USA > New Hampshire > Sullivan County > Claremont > History of the town of Claremont, New Hampshire, for a period of one hundred and thirty years from 1764 to 1894 > Part 8
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Met according to adjournment, Samuel Chase, Moderator. At the same meet- ing Voted to adjourn for the space of one hour to the house of Capt. B. Sum- ner. Met according to adjournment. Mr. Wheaton's answer as followeth :
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To the Church of Christ and other Inhabitants of the town of Claremont :
Gentlemen - Whereas you have given me a call to settle among you in the work of the Gospel Ministry, so I return you my sincere and very hearty thanks for the respect you have shown unto me herein. I have taken into serious and deliberate consideration and have been instant at the Thrown of Divine Grace for direction of Almighty God in so weighty and important a matter as that of my taking the charge of a flock, and I have also taken advice of my friends and Fathers in the Gospel Ministry.
And this is to signify to you, my Christian friends, that upon a mature consid- eration I do find it my duty to accept of your call to settle among you in the work of the Gospel Ministry, and accordingly I do accept of the Proposals made unto me in your Call, both with regard to settlement and Salary.
And may God in his infinite mercy grant that I may be more and more furnished and qualified for so great, arduous and glorious work, and make me a faithful minister of the new testament, not of the Letter but of the spirit, and may Grace, Mercy and Truth be multiplied to you and to all the Churches of our Lord Jesus Christ. And may we grow in Grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to him be glory in the Church both now and for ever. Amen.
I subscribe myself your sincere friend in Heart, and affectionate Brother in our Immanuel.
GEORGE WHEATON.
December 23d, 1771.
If there was at that time a Congregational church organization in town, the record of it has been lost.
Mr. Wheaton, who was a native of Mansfield, Conn., was settled on the nineteenth of February, 1772. The ordination sermon was preached by Rev. Abiel Leonard, of Woodstock, Conn., the exercises being performed in the South schoolhouse, a frame building forty feet long by thirty wide, covered with rough boards, with rude benches for seats and a floor of earth. £ It was on Town hill, but a short distance from the residence of the late Rus- sell Jarvis.
At the time of his settlement Mr. Wheaton was not in robust health. In April, 1773, such was his feeble condition that he was obliged to abandon his charge and return to the home of his father, in Norton, Mass., where he died on the twenty-fourth of the following June, at the age of twenty-two years.
to have been a young man of considerable ability, and that by his
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sincerity and earnestness as a pastor he had endeared himself to the people over whom he had been but for a few months.
By a law then in force it was imperative upon the selectmen to take due care that tithingmen be annually chosen at the general meeting for the choice of town officers, "whereof at least two shall be in each town, and not above ten in any," whose duty it was to inspect all licensed houses, and to inform of all disorder therein committed; and also to inform of all idle and disorderly persons, profane swearers, and Sabbath-breakers. Each was "to carry a black staff two feet long, tip't at one end with brass or pewter about three inches, as a badge of their office, the same to be provided by the selectmen at the expense of the town." Either by virtue of their office or by common consent, they seem to have been invested with power to inflict punishment at once upon such as they might find engaged in any misdemeanors during public worship, or between the morn- ing and afternoon services on the Sabbath. They were vigilant and, if tradition may be relied upon, rigid in their notions of order and sobriety, especially on Sundays. On one occasion when meetings were held in the South schoolhouse, John, a son of Mr. Thomas Gustin, was obliged to "stand strate upon the bench dur- ing the singing of the last psalm, and there to remain until the meeting is dismissed and the people have left the house, for turn- ing round three times, and for not paying attention to Mr. Wheaton while he is preaching." It was not usual for the tithingmen to call out the offender, pronounce sentence upon him and put it in execution during the performance of the various exercises of public worship, but it seems it was sometimes done.
The Rev. Augustine Hibbard, the second minister, was settled October 19, 1774, and dismissed December 28, 1785. By reason of his eccentricities, inconsistencies, and perhaps for other reasons for which he was not accountable, his pastorate of a little more than eleven years did not result in much good to the people of the town. Mr. Hibbard was born in Windham county, Conn., March 27, 1648; graduated at Dartmouth college in 1772 -being one of two students who graduated there that year. It was the second year
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when degrees were conferred at that college. It is not known that he had another settlement as a minister of the gospel, after his dis- missal at Claremont. After the close of the Revolutionary War he removed to Canada, where he officiated as magistrate for many years and was frequently employed by the government there to discharge various duties and important trusts. He died at the home of his son, Major Hibbard, at Stanstead, Canada, on De- cember 4, 1831, at the age of eighty-three years.
The most reliable account of the first meeting-house is, that a building to be used as a Congregational meeting-house was erected near what is known as the Harvey Draper place, on the road to the junction of the Sullivan and Concord & Claremont railroads in 1785 ; that in 1790 it was taken down and removed in pieces to the location of the present town-house, and there put together again, and the next year was finished inside. In 1808 the east tower and the front, or circular portion, were added. From that time until 1835, when the new Congregational meeting-house, on Pleasant street, was erected, this building was used both as a church and town-house. After that date its use for a church was abandoned, and it has since been used exclusively as a town-house. This Con- gregational meeting-house on Pleasant street was dedicated on February 3, 1836. In 1871 it was thoroughly remodelled inside and all the pews made the common property of the society, to be rented to pay for preaching and other expenses. A fine bell was placed in the tower in April, 1874.
In 1785 it was decided by vote in town meeting "that those people who call themselves Baptists pay know more rates to the Congregational order for the fewter."
Originally the towns in New Hampshire were parishes for the support of the ministry established by a majority. These were generally Congregationalists, and Presbyterians, Methodists, and Baptists were taxed for the support of the Congregationalists who had created the parish.
Christopher Erskine was a resident of Claremont and was liable to pay tax to support the Congregational society here. He was a Universalist, and in 1796 united with the Universalist society in
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Charlestown, and presented the following certificate, which it was supposed would meet all the legal requirements, and relieve him from the payment of any future minister tax assessed against him in this town :
CHARLESTOWN, Feb. 19, 1796.
This may certify that Christopher Erskine belongs to the Universalist Society and contributes to that order.
Recorded Feb. 23, 1796 .*
WILLIAM FARWELL, Elder.
Notwithstanding this certificate, the selectmen - Gideon Han- derson and Alexander Pickens - assessed Mr. Erskine $4.49, being his proportion of $300 voted to be raised by the Congregational society to support the minister in 1799. Mr. Erskine refused or neglected to pay this assessment, was arrested by the collector and thus compelled to pay. He brought suit against Messrs. Hander- son and Pickens in a plea of trespass, for compelling him, by ille- gal imprisonment, to pay this tax. The case was tried before Francis Smith, Justice of the Peace, in March, 1801, and was de- cided in favor of the defendants. Mr. Erskine appealed to the Court of Common Pleas, the case was tried by a jury, and he re- covered $6.50, and costs, $57.34. The case was taken to the Su- preme Court on exceptions by Handerson and Pickens; the judg- ment of the Court of Common Pleas was reversed, and the follow- ing certificate was made by Chief Justice Olcott, which evidently refers to a case of earlier date than that of Erskine :
I certify that it has been settled by the Supreme Court that persons called Universalists are not such a sect, persuasion, or denomination, as by the Con- stitution of New Hampshire are exempt from the payment of taxes for the sup- port of a regularly settled minister of a Congregational Society in the town where such person lives. And I think that in establishing this practice the court were unanimous.
April ye 3d, 1801.
SIMEON OLCOTT.
The New Hampshire legislature, in June, 1805, took this action :
A resolve that all the people of this State known by the name of Universalists be and they are hereby recognized as a distinct religious sect or denomination
*Records of Claremont.
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from any other, and are entitled to all the privileges and immunities which any other denomination is entitled to by the Constitution and laws of said State, was brought up, read and concurred, presented and approved.
There was no settled pastor from the time of Mr. Hibbard's dismission until March 9, 1796, when John Tappan was ordained. He was dismissed in 1802. He was excommunicated from the church the following year, entered mercantile life, and remained in town until his death, which occurred October 1, 1837, at the age of 68 years. He was a native of East Kingston, Mass., and graduated at Harvard College in 1790. From the following record on the town books it would seem that there was consid- erable opposition to Mr. Tappan's settlement as a minister over the Congregational society.
Be it known to all whom it may concern, that we the subscribers, Inhab- itants of the Town of Claremont in the County of Cheshire & State of New Hampshire, do hereby express our dissent against paying or contributing towards the support of Mr. John Tappan as Minister of the Congregational Society in said town of Claremont.
December 18th, 1795.
REUBEN PETTEY, REUBEN PETTEY, JUN'R.
Recorded Dec'r 22d, 1795.
A similar dissent, dated January 9, 1796, signed James Stro- bridge, was recorded the day of its date.
At a town meeting held June 9, 1794, Elihu Stevens was chosen agent to present a petition to the General Court for an act to incorporate the Congregational Society of Claremont, and to attend to the same as action might require. An act was passed by both branches of the legislature and presented to the Governor, John Taylor Gilman, for his approval. June 18, 1794, he vetoed the bill for the reason, as set forth in his message to the legislature, that
The bill purports that the society may hold real and personal estate to the amount of three hundred pounds neat yearly income, but for what purpose is not expressed.
Also,
The bill purports that they may consider persons coming of age, or moving into town as belonging to this society which has the appearance of giving pre-
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ference to them when compared to the other society of said Claremont incor- porated by an act passed February 19, 1794. That it expressly authorizes them to tax persons moving into town or coming of age, but no mention is made of taxing the society. That the bill does not appear to the Governor to be per- fectly consistent with the sixth article of the bill of Rights.
This society was not incorporated until June 20, 1815, when an act was passed and approved by Governor Gilman, granting to Josiah Stevens, Samuel Fiske, David Dexter, Thomas Warner, Gideon Handerson and their associates, and those who may here- after associate with them, by the name and style of the Congre- gational Society in Claremont, all the powers, privileges, and immunities incident to corporations of a similar nature.
For about two years from August, 1803, Rev. Elijah Brainerd was acting pastor. Under him the church was reorganized by the adoption of more explicit articles of faith and covenant, and rules of discipline. The members of the church were enrolled for the first time, so far as appears, in 1804. The names of sixteen male members and twenty female members are recorded at that time.
Rev. Stephen Farley was installed December 24, 1806. His pas- torate closed April 4, 1819. The "Church Manual," published in 1879, says :
The first marked revival occurred in 1816; as a result fifty-four were added to the church on profession of faith in that year. This work of grace, however, brought no peace. The pastor's attitude in relation to it was not satisfactory to those most active in promoting it, and he seems not to have enjoyed the confi- dence of the new converts. The result was divisions in the church, and a pain- ful want of harmony between the church and society, the latter sympathizing strongly with the pastor. During the years 1819 and 1820, no new members were received. Not long after his dismission Mr. Farley became openly a Unitarian.
He lived at Amesbury, Mass., several years, and died there Sept. 26, 1851, at the age of 72 years.
The Claremont Congregational Society was formed February 20, 1806, and held its first meeting June 9 of that year. Up to this time parish meetings were called by the selectmen of the town, and the records kept by the town clerk. "The Congregational Society of Claremont " was incorporated June 20, 1815.
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" The society took the lead in calling the next pastor, Rev. Jona- than Nye. He received and accepted the society's call in the au- tumn of 1820. But it was not until the May following that the church was prevailed upon to accept him, and then not without many misgivings. He was installed June 6, 1821, not, however, to enjoy a quiet ministry. Those were days of discipline in more than a single sense, of which the aged speak with sorrow. The misgivings of the church proved to be too well founded. Mr. Nye was dismissed in 1828."
Tradition has it that after Mr. Nye was dismissed from his pas- torate, charges were preferred against him as an unworthy member of the church, and he was subjected to a trial of considerable length. The charges seemed to have been substantiated by proof, and Mr. Nye was called upon for any answer which he might have to make. He arose, and in a very cool and respectful manner said, in sub- stance, that he had listened very attentively to the proceedings, and while doing so it had occurred to him that if he was to be turned out of the church, it might be necessary for him to join it first. The fact was that he had never been admitted as a member of the Congregational church.
Mr. Nye is represented as a man of imposing appearance, an attrac- tive and impressive speaker, and especially gifted in prayer. He had political aspirations, was representative in the legislature in 1825, state senator in 1827, and postmaster for several years. He held high offices in the Masonic fraternity, and was in many ways a prominent character in this section. He was more respected for his talents than for his private virtues. He died at Fort Madison, Iowa, April 1, 1843.
Difficulty arose again in the choice of a new minister. In a meeting of the society forty-two votes were cast in favor of calling Mr. Moses Thomas, a Unitarian, and but forty-four against. Mr. Elijah Paine was finally called by the church with the concurrence of the society, and ordained April 1, 1829. His ministry was marked by earnest, evangelical preaching, and eighty were added to the church on profession of faith in 1830 and 1831. Strong 7
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ground was taken in the cause of temperance. It was voted in 1833, " That this Church admit no more members to her Commun- ion as regular members, unless they first sign a pledge to abstain from all use of ardent spirits as a beverage." Mr. Paine was dis- missed Nov. 14, 1833.
Rev. Tertius D. Southworth was installed June 18, 1834. A Mr. Burchard was laboring as a revivalist at this period with neighbor- ing churches. Mr. Southworth was opposed to his methods, and this was thought to have hastened the termination of his pastorate, which occurred July 31, 1838.
The following is an extract from the will of Joel Richards, exe- cuted July 5, 1837, soon after which he died :
I give and devise one-third part of my real and personal estate to the Congre- gational Church and Society in said Claremont, as a permanent fund, the inter- est of which is to be appropriated and used in the delivering occasionally a course of Lectures to said Church and Society on the following subjects, to wit : "' The doctrine of Divine decrees and personal election," " The doctrine of total depravity of the human heart," "The necessity of a change of heart by the gracious operations of the holy spirit," and "On the errors of Popery." The said lectures to be under the regulation of the deacons of said church, according to their best discretion to effect the greatest good in said Church and Society in relation to the subjects and doctrines above mentioned. And I do hereby authorize and empower my executor hereafter named, if he think proper, to give a good and sufficient deed or deeds, lease or leases, or other conveyance of any real estate I may be possessed of at my decease, and convert the same into per- sonal estate to be paid over to legatees according to the terms of this Will. The donation last mentioned to remain in the hands of my executor hereafter named, he paying the interest annually to the said deacons of the Church, to be laid out as above mentioned, and giving satisfactory bonds to said Congregational Society for the security of said donation. And I do constitute and appoint James H. Bingham of said Claremont the executor of this Will, whose duty it shall be to pay over the two first mentioned bequests in one year from my decease.
( Signed.) JOEL RICHARDS.
Witnesses - THOMAS B. KITTREDGE.
WILLIAM A. HOWARD. LUTHER AVERILL.
There is no available record as to the compliance with the terms of this bequest, or of the disposition of the funds derived from it.
ART PUBLISHING CO
REV. ROBERT F. LAWRENCE.
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Mr. Southworth is represented to have been an upright, con- - scientious man and able preacher, and his dismission was regretted by many. Subsequently he was for many years pastor of Dr. Em- mons's church, at Franklin, Mass.
Rev. Robert F. Lawrence was installed January 16, 1839. His labors seemed to be crowned with success, and more than forty were added to the church in that year. In 1842, in union meet- ings, the whole town was moved, and forty-one were added to this church. Another revival occurred in 1853.
In 1840 twenty-eight members of the church, many of whom were thought to be good Christians, were suspended from church privileges, on account of their having subscribed to a " covenant of Christians, who, irrespective of religious denominations, decide on cultivating unitedly holiness of heart and a millennial spirit." Some were subsequently restored, but thirteen were finally excom- municated September 15, 1841. Mr. Lawrence's ministry contin- ued until January 24, 1863, twenty-four years.
This was Mr. Lawrence's last settlement in the gospel ministry, though he preached occasionally as a supply. He was born at Moria, N. Y., August 9, 1810; graduated at Middlebury, Vt., col- lege, in 1832; was ordained in 1834, and preached at Westport and Gouverneur, N. Y., until his settlement in Claremont. He pre- pared with much care a book, " The New Hampshire Churches," comprising histories of the Congregational and Presbyterian churches in this state, which was published in 1856. He was es- pecially interested in the cause of temperance, and delivered and published a course of lectures upon that subject. He also deliv ered and published a course of lectures to youth. He died at Albany, N. Y., on October 20, 1886, and his wife, with whom his whole married life had been passed, survived him but three days. The funeral of both took place at the same time, from Union church, Boston.
Rev. Edward W. Clark was installed February 25, 1864, and on account of failing health was dismissed June 10, 1870. Mr. Clark's adopted son, Rev. Francis E. Clark, of Boston, was the founder
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of the Society of Christian Endeavor, and is president of the United society.
Rev. Levi Rodgers was ordained and installed pastor October 19, 1871. Mr. Rodgers resigned April 10, and was dismissed May 5, 1880. He was settled for a time at Georgetown, Mass., and is now at Greenwich, Conn. Rev. A. J. McGown was called April 19, 1881; installed pastor November 10, 1881; resigned on account of the death of his wife, September 24, 1882; dismissed October 24, 1882. He is now settled at Amherst, N. H.
In February, 1874, Mrs. Oscar J. Brown, a member of the church, raised by subscription over eleven hundred dollars to pay for a bell, which was placed in the tower of the meeting-house, and rung first for the state Fast Day services, April 9 of the same year. Her husband subscribed one hundred dollars, and was fol- lowed by George N. Farwell and Edward L. Goddard, with the same sum each. The balance was contributed in smaller amounts.
Rev. Frank P. Tompkins was called to the pastorate December 26, 1882, and was installed June 19, 1883; dismissed September, 1888; settled at Hamilton, N. Y., for a time.
The Rev. Edgar L. Warren was called in November, 1888, com- menced his labors the first of January, and was ordained on Feb- ruary 4, 1889, the Rev. William J. Tucker, D. D., of Andover, Mass., preaching the sermon. Mr. Warren resigned, and his resignation took effect September 1, 1893.
Rev. John B. Lawrence, who came from Norwalk, Conn., com- menced his pastorate December 22, 1893.
The whole number of living members of the church, enrolled September 1, 1893, 212; whole number since its first organi- zation, 1183.
Twelve members of this church entered the Congregational min- istry, viz : George Fargo, David Wright, Manning Ellis, Henry Jones, James McEwen, Seth Farnsworth, Simeon Goss, Henry Chapin, Edward Greeley, Ira Case, Joseph Rowell, and Lyman White.
CHAPTER VIII.
EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
On the twenty-eighth of April, 1769, a memorial of the inhab- itants of Claremont, addressed to the "Reverend Clergy of the Church of England and Missionaries of the venerable S. P. G. F. P., to be convened at New Milford, in the Colony of Connecticut in Trinity week," and signed by Abel Bachelor, Her. Rice, Micah Potter, Cornelius Brooks, Benjamin Tyler, Ebenezer Price, Daniel Warner, Levi Warner, Asa Leet, Benjamin Brooks, Benjamin Brooks, Jr., and Benjamin Rice, it was represented that
The land here is exceedingly burdened with timber, which renders the cultiva- tion of it very laborious. However, the little of it we have brought under cul- tivation is abundantly fruitful, so that (God willing) most of the necessaries of life will be plentiful. That some of us have numerous families of small children fit for schooling. The number of children under 16 years of age is 35. There are about two families of dissenters to one of ours. We are grieved at the thought of having them brought up in ignorance, and dread their becoming a prey to enthusiasts and being carried away by every wind of doctrine. We believe a good school lays the foundation for a sober, godly and righteous life ; and since Samuel Cole, Esq., has been much employed in keeping school and is an inhabitant and proprietor among us (whose character and qualifications some of you know well), we humbly desire you would be pleased to represent our state to the venerable Society, and endeavor that he may be appointed Catechist and Schoolmaster among us a few years till we have got over the first difficul- ties and hardships of a wild, uncultivated country. *
During the two years preceding the date of this memorial the population had largely increased. The accessions were mainly Congregationalists, and that continued to be the rule in after years. The first minister of the Episcopal church, who is known to have
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officiated here, was the Rev. Samuel Peters, of Hebron, Conn. He was a missionary of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel, and several years subsequently was chosen Bishop of the Diocese of Vermont, though never consecrated. As early as 1768, he made an extensive missionary tour through Vermont, and, in the fall of 1770, he visited the towns along the Connecticut river, both in New Hampshire and Vermont. Of the latter journey he gave the following account :
Upon the tenth of September I left Hebron, taking my clerk with me. We arrived among the poor immigrants upon the sixteenth of said month. The bank of the west side of the river is in the government of New York, lately taken from New Hampshire government- a territory now sufficient for two large counties, viz : Cumberland and Gloucester ; the latter having only one independent teacher (poor enough), the former without any kind of a teacher. Yet in both counties are several thousand souls, who live without the means of grace, destitute of knowledge, laden down with ignorance and covered with poverty. On the east side of the river are many settlements begun, whose inhabitants much resemble their neighbors in every uncomfortable prop- erty. Among these people I spent four weeks, traveling from place to place, preaching and baptizing, the people being careful to attend divine ser- vice, many waiting for a clergyman to reside among them, viz : in the towns of Claremont, Strafford, Thetford, Moretown, Windsor, Orford, Haverhill, and being so nigh one another that one clergyman might accommodate the whole."
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