USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Candia > History of the town of Candia, Rockingham County, N.H., from its first settlement to the present time > Part 15
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Mr. Remington was regarded as a very thorough scholar and an able preacher and was very highly esteemed by his brethren in the ministry as well as by the people of his pa- rish. His constitutional impulsiveness sometimes brought him into difficulty, but no man was more willing to confess his faults than he. He was devout, diligent and untiring in his efforts to promote the welfare of his people.
There were no theological seminaries for the instruction and training of candidates for the ministry in this country a hundred years ago and many young men received in- struction to fit them for the profession from the ablest and most distinguished clergymen who were active in the per- formance of the duties of their calling. Rev. Mr. Reming- ton had serveral theological students who boarded with him at the parsonage, among whom were Rev. Josiah Web- ster of Chester and Rev. David L. Morrill , who was sever- al years a settled minister at Goffstown and afterwards Governer of the State and Senator in Congress.
Near the close of 1814, Mr. Remington was afflicted with a painful sickness, which terminated his life March 6, 1815. His funeral which took place March 6 at the meeting house, was attended by a large concourse of people. Rev. Mr. Prentice of Northwood, Rev. Abraham Burnham of Pem- broke, Rev. Nathaniel Wells of Deerfield and other clergy- men participated in the exercises. Rev. Mr. Prentice preached the funeral sermon from the text, 'Be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." The preacher, at the close of his sermon, very tenderly addressed the widow and children of the deceased, his brethren in the ministry, the members of his church and
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the congregation. The sermon was printed in Concord and distributed among the people of Candia.
Rev. Isaac Jones was the successor of Rev. Mr. Reming- ton as pastor of the Congregational church and society. He was born in Hopkinton, Mass., 1782, and studied theology with Rev. Samuel Austin of Worcester, Mass. He brought a letter of recommendation from the Congregational church at Williamstown, Mass., where he had been previously settled.
The installation of Mr. Jones took place Feb. 7, 1816. The sermon was delivered by Rev. Dr. Asa McFarland of Concord. Charge by Rev. Nathaniel Howe of Hopkinton, Mass., Right Hand of fellowship, by Rev. Nathaniel Wells of Deerfield.
Mr. Jones was a man of tender susceptibilities, refined tastes and superior intellegence. He very soon secured the esteem and warm effection of the people, but his minis- try was of short duration. He became discouraged and nervous and his health became much impaired. He be- came so sensitive that he could not bear the sounds which proceeded from the anvils in Ichabod Cass' blacksmith shop, which stood opposite the parsonage. He was dis- missed by a council in 1818, of which Rev. Abraham Burn- ham was moderator.
After leaving Candia, Rev. Mr. Jones was employed as the stated supply in a church at Plaistow, also in Billerica and Wellfleet, Mass., and Tiverton, R. I .; also labored as a missionary in several of the New England States. In his old age he went to Derry and resided with one of his sons, who at one time was Superintendent of the State Reform School. He died about the year 1872 at upwards of. 90 years of age.
Rev. Abraham Wheeler, who was the fourth settled min- ister in the town, was born in Grafton, Mass., in 1779, and was graduated at Williams' College, at Williamstown, Mass .. He studied theology and was ordained over a Congregational Church in Fairhaven, Mass. He was mar- ried to a woman in that place by the name of Mary Sar- gent, the same as that which was borne by his third and last wife, to whom he was united in Candia. By his first
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wife he had one son, named Abraham Wheeler. While he resided in Fairhaven his first wife died, and some time afterwards he was married to Mary Ann Albro of that place. By this marriage he had a daughter named Mary Ann Wheeler, who was born in Fairhaven. He remained in Fairhaven seven years, after which he preached a short time in Pelham and in several other places. He came to Candia in 1818 and, after preaching a few Sun- days, he was invited to settle over the church and society .. He accepted the invitation to be installed January 12, 1819.
The Council of Ministers and Delegates met at the resi- dence of William Duncan. The following was the order of exercises at the installation :-
Introductory prayer, Rev. Dr. Asa McFarland, of Con- cord ;
Sermon, Rev, John H. Church, of Pelham ;
Right Hand of Fellowship, Rev. Stephen Bailey, of Raymond ;
Charge, Rev. Josiah Carpenter, Chichester.
Concluding Prayer, Rev. Josiah Prentice, of Northwood.
Mr. Wheeler soon became quite popular in the town on account of his ability and good practical common sense. He was a portly and fine looking man, and made a good ap- pearance in the pulpit. He was, moreover, an excellent baritone singer and freely joined with other singers at con- ference and prayer meetings. He resided at the old parson- age about nine years, when be bought of Nicholas French the farm and buildings on the North Road: which are now owned and occupied by the widow of the late Thomas Morse.
In 1824, Mr. Wheeler was sorely afflicted by the insanity of his wife, which very soon followed the birth of a child, that lived only a few hours. Everything possible was done to restore her, and for a few months she was a patient at the Somerville, Mass., Insane Asylum After it had been found that she was a confirmed lunatic she was brought to her home and confined in a room of Mr. Wheel- er's residence, situated in the first story of the L of the building. Soon after she became insane she escaped from confinement and fled like a deer to the woods and fields
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pursued by some of the family or some of the neighbors. Though a very delicate woman she would sometimes per- form feats of almost superhuman strength by lifting heavy boulders or other impediments which she found in her way. Mr. Wheeler bore up under his misfortunes with great for- titude and patience and had the hearty sympathy of the members of his flock. Mrs. Wheeler died in March 1832, during the progress of a four days meeting at the old church. The funeral took place in the church and the exercises were conducted by some of the clergymen who were in attendance at the meeting.
A few months after the death of his second wife, Mr. Wheeler was united in marriage with Miss Mary Sargent, a daughter of Samuel Sargent, who resided on the South Road. Miss Sargent had previously resided in the family of Mr. Wheeler as his housekeeper. Soon after the mar- riage, a few of the parishioners of Mr. Wheeler opposed him with considerable bitterness for the reason, apparently that the union was not exactly in accordance with their tastes and wishes, though the bride was regarded as a very sensible and worthy woman. Under the circumstances, Mr. Wheeler concluded to resign his position and 'seek a home elsewhere. A council of ministers and delegates from the neighboring churches was accordingly called to take into consideration the unpleasant relations which ex- isted between the pastor and his opponents. No specific charges of wrong doing were preferred against him and the council passed resolutions unanimously expressing their confidence in his integrity and faithfulness as a minister and heartily recommended him to the favorable considera- tion of all other churches.
Mr. Wheeler preached a farewell sermon from the text : "And they cried, away with him!" in which he severely scathed those who had opposed him. The preacher and many of his hearers were moved to tears on the occasion.
Mr. Wheeler sold his place on the North Road to Stephen, the father of Gov. Smyth, for $1, 800. Soon after leaving the town he was installed over a Congregational Church at Meredith Bridge, now Laconia. He remained in that place seven years and then removed to the West. After officiat-
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ing as a Congregational minister a year or two in Ohio, he became an Episcopalian in sentiment, received orders and was finally settled over an Episcopal Church in the town of Grafton, which is situated about twelve miles from Cleve- land. In 1857 Gov. Frederick Smyth visited him and his daughter Mary Ann at his residence and upon the latter's request, Mr. Wheeler went to Cleveland and sat for a pho- tograph of himself. Gov. Smyth paid the bill for the pic- ture which was an excellent likeness. An enlarged copy now hangs in the vestry of the Congregational church in Candia.
Mr. Wheeler died Dec. 4th, 1857, aged about 78 years. His daughter, Mary Ann, died about ten years ago. His son Abraham soon after leaving New Hampshire was en- gaged as a traveling salesman in the West. After pursu- ing the business a year or two he disappeared and his father and sister never saw him again. It was thought that he was a victim of foul play.
After the death of her husband, Mrs. Wheeler returned to Candia to reside among her friends and relatives. She erected a handsome monument to the memory of her husband in the old cemetery near the grave of his second wife.
Mrs. Wheeler the third wife died about six years ago and her remains were buried near the monument she had erect- ed in honor of her husband.
· Rev. Charles P. Russell, the fifth minister of the Congre- gational church was born in Greenfield, Mass. He receiv- ed a college education, studied theology and was licensed to preach in 1831. He supplied various churches in Mas- sachusetts, during a period of about two years and came to Candia in 1833. Hesoon after accepted a call and settled over the Congregational church. Rev. Abraham Burnham of Pembroke was the moderator of the council. The fol- lowing was the order of exercises at the ordination :
Sermon by Rev. Jonthathan Clement of Chester.
Charge to pastor, Rev. Julian Smith of Exeter.
Ordaining Prayer, Rev. Benjamin Sargent of Auburn.
Right-hand of Fellowship, Rev. E. L. Parker of Derry. Mr Russell was a man of fine culture and refinement,
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and he secured the esteem and affection of the people. In his sermons and addresses he appealed less to the fears of his hearers and more to their moral and spiritual in- stincts then was the custom with his predecessors and some of his successors.
He boarded for a considerable period in the family of William Duncan the trader, and thus came into intimate relations with William Duncan, jr., his gifted and accom- ' plished son. In 1839, he was married to a daughter of Judge William M. Richardson of Chester and went to house keeping in the west part of the dwelling house then owned by Deacon Daniel Fitts; but now owned by the widow of Dr. Page. He retired from the ministry in r842 and accept ed a clerkship in the post-office department at Washington. He held that position many years. He died several years ago.
Rev. William Murdock was born in West Boylston , Mass., in 1813. He was graduated at Amherst College in 1837 and became a student at Andover Theological Semi- nary. He graduated at the Seminary in 1841 and was married that same year to Miss Mary J. Reed of Rutland. He was ordained pastor of the Congregational church in Candia, Dec. Ist, 1841. Rev. Abraham Burnham, of Pem- broke was moderator of the Council, and Rev. P. B. Day of Derry was scribe. The following was the order of exer- cises at the ordination : Invocation, Rev. E. N. Hidden of Deerfield. Introductory prayer, Rev. Nathaniel Wells, Deerfield, Sermon, Rev. Edward L. Parker, Derry. Charge to the pastor, Rev. Jonathan Clement, Chester. Right hand of fellowship, Rev. David Andrews, Pepperell, Mass. Charge to the people, Rev. C. W. Wallace, Manchester. Concluding prayer, Rev. Mr. Day, Derry.
While Mr. Murdock resided in Candia, he was afflicted by the the death of his wife and two infant children.
On account of failing health he resigned his pastorate and left Candia in May, 1853.
He preached in Boylston, Mass., from 1857 to 1859, and in Center Harbor for some time in 1862.
Mr. Murdock continued to reside at Boylston most of the time after he left Candia, until his death, Nov. 13th, 1879.
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He had retired in his usual health the evening before. It is supposed that he died of heart disease. He left a second wife, Miss Caroline Holmes of Londonderry and three children, one of whom is William Murdock, of the firm of Sampson & Murdock, Directory publishers, Boston.
Rev. William T. Herrick, a native of Vermont, was grad- uated at the University of Vermont at Burlington, and after completing his theological studies he was ordained pastor of a church in Winooski, Vermont, in 1851. He was installed pastor of the Congregational Church in Candia July 5, 1854.
The following was the order of exercises :
Invocation and reading of the scriptures, Rev. E. F. Abbott, Deerfield ;
Introductory prayer, Rev. William Murdock ;
Sermon, Rev. Dr. Nathan Lord, President of Dartmouth College, at Hanover ;
Installing prayer, Rev. J. W. Wellman, Derry;
Right hand of fellowship, Rev. David Burt Raymond ; Address to the people, Rev. S. C. Bartlett, Manchester ; Concluding prayer, Rev. Robert Crossett.
Mr. Herrick was dismissed in 1848. He was stated sup- ply of a church in Pelham from 1858 to 1861, and from 1861 to 1871 he was stated supply at Clarendon, Vermont.
Soon after the resignation of Rev. Mr. Herrick, Rev. Ephraim N. Hidden was invited to become the pastor of the society. He was born in Tamworth, August, 1811. He fitted for college at Exeter and was graduated at Dart- mouth in 1830; he was then perceptor of Gilmanton Acade- my from 1836 to 1838. He studied for the ministry at Gil- manton Theological Seminary and was graduated in 1840. He was ordained pastor of the Congregational Church in Deerfield in September of the same year. ; he was married about that time to Mary E. Parsons, of Gilmanton. He re- mained at Deerfield until 1849, when he accepted a call to become the pastor of the Congregational Church at Mil- ford, and resided in that town for a few years and then took charge of one of the churches in Derry. In 1859, he came to Candia and was installed over the Congregational Society, Nov. 4. The following were the exercises:
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Introductory prayer, Rev. Mr. Conduit, of Deerfield ;
Sermon, Rev. Charles Tenney, Chester ;
Charge to the pastor, Rev. William S. Herrick ;
Right hand of fellowship, Rev. C. W. Wallace, Man- chester ;
Address to the people, Rev. U. W. Conduit ;
Concluding prayer, Rev. H. O. Howland, of Chester.
Immediately after the installing exercises were concluded Rev. James Fitts, a native of Candia, was ordained as a gospel minister.
In 1864, Rev. Mr. Hidden was dismissed and soon after- wards he became the pastor of a church at Great Falls and resided there until 1870, when he went to Middlebury, Mass., and took charge of a church there for two or three years, when he removed to East Medway and supplied the pulpit of a church at that place for some time. He died very suddenly of heart disease. He left a widow and two daughters.
Rev. Lauren Amsby was acting pastor of the society from 1860 to July 1870, He was born at Northbridge, Mass., January 16, 1817. He was graduated at Amherst College in 1842, and studied theology at Union Theological Seminary and also at Andover. He was graduated at the latter place in 1845. In 1846, he was ordained pastor of the Congregational Church in Chester, and held the posi- tion until 1856, when he was dismissed. During the war of the rebellion he was a chaplain in the army for some time. After the war he came to Candia and was acting pastor of the Congregational Church for several years, end- ing in 1870, when he went west to reside, and was for some time acting pastor of a church in Faribault, Mich.
Rev. George Edwards Lovejoy was the ninth minister who was installed pastor of the church and society. He was born in Bradford, Mass., June 30, 1843. At the age of ten years he was a pupil at the Pavilion School at Hartford, Conn. Subsequently he studied at Mount Pleasant Insti- tute at Amherst, Mass., and also at a similar institution at Fall River, Mass. In August, 1862, he enlisted as a private in the 22d Massachusetts Regiment and was
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present at the battles of Antietam, Shepardstown, Ford Chancellorsville, Rappahanock Station and Petersburg. He re-enlisted in 1864, and was transferred to the 32d regi- ment of Massachusetts Volunteers and remained in that regiment until the close of the war. Soon after his return home he was located in Lowell, Mass., and became the Secretary of the Young Men's Christian Association of that place. After serving in that position three years he became a student of theology at Andover, Mass. During the last year of his student life at Andover, he regularly supplied the pulpit of the church in Candia. In June, 1873, he was ordained pastor of the church and society. Rev. J. H. Taylor, of Andover, Mass., was Moderator of the Coun- cil, and Rev. G. F. French, a native of Candia, was Scribe. The following was the order of exercises at the or- dination :
Introductory prayer, Rev. Joshua G. Gay, Auburn ; Sermon, Rev. William J. Tucker, Manchester ;
Ordain ing prayer, Rev. J. H. Taylor, Andover, Mass .;
Charge to the pastor, Rev. J. McCollom, Medford, Mass. ;
Right hand of fellowship, Rev. J. H. Stearns, of Ep- ping;
Address to the people, Rev. Charles Tenney, Chester. Rev. Mr. Lovejoy was very popular with the young peo- ple of the town and by his influence many were converted.
William Churchill Reade, son of William F. M. and Em- meline (Jayne) Reade, was born November 1, 1835, at Hampden, Maine. He prepared for college at Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass., with the class of 1859. En- tered Yale College and graduated with the class of 1863. He spent the next year at Princeton Theological Seminary, serving meanwhile a few months in the "Christian Com- mission" with the army in Virginia. The two subsequent years he studied at Andover Theological Seminary, where he was graduated, and licensed to preach, in 1866. The greater part of the next two years he spent in Connecticut supplying the Congregational Church at Westbrook. Feb- ruary 10, 1870, he was ordained and installed pastor of the Congregational Church, South Dennis, Mass., remaining
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there five years. In 1876, he was called to be pastor of the Congregational Church in Milton, Mass., where he preached during the next two years, but declined to be in- stalled. On November 3, 1878, he preached his first ser- mon in Candia, and remained here till the autumn of 1883, when he removed to Beverly, Mass., where he has since resided, having, within a few years, purchased and rebuilt a modest estate there, called "Apple Tree Lodge." He was married October 24, 1867, to Octavia, daughter of Dr. Byron and Eliza (Morse) Porter, of Waterville, Maine. They have no children.
Rev. Albert B. Peabody, a son of Samuel and Mary (Bradstreet) Peabody, was born in Boxford, Mass., Novem- ber 1, 1828. 3 His early years were spent upon a farm which was bought of the Indians by his ancestors. He was a student at Pembroke Academy and at Phillip's Academy at Andover, Mass. He taught schools in Bow and Raymond, and also in West Newbury and Boxford, Mass., and in Tarrytown, N. Y. -
In accordance with the wishes of his mother, he studied for the ministry in connection with the academy at Tops- field, Mass., and at Andover Theological Seminary, and graduated at the latter school in 1859. He was ordained pastor of the Congregational Church at East Longmeadows, Mass., and remained there seven years. He then was the acting pastor of the Congregational Church at Seabrook and Hampton Falls. He retained that position several years. In 1861, he was installed pastor of the Congrega- tional Church in Stratham, and remained there fourteen years. He came to Candia in the autumn of 1883, and was acting pastor of the Congregational Church six years. He is now a resident of Boxford, Mass., his native town. Mr. Peabody was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Pingrey, of Newburyport, Mass., in 1861. They have a family of five children. The second daughter is the wife of Frank E. Page, of this town.
In 1878, Mr. Peabody made a trip to Europe, and visited England, Scotland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy.
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THE PURCHASE OF THE FIRST BELL, REPAIRS, ETC.
When the steeple and spire of the old meeting house were erected, a convenient porch and stairway were attached to the east end of the building, the outside was painted with white lead, and the structure, which was of fine architectu- ral proportions, made a very imposing appearance.
In 1802, the town voted to appropriate the sum of one hundred and twenty-five dollars towards the purchase of a bell, on condition that enough more money was raised by subscription to insure the success of the undertaking. The people subscribed liberally, and the bell was purchased. Among those who paid their proportion of the tax were the- Murrays and the Bricketts, who belonged to the society, though they lived in Auburn, a few rods south of Candia line.
The bell was cast at the foundry of Revere & Co., of Boston, and weighed a little less than one thousand pounds. The frame for its support in the belfry and the large wheel for operating it, were made by John Lane, senior. The bell was of mostexcellent tone and could be distinctly heard in every part of the town under ordinary circumstances. For nearly forty years it was rung at 7. o'clock A. M. in the summer, and at 8 A. M. in the winter, at noon and at 9 P. M., except Saturday evenings, when it was rung at 8 P. M. On Sundays it was rung a short time before the commencement of the services at the church. The bell was rung by "setting" it, that is, by turning it bottom side up on the frame and holding it in that position half a min- ute or so when the operation was repeated. After it had been rung in that manner five minutes, it was tolled by swinging it gently from one side to the other so that the tongue would strike upon one side only. This process was continued until the minister had arrived at the church. It required a good deal of skill to set the bell properly or to tuin it completely over and to bring it back again to its place, and many ambitious young men utterly failed to ac . complish those feats when the sexton allowed them to try the experiment.
When the bell was tolled at funerals the sexton generally
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climbed up the long dark stairway to the belfry and seiz- ing the lower end of the tongue he struck it smartly against the inside of the rim at intervals of about one minute. The deep reverberations of the sounds from the bell when heard in the belfry were loud and deafening.
Some of the boys, who ventured to climb seventy feet to the old belfry, were more amazed and awed on realizing the lofty height they had reached and the grandeur of the scene before them than they were when, in after years, they stood in the cupola of St. Peter's Church at Rome, or on the top of the great Effel Tower at Paris, which is one thousand feet above the pavement.
The privilege of ringing the bell and taking care of the church, was sold at auction to the lowest bidder at the town meeting, by one of the selectmen. The annual salary ranged from about twenty dollars to forty dollars, and there was usually a sharp competition for the place, as even the sum of twenty dollars was well worth looking after in those days. Reuben Fitts, Nathan Fitts, Joseph Carr, Nathan Carr, Ichabod Carr, Joseph Fitts, Nathan B. Hale and Dudley Lang were some of the men who rang the bell and took care of the old meeting house.
In 1829, extensive repairs were made upon the old church. All the old sashes and glass were taken out and new sashes and larger panes of glass were put in their place. A tier of, pews in the body of the house next to the pulpit were erècted to take the place of the old men's and old women's seats. The outside of the steeple was repaired 'and strengthened. The brass weathercock was taken down and re-gilded in a workmanlike manner by Daniel Fitts, jr., the schoolmaster.
WARMING THE MEETING HOUSE.
Previous to about the year 1820, no arrangements what- ever were made for heating the old meeting house, and for fifty years, men, women and children sat in the great building through two long services on the cold days of the winter, when the mercury in the thermometer was frequent- ly several degrees below zero. In those days, hot air fur-
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·naces and steam-heating apparatus to raise the tempera- ture in churches to eighty or ninety degrees were unknown. It seems incredible that our ancestors could have lived through such hardships, especially when it is considered that neither men or women dressed anywhere near as comfortably as do the people of modern times, particularly in the matter of underclothing. Such an article as good thick flannel drawers was rarely thought of by the men of those times.
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