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 17
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In 1838, while Rev. Charles P. Russell was pastor, another important revival took place, and fifty-seven persons were converted.
In 1849, during the ministry of Rev. Mr. Murdock, there was another great revival, and about sixty persons pro- fessed to have been converted.
In the course of the time that Rev. Mr. Lovejoy was the settled pastor, his labors resulted in the conversion of a large number of persons, who, shortly after, became members of the church.
FIRST OWNERS OF PEWS IN THE NEW CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
Names of owners of pews on north side of the pulpit :
I, Nathaniel Rowe, 2, Anthony Langford, 3, Abraham Fitts, 4, Stephen Smith, 5, Jonathan Currier.
Names of owners of pews in main tiers :
6, Deacon Merrill, 7, Captain Abraham Fitts, 8, John Rowe, 9, Benjamin Hubbard, 10, Nathan Brown, II, Elias Hubbard, 12, William Fifield, 13, Samuel Woodbury, 14, Samuel Emerson, 15, True French, 16, Nathaniel B. Hall, 17, Asa Robie, 18, Samuel Morrill, 19, John Clay, 20, Jo- seph Fitts, 21, free, 22, Joshua Fitts, 23, John Lane, 24, Thomas Morse, 25, Parker Hills, 26, Aaron Rowe, 27, Ezekiel Lane, 28, Joshua Hubbard, 29, Peter Eaton, 30,
1 Samuel Murray, 31, Moses Emerson, 32, Joshua Lane, 33, Moses Patten, 34, Joseph Carr, 35, Leonard Dearborn, 36,
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HISTORY OF CANDIA.
John Robie, 37, free, 38, free, 39, William Robie, 40, Ca- leb Brown, 41, Samuel Anderson, 42, Moses Sargent, 43, Samuel Patten, 44, Jacob Libbee, 45, Coffin M. French, 46, Henry Eaton, 47, Samuel Patten, 48, Thomas Anderson, 49, William Murray, 50, Stephen Brown, 51, Moses Rowe, 52, Obededom Hall, 53, free, 54, free, 55, John Dolber, 56, Rodney Brown, 57, Abraham Emerson, 58, William Patten, 59, Simon French, 60, John Fitts, 61, Andrew Moore, 62, Samuel Buswell, 63, R. E. Patten, 64, Freeman Parker, 65, John Wason. 66, Henry M. Eaton, 67, Isaiah Lane, 68, William Duncan, 69, William Colby.
Names of owners of pews on the south side of the pulpit :
70, Josiah Sargent, 71, Peter Hall, 72, Samuel Cass, 73, Jacob Buswell, 74, Thomas Hobbs.
IMPROVEMENTS UPON THE NEW MEETING HOUSE AND REUNION.
In 1884, many important improvements and alterations were made upon the new Congregational Church.
The old pews were taken out and new ones of the latest style were introduced. The walls were frescoed in an ar- tistic manner, and the aisles and pews were carpeted. A new heating apparatus was also introduced. The total ex - pense of the improvements was about $1,500. The alter- ations were completed in a few months, and upon August 20, 1885, a grand reunion of the sons and daughters of Candia, who had sometime been connected with the socie- ty, took place. A committee, consisting of twelve ladies and six gentlemen, took charge of the affair. There was a very large gathering of the people of the town at the church at the time appointed, as well as a large number who came from Manchester, Lowell, Boston, Haverhill, and other places. An excellent collation was served at the vestry, after which there were addresses and other exercis- es in the church. Luther Emerson, of New York, who was the President of the occasion, welcomed the people in a felicitous address and was followed by Hon. Albert Palmer, of Boston, Rev. Moses Patten, of Hooksett, Rev. John D. Emerson, of Kennebunk, Maine, Francis B. Eaton and
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John G. Lane, of Manchester, Alanson Palmer, of Astoria, N. Y., Henry W. Rowe, of Boston, and others.
Miss Harriet N. Eaton, formerly of Merrimack, read a poem.
There was a variety of vocal and instrumental music, and the occasion was greatly enjoyed by all who were present.
THE DEACONS OF THE CHURCH.
Stephen Palmer and John Hill elected in 1771; Nathan- iel Burpee, 1773, Caleb Prince and Samuel Cass, 1810, Jo- siah Shannon, 1824, Anthony Langford, 1826, Jacob Bus- : well and Francis Patten, 1836, John L. Fitts, 1848, Alexan- der Gilchrist and Coffin M. French, 1851, Ezekiel Lane, 1860, Edmund Hill, Daniel Emerson, John P. French, Charles R. Rowe, are the present deacons.
Deacon Daniel Fitts was for several years the clerk of the society. Edmund Hill, the present clerk, has held that position many years.
FUNDS BELONGING TO THE CONGREGATIONAL SOCIETY.
The following is the amount of the funds now in the . possession of the society :
By the sale of the parsonage lot given to the town by the first proprietors of the town of Candia, $3, 689.
By the sale of a tract of land situated in Allenstown, which was given by the will of Hon. Thomas Thompson, + of Concord, in the early part of the present century, $447. By the will of Jesse Eaton, $375.
By the will of the late Mrs. Ruth Bickford, in 1887, $300. By the will of Charles Emerson, in 1887, $100.
By the will of Mrs. Mary Patten, formerly Mary Ander :son, in 1889, $300.
By a gift by will by Charles S. Bickford, in 1890, $780. By the will of John Brown, in 1890, $6,000.
The conditions of this will require that the society shall keep the grounds in the old cemetery near the Congrega_ tional Meeting House where, his body lies, in good order at all times. Also that the lot in the cemetery in the Lang-
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ford District, where the remains of his parents are buried, shall be kept in good order. In case of a failure to comply with these conditions, the property conveyed to the society shall go into the possession of the town.
By the will of the late Sophia Pillsbury, a daughter of Abijah Pillsbury, the interest of $1,000 was given to Anna Colby, now Mrs. Amos Southwick, of Chester, during her lifetime, after which the principal was to be given over to the Congregational Society.
SALE OF THE PARSONAGE LOT.
The original proprietors of the lands in Candia set apart lot No. 90 for a parsonage. The parsonage buildings hav- ing become unfit for use, the town, in 1815, voted to sell the - property at auction on December 4th of that year. The land was divided into five parcels, viz .: One parcel situat- ed on the southeast corner of the lot, one on the southwest corner, one on the northwest corner, one on the northeast corner, and a small parcel with the buildings situated in the middle of the north side of the lot. The sale was made under the direction of a committee, consisting of John Lane, Jonathan Pillsbury, John Clay, Samuel Anderson and Na- than Bean. Jonathan Pillsbury bought the southeast par- cel, Thomas Patten the southwest parcel, Daniel Fitts the northwest parcel, Moses Fitts the northeast parcel, and Daniel Fitts and William Duncan bought the middle parcel and the parsonage buildings.
The entire property was sold for $4,289, which, added to the sum of $100, which Rev. Mr. Remington paid for an acre of land at the extreme corner of the northwest corner of the lot, amounted to $4, 389.
It was thought at the time, that the property was sold at a very extravagant price. The money, which was placed at interest by the town, was devoted to the support of the gospel, under the direction of the Congregational Church and society.
Soon after the parsonage was sold, the Union Baptist Society made a claim upon the town for a share in the pro- ceeds of the sale, but the majority of the town were op- posed to the claim, on the ground that the parsonage lot
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was given to the town long before there was any other de- nomination of Christians in the locality besides the Congre- gationalists. In reply to the demand of the Baptists for a part of the parsonage, it was stated that "The Con- gregational society, for nearly half a century, had appro- priated the income of the parsonage lot for the support of their teachers and instructors, agreeably to the intent and design of the original proprietors of the town lands, and it was obvious that it could not have been the design or in- tent of the aforesaid proprietors that any denomination, which then did not exist, and especially one whose relig- ious tenets manifestly impel them to disclaim all annuities and salaries to their religious teachers, should receive the benefit of the grant."
At a meeting of the Union Baptist Society, held June 7, 1817, it was voted to petition the town of Candia for their proportion of the interest of the parsonage fund, providing . it cannot otherwise be obtained.
A suit was subsequently brought against the town, but the decision was in its favor.
In 1831, the whole matter was settled by a meeting of the citizens of the town. It was voted that the parsonage fund should be divided as follow : :
The sum of $3, 589 and the old meeting house, was given to the Congregational society, and the sum of $800 was given to the Union Baptist society.
The Baptist society accepted the amount of the parson - age fund awarded to them by the town, and all contention on the subject was ended.
THE NEW PARSONAGE.
In, 1844, the society purchased a lot situated on the north side of the highway directly opposite the old parsonage, and adjoining the residence of the late Nathaniel B. Hall, and erected a commodious parsonage. All the settled and acting pastors of the society during the past forty-eight years, have occupied this parsonage.
FREE BAPTIST CHURCH.
CHAPTER XXII.
THE FREE-WILL BAPTIST AND OTHER SOCIETIES.
For more than twenty years after the town of Candia was incorporated, no great opposition to the leading doc- trines of the Congregatienal Church was manifested by the people. About the year 1782, a few persons in the church became opposed to baptism by sprinkling, and also to in- fant baptism, but believed that immersion was the only scriptural method of administering the ordinance, other- wise they were Calvinists. Among these people were . Joseph Palmer, who lived on the place recently owned by the late Nathaniel B. Hall, near the Congregational Church, and Peter Mooers, who then resided in a house which stood on the road which extends from the Corner to Deerfield and a few rods north of the present residence of Ingalls Bunker. Mr. Palmer became a pronounced Baptist, and meetings frequently took place at his residence. Among other Baptists, who preached there, was Rev. Elias Smith, who afterwards became somewhat celebrated as a minister
in Boston. Mr. Mooers was afterwards ordained as a Free- Will Baptist minister, and for some years preached in vari- ous places in New Hampshire. About the beginning of the present century, he removed to Maine, and for many years he officiated as a minister in that state. His family was settled in the town of Vienna, and he died at that place in 1835, at about eighty-four years of age.
About the year 1777, Benjamin Randall preached at New Castle and New Durham, and founded a church at the lat- ter place. Mr. Randall and his followers rejected the doc- trine of election and fore-ordination, and insisted that men are free moral agents. They moreover believed that the ordinance of baptism should be by immersion, and they were opposed to the practice of baptizing infants. Upon all other doctrines they agreed with the Congregationalistse On account of their sentiments as regards free moral agency,
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and baptism they were then called Free-Will Baptists.
The interest in the new doctrine spread rapidly until in 1799. Jeremiah Bullard, of Unity, held meetings in that part of Deerfield situated near the Pawtuckaway mountains . A considerable number of the people of Nottingham, Ray- mond and Candia, were attracted to the meetings, and in 1802, a church. consisting of members belonging to the four towns named, was organized. The earliest members of the new church from Candia, were Abraham Bean and wife, who lived at the Island, Reuben Bean and wife, the par- ents of Moses Bean, Samuel Colcord and a few others.
Moses Bean was ordained at Deerfield in 1810.
In 1818, the church was divided, those members living in Nottingham and Deerfield constituting the first church, and those living in Candia and Raymond the second church. When the division was effected, it was stipulated that town lines should not be considered, but the brothers and sisters residing in either of the towns could have per- fect liberty to join whichever church they preferred. Jere- miah Fullonton, of Raymond, was chosen clerk of the new church and society.
After the division was made and the new church was or- ganized, various exhortations were made, after which all parted in peace.
Meetings of the church were frequently held at the resi- dences of some of the brethren in Candia and Raymond. At a meeting held at the home of Abraham Bean, at the Island, August 10, 1820, Elder Moses Bean and Elder David Harriman were appointed "messengers" or delegates to the quarterly meeting at Gilmanton, and it was voted to invite the members of the association to hold their next meeting in Candia. After various religious exercises, Elder Bean baptized five persons, and more than one hundred spoke in meeting.
In 1815, a meeting house was erected at the village main- ly through the influence and energy of Elder Bean. The house was not large but rather long in its proportions. There were two doors on the front side, one of which was near the east end and the other near the west end. Some of the pews were square with seats on the four sides, but
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the most of them were seats like those in use at the present time. They were made of white pine, but were unpainted. The one chimney of the house sprang from the ground floor. Directly beneath the chimney and nearly in the cen- ter of the house, there was a tall, sheet-iron stove.
THE UNION BAPTIST SOCIETY.
Upon August 17, 1816, the Free-Will Baptists in Candia, with a considerable number of the members of the Congre- gational society, who disagreed with the majority upon some of the fundamental points of theology, formed an organization which was called The Union Baptist Socie- ty. John C. Fifield was chosen moderator of the meeting, and Thomas Critchett was clerk. The society was incor- porated the same year. The largest number of members resided in Candia village, the Colcord district, the Island, and at the North Road. A few lived near the Corner, and a few in the Langford district.
Among the prominent members who resided in the Vil- lage about sixty years ago, were Moses Bean, Samuel Dudley, William Turner, Phinehas Bean, Thomas Critchett, Stephen M. Bean, David Bean, Jacob S. Morrill, David Richardson, Isaac Critchett, Jesse Bean, E. B. Cheney.
Among those who lived on the Colcord road were Benja- min Bean, Samuel Colcord, S. O. Dearborn, Reuben Bean, Hosea Chase, Moses Dearborn, Samuel Dearborn, John Moore, Henry Thresher.
The prominent members who resided at the North Road, were Benjamin Hall, Noah Haines, Samuel Tuck, J. Chase Smith, James Smith, Biley Smith, Richard Hoit, Joseph Martin, Jonathan Martin, Amos Thorn, Richard Currier, Moses Hall, Caleb Hall and Jonathan Hall.
Some of the prominent members who resided near the Corner, were John Smith, Benjamin Pillsbury, Owen Rey- nolds, John Pillsbury, John Sargent, Benjamin Pillsbury and Benjamin P. Colby.
The following are the names of some of the leading members who resided in other sections of the town :
John C. Fifield, Sumner Fifield, Peter Fifield, Jonathan C.
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French, Joseph Palmer, John Worthen, David Lang, Abel Reed and Abel Lovejoy. Josiah Fitts and Stephen Gale, who lived in the Langford district, were prominent mem- bers. Abraham Bean, sr., Abraham Bean, jr., Joseph Bean, David Bean and Gordon Bean, who lived at the Island, were active members.
Stephen Colcord and John Prescott, who lived in the northeast part of the town, were also active members.
Among the earliest preachers who officiated for the so- 'ciety, were Elder David Harriman, Elder H. D. Buswell, Elder Kimball, Elder Knowles and Elder Jesse Maeder.
In January, 1830, the famous Lorenzo Dow came to Can- dia and preached twice in the Free-Will Baptist Church. His first sermon was preached on a Wednesday evening to a good-sized audience. On the following Sunday, he preached in the forenoon and afternoon. A very large crowd of people was present. Elder Knowles went into the pulpit with him. Dow had a full black beard, which extended more than a foot over his breast. All the men in Candia were closely shaven at the time, and there was scarcely a person in town who had ever before seen a man with a full beard, and Dow was a great curiosity, in at least one respect. He was rather a tall man, and wore a some- what melancholy countenance. He had a good voice, and when he was fully awakened to his subject he fixed his eyes upon some man in the audience, and pointing his finger towards him he seemed to address him personally. In the course of the Sunday sermon, he stated some facts in regard to his personal history and travels. It is remem- bered that he said he was born in Coventry, Conn., and that he visited England and Scotland, and had preached in many parts of the United States. The day was quite warm and pleasant for winter, and when he came out of the church at the close of the service, he was surrounded by a crowd of men and women belonging to the society, who shook him heartily by the hand and sang a farewell Free-Will hymn, the last words of the chorus being,
"Farewell, my loving friends, farewell."
The next day, Elder Knowles conducted him to Weare.
The Free-Will Baptists, for a few years after they estab-
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lished a church in the town, professed to believe that it was wrong for a christian minister to receive a stipulated sala- ry for his work to bring sinners to repentance and save them from perdition. They said that salvation should be free, and a great deal was said about a hireling priesthood, and the first ministers of the denomination who preached in town were accordingly very poorly remunerated for their services, as they received scarcely more than was necessary to pay their expenses. Elder Bean, the first pas- tor, received but a very small amount from his society and depended mainly upon his business as a tanner and shoe manufacturer for the support of himself and family.
The funds to pay expenses were raised at first by sub- scription, and then by tax upon the members.
As the circumstances of the members became improved and the society became enlarged, it became the fashion to pay the ministers a regular yearly salary for their services. The salary was at first about one hundred and fifty dollars. This was increased from time to time, until they were paid wo hundred dollars, then three hundred, and then four hun- dred and upwards.
In 1845, measures were taken to erect a new meeting house. The owners of the pews in the old meeting house sold them for the amount at which they were appraised by a committee, which consisted of John Lane, Henry M. Eaton and Alexander Gilchrist.
At a meeting of the society held November 24, 1845, a building committee was chosen. The following are the names of the committee :
Joseph Bean, David B. Lang, Carr B. Haynes, Richard Currier, Daniel Richardson.
The meeting house was erected in 1846, at a cost of about sixteen hundred dollars.
In 1877, important improvements were made upon the meeting house. The tower was made higher and greatly improved in appearance. A clock, which was presented by Joseph P. Dudley, of Buffalo, N. Y., and a bell weighing 1, 200 pounds, which was the gift of Deacon Gordon Bean, were placed in the tower. The clock and the bell cost three hundred dollars each.
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In 1886, other important improvements were made in the church. The position of the pews was changed, colored glass windows were put in and all the pews and aisles were carpeted. The improvements cost about one thou- sand dollars.
NAMES OF THE PASTORS OF THE CHURCH.
The following are the names of the ministers, who have been engaged to take charge of the church and society at various periods :
Moses Bean; from 1818 to 1833, Rev. Jesse Maeder, in 1833, Rev. Samuel P. Fernald, 1841 to 1844, Rev. Samuel Whitney, 1841 to 1844, Rev. Samuel Robbins, 1844 to 1845, Rev. Mark Atwood, 1846, Rev. R. R. Davis, 1847, Rev. Ar- thur Caverno, 1848 to 1849, Rev. Mark Atwood, 1849 to 1851, Rev. Seth Perkins, 1852 to 1855, Rev. Eli B. Fernald, 1855 to 1859, Rev. A. R. Bradbury, 1859 to 1861, Rev. C. O. Libby, 1861 to 1866, Rev. William H. Yeomans, 1866 to 1869, Rev. A. Caverno, 1869 to 1871, Rev. John B. Merrill, 1817 to 1873, Rev. Mr. Lothrop, Rev. Mr. Rich, and Rev. Mr. Foster succeeded Rev. Mr. Merrill. The present pas- tor, Rev. A. M. Freeman, took charge of the society in 1890.
THE FUNDS OF THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY.
The sum of $800, which the town voted the society as its portion of money raised at the sale of the parsonage lot in 1815.
George W. Smith, son of Jesse Smith, at his death left the society $300.
Sally Hall left $50.
Deacon Gordon Bean, $1, 000.
Charles S. Bickford, at his decease, left $1, 600.
It is provided that the interest of all these funds shall be devoted to the support of the gospel ministry under the di- rection of the society.
SOME FREE-WILL BAPTIST ORATORY.
The most of the Free-Will Baptist ministers for many
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years were remarkably earnest and enthusiastic in the delivery of their sermons and public addresses as com- pared with the preachers of other denominations. They spoke in the minor key, the tone of sadness and sorrow, and in a manner more resembling the singing of a melan- choly chant or dirge, than ordinary speech. This style, when adopted by an able and fluent preacher, made a deep impression upon the tender feelings and sympathies of a large proportion of their hearers who were very soon in perfect rapport with him and completely under his control. As he proceeded, many of the audience became roused to a high pitch of excitement. Some were in tears and some were loudly shouting "Amen ! Glory to God !" at the top of their voices. These shouts and other similar exclama- tions reacted upon the speaker, and caused him to speak louder and louder and more rapidly, and then the shouting became more and more frequent. In some cases the preacher became choked with emotion or was obliged to stop from sheer exhaustion.
Under circumstances like these many were converted and it was believed that all was a result of a special outpouring of the Spirit.
Elder Bean and Elder Maeder invariably preached in the in the style here described, which became obsolete thirty years ago.
BARKING BERRY.
Fifty years ago or more, a Methodist traveling preacher was in the habit of visiting Candia. He often put up at Benjamin P. Colby's residence. During his stay, he often exhorted or preached at Mr. Colby's house and also at the residence of some of the Free-Will Baptists at the village. He was afflicted from childhood with a spasmodic affection of the throat and, as a consequence, when he became excited in his exhortations or conversation, his voice would be sud- denly raised to a loud and very high key in a manner much resembling the bark of a dog. The suddenness of the short, loud bark would startle his hearers, and cause some to jump two or three inches from their seats. This was a kind of ora-
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tory of a most ludicrous character and many persons who listened to it could not refrain from laughing.
The following short sentence from one of his exhortations may give some idea of his peculiarities as a public speaker: "Brethren: One of the great faults of many christians now - a-days is the spirit of sectarianism. Glory to God, there has not been a mite of sectarianism in my soul for TWEN-ty years."
Upon reaching the word, twenty, his voice suddenly rose a full octave above its ordinary pitch, and was fully concen- trated upon the first syllable causing a very sharp and loud report, when it suddenly fell to the point of common conver- sation. He died more than thirty-five years ago, at the resi- dence of a Mr. Merrill in the easterly part of the city of Man- chester.
THE PARSONAGE.
A few years ago, the Union Baptist Society purchased the . dwelling house on the east side of the highway, which was many years ago owned by Gilman Richardson, and after- wards by Joseph Dudley, and fitted it up for a parsonage. It has been occupied by several ministers. Rev. Mr. Freeman is the present occupant.
BAPTISMS.
During the first twenty years after the Free-Will Baptist Church was established in the town, the new converts, filled with religious enthusiasm, were deeply impressed with the conviction that it was their duty to be baptized immediate- ly, as it was thought that it was dangerous to run the risk of dying before the ordinance was administrated. In the summer season there was nothing particularly disagreea- ble in being plunged in the warm waters; but it was far otherwise in winter, when the mercury in the thermometer was ten degrees below zero. Then it required almost the faith and courage of a martyr to be immersed ; but the zealous converts were generally equal to the occa- sion, and came up out of the chilling waters shouting "Glo- ry, Hallelujah !"
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