USA > New Hampshire > Grafton County > Bristol > History of the town of Bristol, Grafton County, New Hampshire, Volume I > Part 28
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59
From New Chester, Bridgewater, and Alexandria.
I794 Thomas Crawford
1796 Thomas Crawford
1795 Thomas Crawford
From New Chester, Bridgewater, Alexandria, and Danbury.
1797 Peter Sleeper
1798 Thomas Crawford
.
From New Chester and Dan- From Bridgewater and Alexan- dria.
bury.
1799 Edward Blodgett
Thomas Crawford
1 800 Edward Blodgett
Thomas Crawford
1801 Ebenezer Kimball
Moses Lewis
1802 Ebenezer Kimball
Moses Lewis
1803 Ebenezer Kimball
Moses Lewis
1804 Ebenezer Kimball
Moses Lewis
1805 Ebenezer Kimball
Moses Lewis
From New Chester.
From Bridgewater
1806 Ebenezer Kimball
1807 William W. Sargent
1808 William W. Sargent
1809 William W. Sargent
1810 William W. Sargent
18II Jonathan Dickerson
1812 Jonathan Dickerson
1813 Sethus B. Forbes
1814 William W. Sargent
Thomas Crawford
Moses Lewis
Moses Lewis
Moses Lewis
Moses Lewis
Simon Harris
Simon Harris
Ichabod C. Bartlett
Ichabod C. Bartlett
1778 Francis Worcester
250
HISTORY OF BRISTOL
From New Chester.
From Bridgewater.
1815 William W. Sargent
Ichabod C. Bartlett
1816 Sethus B. Forbes
Simon Harris
1817 William W. Sargent
Ichabod C. Bartlett
1818 William W. Sargent
Simon Harris
1819 William W. Sargent
James Minot
From Bristol.
1820
James Minot
1860
Frederick Bartlett
I821
Moses W. Sleeper
1861
Frederick Bartlett
1822
Walter Sleeper
1862
Jeremiah A. Haynes
1823
Moses H. Bradley
1863
Jeremiah A. Haynes
1824
Moses H. Bradley
1864
Cyrus Taylor
1825
Joseph Flanders
1865
Cyrus Taylor
1826
James Minot
I866
Levi Locke
1827
Joseph Moore
1867
Levi Locke
1828
Nathaniel S. Berry
1868
Samuel K. Mason
1829
Walter Sleeper
1869
Samuel K. Mason
1830
Walter Sleeper
1870
Samuel K. Mason
1831
Joseph Moore
1871
David Mason
1832
Joseph Moore
1872
David Mason
1833
Nathaniel S. Berry
David Calley
1834
Nathaniel S. Berry
1873
David Calley
1835
Samuel T. W. Sleeper
No choice on second
1836
Samuel T. W. Sleeper
1874
No choice
1837
Nathaniel S. Berry
1875
David Mason
1838
Samuel T. W. Sleeper
Philip S. Drake
1839
Samuel C. Brown
1876
Philip S. Drake
1840
Samuel C. Brown
Edwin S. Foster Edwin S. Foster
1841
Robert W. Moore
1877
1842
Robert W. Moore
Calvin H. Mudgett
$ 843
Levi Bartlett
1878
Calvin H. Mudgett
1846
Samuel H. Stevens
1847
Amos Brown
1878
Benjamin F. Holden
1848
Amos Brown
1880
William A. Beckford
1849
Nicholas Dolloff
1882
8 ballots, no choice
1850
Nicholas Dolloff
1884
Richard W. Musgrove
1851
F. Bartlett
1886
George H. Calley
1852
Gilman Ingalls, Jr.
1888
Marshall Ballou
1853
After 9 ballots, none
1890
John H. Brown
1854
Warren White
1892
Smith D. Fellows
1855
Warren White
1894
Charles H. Dickinson
1856
Calvin Swett
1896
Ira A. Chase
1857
Calvin Swett
1898
O. B. Frencli
1858 8 ballots, none
1900
Wilmer C. Cox
1859
Joseph F. Rollins
1902
David M. Calley
1844
Levi Bartlett
Marshall W. White
1845
Samuel H. Stevens
Fall Elections.
CHAPTER XXI
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY-NEW CHESTER
Near yonder copse, where once the garden smiled, And still where many a garden-flower grows wild ; There, where a few torn shrubs the place disclose, The village preacher's modest mansion rose. -Goldsmith.
It appears in Chapter IV that the proprietors of New Chester voted in April, 1771, to raise for preaching fifty cents on each right, and, two years later, one dollar for the same purpose. The last named sum was afterward diverted towards the expense of securing the incorporation of the town, so that fifty cents per share was all the proprietors of New Chester ever expended for preaching in the new town. At this meeting it was also voted that there should be a meeting-house erected equal to thirty-five feet square, and two dollars per share was voted for the purpose. It was then "voted that those that Labor at Building the aforesaid Meeting House in s'd New Chester should have allowed to them two shillings and six pence per day for their Labour." One year later, it was voted that this two dollars should be divided and "applied towards build- ing two meeting-houses, one in the lower part of the town and the other in the upper part of the town on the parsonage lots." There is no evidence to show, however, that a dollar was ever expended by the proprietors of New Chester in an effort to erect a church, and if the settlers were as anxious for the privileges of the sanctuary and to have a settled minister among them as were those of most towns at that time, there is nothing to estab- lish the fact. There was no organized religious society, and no church was constructed within the limits of New Chester or Bridgewater till near the dawn of the nineteenth century. At a meeting of the voters of the town held July 17, 1777, it was voted to raise forty dollars for preaching that year, and that Lieut. Peter Sleeper should hire "Mr. Judson or some other minister for to preach in New Chester the present year." In 1780, it was voted that there should be money raised for preaching, but no amount was named. In 1793, New Chester voted to raise nine pounds, against which Capt. Theophilus Sanborn entered his dissent.
In 1796, there was an article in the New Chester town war-
252
HISTORY OF BRISTOL
rant to "see if the Town will vote to Build a Meeting House in the town the year ensuing where the town shall think proper in the most suitable and convenient place." The decision was in the affirmative; and a building was partially constructed at what is now Hill Center. At the annual meeting in 1800, it was voted " that a society might be incorporated to complete the meeting-house where it now stands." No society was incor- porated ; but the meeting-house was evidently completed soon after by private enterprise. The town at once commenced to hold its meetings there, the first being held Aug. 25, 1800, for the purpose of voting for representative to congress. Now that the people had a place for public worship, they became more liberal in raising money for the support of the gospel, and, in 1800 and 1801, the town voted each year to raise $100 for that purpose. This tax, however, came in slowly. That portion of the town lying between Newfound and Smith's rivers, not wish- ing to travel to Hill Center to attend divine worship, hired a minister to preach to them and charged the expense against their minister's tax, which was allowed by vote of the town in 1803.
The minister tax at this early day was, evidently, very distasteful, and no attempt was again made to raise such a tax till 1807, when a vote, to which no one could object, was passed. It was to "raise 20 cents on a poll or other ratable estate in that proportion as a minister tax of the Congregational or Presbyte- rian order, said tax not to be made by the selectmen against any one person who shall not give their free consent to the selectmen when they give in their invoice." The result was, however, far from satisfactory. Out of one hundred and sixty- six taxpayers only thirty-five consented to be taxed, and the total amount raised by this vote was only $64.89. In District No. 3, extending from the top of New Chester mountain to Newfound river, there were twenty-one taxpayers, only one of whom consented to be taxed, and he paid a minister tax of only thirty cents. A part of the residents of this district, however, doubtless helped to support the Methodist society that had recently been established in what is now Bristol village. This was the last attempt to raise money by taxation for the support of the gospel in New Chester. This town was, therefore, in advance of public sentiment on this subject, for it was not till 1819 that a law was placed on the statute books depriving towns of the right to levy a tax for the support of the church.
After having voted repeatedly not to sell the ministerial lots, New Chester voted, Mar. 11, 1811, to sell the remainder of her public lots, and this was evidently done that year. In this connection the following vote was passed :
That the interest money arising from the sale of the lots, given for
253
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY
the first settled minister and the ministerial lots, be apportioned among the several denominations known in law in the State, according to Poll and Estate to be laid out for preaching and as many of the several denom- inations as wish to have the money preached at the meeting house to have it there and all those who wish not to have it preached out at the meeting house to have it at any other place in the town that will best accommodate them. Each denomination to choose their own agent.
In addition to the small sums raised by taxation for preach- ing, the income from the ministerial and parsonage lots was used for this purpose. Preachers from neighboring towns came here occasionally on missions of love to the people, and held services in different parts of the town, in dwellings, in barns, in schoolhouses, or in groves, as occasion demanded. The little schoolhouse on the west side of North Main street, just north of the hotel, and the barn connected with what is now the Green residence, were the usual places of holding services in Bridge- water village. Here Rev. Enoch Whipple, pastor of the Congre- gational church at Alexandria, used to preach, as did also Rev. Nathan Ward, of Plymouth; Rev. Mr. Hibbard, of New Hampton; Samuel Perley, Thomas Page, and Wm. Rolfe, of Groton, and others. People used also to ride or walk to Alexandria and Danbury to attend divine worship, and Carr Huse and Cutting Favor rode horseback to Plymouth to attend church there. When we take into account the fact that usually there was no attempt to hold any services during the long winter months, the meagre religious privileges of these early settlers become still more apparent.
The erection of the meeting-house at Hill Center gave the people of that vicinity the advantage of a convenient place of worship ; and, from the date of its erection, services were held there with more or less frequency. There was, however, no organized church there for many years. The Methodists had a class there as early as 1812, connected with the church at Bridgewater village, and this was evidently the first religious organization in that part of New Chester now Hill. Caleb Sargent was leader of this class for many years.
The organization of the Congregational church and the in- corporation of the First Congregational society in what is now Hill village, in 1815, seems to have stimulated a few to effect a church organization at the Center, and, in December, 1816, the "Center Congregational Society in New Chester" was incor- porated, with Waite Stevens, John Sargent, and Meshach Cate as incorporators. There is no evidence, however, to show that an organization was ever effected under this charter. June 30, 1819, the owners of the meeting-house were incorporated under the name of the "Proprietors of the First Meeting-House in New Chester." The incorporators were Thomas Favor, Wil- liam W. Sargent, Sethus W. Forbes, Waite Stevens, Daniel
254
HISTORY OF BRISTOL
Favor, Samuel Favor, John McCrillis, Moses Wells, and Ebene- zer Mason.
In 1831, a Calvinist Baptist church was organized at the Center by Rev. Stephen Coombs, and he became the first pas- tor. This church was first reported in the denominational year- book in 1832, and as having a membership of thirty-five. Samuel Murray and Joseph Johnson were deacons, and William Searle and Samuel Calley were among the earliest active work- ers. In 1833, Rev. John Peacock was pastor, and there was a Sunday-school with nine teachers and fifty scholars, and a library of sixty volumes. In 1837, the Sunday-school was re- ported'as having ninety members and one hundred and fifty volumes.
In 1835, under the labors of Rev. Joshua Clement, there was an extensive revival of religion, and the membership of the church was increased to seventy-five-its highest point. Mr. Clement continued to labor there till 1839. During the latter part of his stay, a division arose in the society on doctrinal questions, and became so bitter that the church was wrecked; and the year 1839 marked the end of the Calvinist Baptist church in Hill Center. Two years later, Rev. Stephen Coombs returned for a brief period and attempted, without success, to resuscitate the church he had organized ten years before. The church was carried on the rolls of the denominational year-book till 1846.
The First Christian church of Hill Center was organized Aug. 31, 1839, with twenty-eight members, a portion being for- mer members of the Baptist church. The organization of this church was largely the work of Rev. Benjamin Calley. Its offi- cers were : Deacons, James Tucker and Samuel Wells ; clerk, Samuel M. Currier ; helps, Moses Currier and Samuel Gale. The church had a prosperous career for a time. In 1842, there was a revival, and the next year the membership reached fifty- one. The revival was closely followed by the Millerite excite- ment, which spread like wild-fire, and shook the church almost from its foundation. The cry was "Get out of Babylon [the church] or you will be lost." For eight years, there were no additions to the membership. Mar. 1, 1850, Rev. Moses Polly took the pastoral care of the church, and $300 was raised for his support. His labors were successful, the church was revived, and seventeen were added to its numbers. Then another eight years passed without an addition. The last of 1857 or first of 1858, Rev. Lewis Phillips became the pastor. He found the membership scattered, and the church in such a low state that, at a council, called by him, it was decided to reorganize. This was done Mar. 4, 1858, under the name of the "Hill Center Christian Church." The following were the officers and mem- bers : Deacons, Samuel Wells, Eben W. Mason ; clerk, Charles
255
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY
M. Cilley ; members, Samuel Wells, Eben W. Mason, Samuel D. Johnson, Milton Mason, Stephen S. Hersey, Samuel Dear- born, Charles M. Cilley, Sally Wells, Nancy F. Bartlett, and Jane M. Mason. There was a great revival in 1858; and twen- ty-four were added to the church the following year. Rev. Charles H. Webber, a Free Baptist clergyman, became pastor in 1860 ; and he was succeeded, in 1867, by Rev. Joseph H. Brown. In June, 1869, Rev. David F. Smith was called to, the pastorate, and thirteen were added to the membership during the following two years. Revs. H. B. Sawyer, H. A. Stratton, John C. Fifield, and Proctor Favor have served as pastors here. In December, 1880, Rev. E. H. Wright assumed the pastorate and continued till March, 1898, covering a term of seventeen years and three months. During his pastorate, thirty-seven were added to the church. Since then, the pulpit has been supplied by Rev. Benjamin F. Estes and Rev. Edward Francis. The present deacons are Augustus A. Bartlett and Myron L. Hersey ; and Charles M. Cilley is still clerk.
On the nineteenth day of February, 1815, Rev. William Rolfe, of Groton, and Rev. Leonard Jewett organized a Congre- gational church, at what is now Hill village, of two members- Carr Huse and Israel Adams. During the first year of its his- tory, thirteen names were added; and in October, 1817, the membership consisted of twenty-seven. Carr Huse and Israel Adams were the first deacons. The organization of this society was opposed by the town on the ground that public worship that was sustained at the Center was all that the town could sup- port. At the annual town meeting in 1816, the representative was instructed "to use his best endeavors to prevent an act of incorporation going into effect for a Congregational society as petitioned for by a number of the inhabitants of New Chester, New Hampton, Sanbornton, and Andover." A charter was granted, however, to Carr Huse, Edward Shaw, John Smith, their associates and successors under the name of "The First Congregational Society of New Chester." They were author- ized to raise money in the usual way for the purpose of "pur- chasing, building, or repairing any meeting-house or place of public worship and for the maintenance and support of the gos- pel." They were entitled to hold property, the income from which should not exceed $1,000 per year ; and to receive from the town "a proportion of the money arising from the interests or rents of the lands sold or leased or that shall hereafter be sold or leased belonging to two rights of land reserved in the charter of said town for the first settled minister, and the other for the benefit of the minister and such proportion shall be as the amount of the inventory of the polls and ratable estate of the members of said society who are inhabitants of New Chester is to the total amount of the inventory of said town and no more."
.
256
HISTORY OF BRISTOL
A society was organized about the same time under the name of "The First Congregational Meeting-House Society" in Hill village, with the intention of sustaining public worship forty- eight weeks of the year. Men could be obtained, however, for only thirty weeks. Rev. Luke A. Spofford labored twelve weeks ; Rev. J. P. Fisher, fourteen, and Rev. William Rolfe, four. Mr. Rolfe labored half the time here the next year, and was given a call to settle as pastor, but he declined. The report this year was that the work in New Chester was "very en- couraging." "With great exertion they have raised $145 a year for four years to sustain preaching three-fourths of the time."' In 1818, Mr. Rolfe supplied this church three months, and Rev. Drury Fairbanks, the same length of time. In 1819, Rev. Isaac W. Burnham served this people twenty-two weeks ; Drury Fairbanks, nine, and Josiah Prentice, three. The peo- ple paid $150 towards the support of these missionaries. A house of worship was commenced, and was completed in 1821, and dedicated Jan. 1, 1822. The pews were sold Feb. 5, follow- ing. Previous to the erection of this church, services were held in the barn of Major Kimball, a part of which was finished off for this purpose. The preaching of the gospel here was largely sustained by appropriations of the Missionary society. Among the ministers laboring here were Stephen M. Wheeler, Brough- ton White, Daniel Kendrick, and Benjamin Sargent. Then came Rev. Isaac Knight, who was the first settled pastor. He was installed Jan. 6, 1831, and was dismissed by council in 1836. In 1831, Jedediah Cole and Joseph Prescott were elected deacons. In 1833, the membership of the church was eighty. During the pastorate of Mr. Knight; the church enjoyed its highest prosperity. J. W. Woodward was a supply for a time, and May 2, 1838, Rev. Hazael Lucas was installed pastor and served till Jan. 16, 1839. The church was then without a pas- tor till Apr. 27, 1843, when Rev. John Le Bosquet was in- stalled. He served till Apr. 24, 1849, when he was dismissed by a council, "for want of support." For ten years, the church had steadily declined, and it was reported as "weak, destitute, dispirited," and the society as "reduced by deaths and re- movals." Rev. D. Savage labored here for a while in 1853, at which time there were "only fifteen resident members to be de- pended upon" and the prospect was reported as "dark."
With the withdrawal of Mr. Savage, in 1853, the church became practically extinct, though it was borne on the rolls of the denominational year-book till 1880. No records were kept from July 5, 1851, till Mar. 28, 1884. Union services were now held in Hill village, the church being used whenever preaching could be obtained. In order the better to meet the changed conditions "The First Congregational Meeting-House Society" was reorganized. At a meeting held Feb. 5, 1856, it was voted
-
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH, HILL, DESTROYED BY FIRE, 1887
257
ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY
that the society should thereafter be known as the "East Meeting- House Society," the church edifice having been known for many years as the East meeting-house, in distinction from that at the Center. New by-laws were adopted. Each pewholder was entitled to a vote, and, there being fifty-two pews, each pew was entitled to be represented in the pulpit one Sunday in the year. Thus different denominations were entitled to occupy the pulpit as many Sundays as its adherents owned pews. In prac- tice, however, the majority generally decided who should occupy the pulpit. From 1853 till 1870, there was preaching the greater part of the time by such supplies as could be obtained by the Union society.
In April, 1870, Rev. E. H. Wright commenced his labors there. There being no active church organization in the vil- lage, he organized, Aug. 14 of that year, a Christian church with thirty members; but work as a Union society was con- tinued. In October, 1872, sickness in his family compelled Mr. Wright to resign, and he removed to Manchester. He was suc- ceeded by Revs. Frederick H. Bartlett, Frank E. Davidson, W. S. Morrill, H. C. Howard, Alva H. Morrill, D. D., and per- haps others. In January, 1877, Mr. Wright resumed pastoral care of the Union society and continued till April 1, 1880, being succeeded by Rev. J. C. Fifield and Rev. A. H. Martin. In March, 1882, Mr. Wright again assumed the pastorate, and continued till succeeded, Mar. 28, 1884, by Rev. Samuel F. Lougee, a Con- gregationalist. In June, following, the Congregational church was reorganized with twenty-two members. William Sumner and Charles W. Cole were elected deacons, and Mrs. J. Q. A. Prescott, clerk. Mr. Lougee remained here three years, closing his labors March 27, 1887. Rev. W. I. Cole labored three months, and was succeeded, in June, by Rev. V. W. Blackman, also a Con- gregationalist. The New Hampshire Home Missionary society contributed towards the support of both Mr. Lougee and Mr. Blackman. On the evening of Sunday, Sept. 11, 1887, the church was destroyed by fire. ' After this event, services were held in Academy hall. Mr. Blackman closed his labors in April, 1888, and was succeeded, May 1, 1888, by Rev. Chas. W. Scott, who served till Apr. 27, 1890.
The destruction of the church edifice seems to have stimu- lated both Congregationalists and the Christians to erect houses of worship of their own.
Oct. 22, 1887, the Christian church was reorganized, and, the same date, A. B. Johnson, of Kansas City, Mo., and Leonard Hathon, of Hill, each offered $1,000 towards the erec- tion of a Christian church; and Frank R. Woodward offered
" This was evidently the work of an incendiary. At the same time, an effort was made to burn the academy hall, thus leaving the village with- out a place in which to hold a public gathering.
I7
258
HISTORY OF BRISTOL
to give a lot of land on the west side of Main street, and to put in the foundation. It was decided to erect a church and the contract was let to Mr. Woodward. 'The church was completed in the fall of 1888 and dedicated Dec. 21. The church is a gothic structure, thirty-eight by eighty-five feet, audience room thirty-eight by sixty-five feet, with a seating capacity of two hundred. Connected with the audience room in front is a par- lor twenty by twenty-seven feet, which has a seating capacity of one hundred. In the basement is a commodious vestry, The total cost was $5,000.
Rev. E. H. Wright served as pastor of the Christian church from the dedication of the church edifice till Sept. 13, 1902, when he tendered his resignation which was accepted, after a total pastorate of the Union and Christian churches of the vil- lage of twenty-one years and six months. After May, 1900, Mr. Wright, though pastor, did but little work, and the pulpit was supplied for two years by Rev. Edward Francis. He was succeeded by Rev. James McKenzie, and the church, following the acceptance of Mr. Wright's resignation, invited the Mer- rimack Christian conference to ordain Mr. Mckenzie, and ex- tended to him an invitation to become the pastor, immediately upon his ordination.
The Congregationalists erected a church on the east side of Main street, in 1888, which was dedicated Jan. 17, 1889. This church is fifty-seven by forty-four feet extreme measurements. The audience room is forty-one by forty-four feet, with a seating capacity of three hundred and twenty-five; all seats free. In the basement is a hall forty-one by forty-four feet, built by the gratuitous evening work of the young men of the town. The entire cost of the church was something over $5,000, and it was dedicated free from debt. The society has, at present, funds amounting to about $4,000. Of this amount, Dr. Gilman Kim- ball bequeathed $2,000, and Ephraim L. Rowell, $1,200. This fund yields about $150 yearly, and the New Hampshire Home Missionary society contributes $200 yearly towards the support of preaching here. Those who have served as pastors of this church since the reorganization have been Revs. S. F. Lougee, V. W. Blackman, Chas. W. Scott, Frederick W. Manning, Gardner S. Butler, Chas. W. Scott second term, Charles O. Parker, C. R. Newcomb, Holland B. Frye, J. A. McKnight, and now Rev. Christian Groezinger. George A. Sumner and Harrison Adams were elected deacons in July, 1890. Since the decease of Mr. Adams, the deacons have been Mr. Sumner, George H. Adams, and Charles F. Adams.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.