. His remains were, at the time of his death, interred in a burial-place which he had reserved on his home farm. They have, within a few years been removed to the cemetery on North Main Street. The lot in which he and his entire family are buried was donated by him, while owning the Enoch Thomas farm, to the Freewill Baptist Society as a place for burial. The society, however, never claimed it, as, after Mr. Townsend removed from the neighborhood, few of his adherents located there.
CHAPTER XXII.
CHURCHES AND OTHER RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS-FIRST CHURCH ORGANIZED-CHRISTIAN CHURCHES ESTABLISHED IN 1812 AND 1822-CO-WORKERS FERNALD AND TOWNSEND AND THEIR FOLLOWERS - STEPHEN COFFIN-ALLEN'S CHURCH-JOHN P. CLEVELAND THE FIRST SUNDAY- SCHOOL-THE ACADEMY CHAPEL FINISHED-THOMAS P. BEACH-DR. JEREMIAH BLAKE-THE METHODISTS-THE FRIENDS-THE UNIVERSALISTS-THE UNITARIANS-THE ADVENTISTS-THE CATHOLICS-LOCATION OF CHURCHES.
T HE first church organized in Wolfeborough was the Freewill Baptist. Its organization took place on the nineteenth day of October, 1792, at the house of William Rogers in the following manner: A committee from the New Durham church, the first one of the order, with its pastor, Elder Benjamin Randall, founder of the Freewill Baptist denomination, appeared at the place by appointment. After introductory religious services a missive let- ter from the church in New Durham to the persons assembled was read by Elder Randall. It contained the covenant and rules of government of that church. The committee was then invited to assist in embodying a church of the persons presenting them- selves for that purpose. John Snell related his religious experi- ence, and was baptized by Elder Randall. Mr. Snell, though never formally acknowledged as a minister, preached consid- erably. He was the grandfather of John L. Wiggin, of this town. The persons assembled, Isaac Townsend, Benjamin Libbey, Wil- liam Rust, Jesse Whitten, John Snell, Thomas Chase, Experience Townsend, and Tabitha Chase, then adopted by vote and sub- scription this
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FREE BAPTIST CHURCH
UNITARIAN CHURCH
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
CHRISTIAN CHURCH
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COVENANT.
"We whose names are here underwritten, feeling the spirit of adoption whereby we cry 'Abba Father' though most unworthy, and by his grace having a fellowship with each other as brethren of one family and children of one Father, finding our souls knit together like David and Jonathan, Ruth and Naomi-believing it for the declarative glory of God, our Heavenly Father, that we should embody and walk in the ordinances of our Lord Jesus Christ : do now, in this solemn manner, in the fear of God, calling, on him for his aid and assistance, covenant together and promise, by grace, to walk in the ordinances and commands of our Lord Jesus Christ, as we do or shall understand. We will take the Scriptures of truth, which we believe to be an unerring rule, for the rule of our practice in our conversation, dealing, and com- merce; and if any of us are convicted of not walking according thereto, or of violating thereof, we shall be deemed disorderly, and be dealt with as such, as the aforesaid rule shall direct."
At the same time ten persons joined with the eight members of the church in declaring themselves members of a Baptist Soci- ety. On the twenty-fifth day of the month Mr. Townsend was ordained. November eighth a monthly meeting was held at the house of Isaac Townsend, and William Lucas and Mary Rogers related their experience for baptism. Three days later the rite was administered by Elder Townsend, and they became members of the church. On the twenty-third day of the month the Lord's Supper was celebrated. A monthly meeting was established, be- ing held either at the dwelling of Elder Townsend or that of Wil- liam Rogers. William Lucas was chosen clerk of the church, probably holding the office until 1797, when Israel Piper suc- ceeded him. About this time some steps were taken to raise money for what was termed a church stock, to meet emergencies. Israel Piper was appointed treasurer. Of the small sum raised Elder Townsend received the principal part.
For some years the records of the church were quite imperfect.
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During the decade following its organization it appears that Townsend preached quite regularly, and that the monthly meet- ings were usually held, though varying considerably in interest. The number of persons who became members of the church dur- ing that period cannot be exactly determined, but it was evidently quite small. In 1804 Israel Piper was succeeded as clerk by Neal Cate.
About 1800 there seems to have been increased interest in that portion of the church located in the easterly part of the town. At a monthly meeting held August 13, 1801, Valentine Wormwood was chosen deacon, and it was voted to build a meeting-house, the Baptists and Methodists uniting in the undertaking. The building committee consisted of Thomas Cotton, John Snell, Valentine Wormwood, Charles Stanton, and Josiah Allen, resi- dents of Brookfield and Wolfeborough. It was erected on the border-line between the two towns. There it remained until about 1850, when it was replaced by another of more modern style, but constructed by similar joint action of the same societies.
From the death of Mr. Allen in 1806, for nearly or quite thirty years Mr. Townsend was the only resident ordained minister in the town, and for a short period the Baptist was the only church organization. Preachers of different denominations bestowed some labor on the town, but did not settle as pastors. Mr. Town- send depended almost entirely upon his own manual labor for his support, and consequently could do little more than attend to the most pressing calls of the ministerial office.
May 25, 1793, Susannah Lucas was baptized and united with the church, and between that date and the year 1800 Isaac Jones, Polly Jones, Stephen Fall, Jonathan Brown, Israel Piper, and Lydia Allard became members. There was more than usual religious interest in the community near the beginning of the nineteenth century, and Reuben Daniells, Richard Marden, Neal Cate, John Lary, Isaac Willey, Valentine Wormwood, Thomas Cotton, Josiah Willey, Thomas Frost, Jane Cate, Lydia Town-
HISTORY OF WOLFEBOROUGH.
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send, Hannah Whitten, Susannah Rust, Sally Willey, Betsy Wormwood, Dolly Willey, Charlotte Clark, Mary Hawkins, and Hannah Clough united with the church.
About 1811 Elder Mark Fernald, of Kittery, Maine, a minister of the Christian denomination, visited Wolfeborough. He had been a sailor, but, becoming religious, commenced preaching. Somewhat eccentric, with a rugged eloquence and fearless zeal, he was attractive to the masses, and soon had a large following. Elder Townsend labored in accord with him, and their combined efforts resulted in the profession of piety by a large number of persons. As the two ministers belonged to different denomina- tions, it was deemed advisable to baptize the converts and not connect them with any church immediately. In 1812 a Christian Church was organized, and a portion of the baptized persons united with it. Others joined the Baptists, and still others did not connect themselves with any religious organization. In 1820 the Freewill Baptist Church had fifty members, in 1843 one hun- dred and twenty, and in 1900 ninety-seven.
Until about 1830 most of the ministerial work done in Wolfe- borough outside the limits of Smith's Bridge village was by Elders Fernald and Townsend. The town meeting-house was free to any minister of the Gospel, and these two clergymen or their occasional co-adjutors usually occupied it in the warm season. Whoever might speak from the pulpit, the pews held the same audience. With a few of the ministers of the Christian and Freewill Baptist denominations in Wolfeborough and its vicinity, there was some difference of opinions, but not very marked. The laity were essentially one in faith and practice. Elder John T. G. Colby, who was for nearly thirty years pastor of the Christian Churches in Wolfeborough said, "The two denomi- nations should have been one." Elder Mark Fernald, in his memoirs, says of a meeting which he attended in Wolfeborough, July 4, 1847, "In monthly conference at a neighborhood where the Christian and Freewill Baptist brethren held their conference
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together, twenty-eight persons spoke, and none could tell who belonged to either by their communications or spirit. It was good."
About 1830 Hiram Holmes and Jesse Meader came to Wolfe- borough, and held many meetings. Meader in a few months went to Brookfield, Holmes remained in Wolfeborough several years, and was for a while co-pastor with Elder Townsend, who had become very infirm. In 1833 he identified himself with the Second Freewill Baptist Church, which was at that time set off from the first church for local convenience. John Chick after- wards became the pastor of the old church, and resided in Wolfe- borough for a while.
In 1840 the present church building was erected at a cost of about one thousand dollars. The building committee consisted of Robert Wiggin, Stephen Coffin, Daniel Whitten, Jesse Whit- ten, Jr., and Stephen S. Bean. It was dedicated in the autumn of the same year, Elder Daniel P. Cilley, of Pittsfield, preaching on the occasion, and Elder Mark Fernald and other ministers taking part in the dedicatory exercises. Its interior has been several times remodeled, and in 1881 it was thoroughly repaired by an assessment upon the pew-owners. In 1888 some horse- sheds near the church were burned, and the rear end of that building damaged by fire. Largely through the efforts of the acting pastor, Rev. Lincoln Given, an endeavor was made to essentially change the structure of the house. The Freewill Bap- tist State Mission Society pledged conditionally for that purpose three hundred dollars, and gifts to the amount of more than one hundred dollars were contributed by sundry persons. The balance of about eighteen hundred dollars was donated by the proprietors of the house and the friends of the society. A bell tower with an entry was erected at the front of the main building and a vestry at the rear; the audience-room was somewhat enlarged, and other changes made without incurring any debt. About 1857 a row of maple trees was set around the meeting-house lot by Rev. Levi
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Brackett, Daniel Whitten, and B. F. Parker. Vandalism and the elements have destroyed all but two of them. These are quite ornamental, and bear the names of the two deceased planters, Brackett and Whitten.
In 184I a Sunday School was established, and B. F. Parker elected superintendent. The school had eight teachers, fifty-seven members, and a library of eighty small volumes. In 1862 Alvah S. Libbey was elected superintendent, but soon entered the army, and B. F. Parker was again placed in charge. He occupied the position about five years, when I. B. Manning took the place, and by repeated elections filled it for twenty-five years. The present superintendent is Edwin J. Libbey.
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