USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > Durham > History of the town of Durham, New Hampshire (Oyster River Plantation) with genealogical notes, Volume 1 > Part 15
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HISTORY OF DURHAM
in families too much neglected, others of good use who would join with us dis- couraged until we become a township, some readie to leave us if things stand as they doe, we trust upon your grant you will soon find our number increasing, our hearts and hands strengthened in the work of God, our care more uigorous, for an able orthodox minister, our families instructed according to law, our- selves growing in truth and peace to God's glorie, our content and your good, and we shall not cease to pray God Almightie for a blessing upon you in all your weightie concerns and subscribe ourselves
Yours in humble obseruance
John Bickford
John Meder
Richard York
Thomas Willie
John Daues
John Hill
William Beard
Thomas Edgerlie
Robert Burnam
William Perkinson
Phillip Chesley
Benjamin Matthews
Charles Adams
Davie Daniel
Steuen Jones
Thomas Drew
Walter Matthews
Joseph Field
Nicholas Doe
Zacharias Field
Vidua Elizabeth Drew
John Goddard
John Woodman
Matthew Williams
Edward Lethers
James Smith
William Randall
James Huckins
William Pitman
Robert Watson
Teag Royall
Patricke Jemison
Salathiel Denbow
James Thomas
Barnard Pope
Walter Jacson
Jos Stinson
Francis Drew
John Smith
[N. H. Province Papers, Vol. I, pp. 308-310.]
The only effect of the above petition was that the town voted to allow the inhabitants of Oyster River to build a meeting house at their own expense and to appropriate their tax for the ministry. After 1675 two of the five selectmen were chosen from Oyster River, and the people had their own minister, paid by the town from the parish rates. Who preached from 1662 till 1682 is not known. There appears to have been no regular and settled minister. At the latter date John Buss began his labors here as minister and physician, having previously served several years at Wells, Me. His house and library were burned at the time of the great massacre in 1694. If any early records of the church existed, they were then destroyed, but there was no organized church. The following petition throws light on his ministry and the character of the people:
172
HISTORY OF DURHAM
To His Excellency Sam Shute Esqr Govr and Comander in chief in and over his Majesties Province of Newhampshire and the Hon'ble his Majesties Councell and Representatives convened in General assembly:
The Petition of John Buss of Oyster River most humbly Showeth-That your Petitioner who for forty years successively has laboured in the work of the ministry in that place even in the time of the late terrible Indian Warr when many a score fell by the sword both upon ye right hand & the left, & severall others forced to flight for want of bread during all which time did watch ward and scout for the more ease and reliefe of ye Inhabitants; and notwithstanding that, did constantly exercise in the garrison and one other every Lords Day as god did enable him-But being now advanced to Seventy Eight years of age and incompassed wth a great many infirmities, and unable to perform the usual Exercise of the Ministry the People have not only calld another Minister but stopt their hands from my Subsistence, where upon he is greatly reduced having neither bread to eat nor Sufficient Cloathing to in- counter the approaching Winter-Wherefore your petitioner most humbly supplicates that your Excellency, the councill, and Representatives would so compassionate his miserable circumstances, as to order a competent mainte- nance during life-And your Petitioner shall ever pray,
JOHN BUSS.
It was voted, 8 October 1718, that "the Selectmen of Dover be advised to do their duty & take care of sd John Buss & supply him with what he is in necessity of, according to ye law of this Province; and that the Selectmen of Dover pay him twenty pounds out of the town stock to be paid quarterly from year to year." [N. H. Province Papers, Vol. XVII, p. 736.]
The following contract shows when the new meeting house was built at the Falls, where the Sullivan monument now stands. The original paper is in the possession of S. H. Shackford, Esq., of Boston. The signatures and names of witnesses have been torn from it:
To all Christian People to whom this Covenant or instrument in writing Shall Come and appear now Know ye that I John Tomson Sinior off the township of Dover and Provance of new hempshir do heir by these presence grant Cove- nant and agree with the parties following that is to say Leut Jeramiah Burnum Left Abraham Bennick Jonathan Woodman Leu ant Joseph Davis Stephen Jones Philip Chesley John Smith Junior of the foresaid towne and provanc I the forsa John Tomson do by these presenc bind and oblidge me to fram an meeting house at Oyster river being in Length fortie foots and thirtie six foots in bredth and twentie footes stude with an Belfree preportionble to the house And to provyd and haill all the timber to the place appointed and that at or before the thretie one day of July next ensewing the dait hereof And we the forsaid parties do heir by these presence bind and oblidg our selves conjunctlie and severalie to pay or cause to be payed to the forsaid John Tomson the sume of sevintie three pounds money in Considderation of the work don by him in the forsd fram the one half to be payde in money when all the timber is haled and laid in the place and the other half in money when the frame is fite to be
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HISTORY OF DURHAM
raised the fram and Belfree being in figur being lyke the new meet house off Hemptowne And for the trew performanc heir of our hands and sealles this nynteen day of Janwary one thousand seven hundred and twelve threeteen in presenc of these witnesses.
Thus we know just when the first meeting house at Durham Falls was built and something of its size and appearance. The location was chosen not without opposition of the people living at the Point. Indeed, another meeting house was built at the Point soon after. July 3, 1719, Francis Mathes deeded to the inhabit- ants of the lower part of the parish of Oyster River one half of an acre of land and road thereto two rods wide, on the south side of the mouth of Oyster River, so long as the same should be used for public worship. The deed shows that the frame was then on the lot and was to be erected the next week. [N. H. Province Deeds, XVI, 104.]
Dr. Quint at one time confused this meeting house at the Point with the first one built at the oyster bed. He says it stood upon a knoll on the land owned at the time of his writing by John Mathes, at the extremity of Durham Point. "It is on the north- · ern side of the road, but a few rods from the water side. It is exactly north from the Mathes burial place; or rather this burial place is at the edge of the knoll. The meeting house stood, doubtless, within four or five rods, northerly of that inclosed burial ground." This describes the location of the opposition meeting house at the Point, built in the year 1719. There is no record that any minister ever preached therein except the Rev. Hugh Adams, and the frame was taken down some years after, trans- ported to Portsmouth, and became part of the chapel of Dr. Buckminster's church, as saith tradition recorded in the Smith note-book.
The opposition between the Falls and the Point in the matter of meeting house and ministry is further shown by the following petitions. The first is signed by persons living nearer to the Falls and was read 11 November 1715:
To the Honbte Geo. Vaughan, Esq., Lieut. Gov, Councill & representatives, convened in General Assembly; The Humble Petition of his Majue good subjects, ye Inhabitants of that part of the town of Dover commonly called Oyster river, Most humbly sheweth:
Whereas by mutuall agreemt the Inhabitants of Oyster River have, for many years past, made choice of their own Minister & paid his salary, accord- ing to ye conditions of sd agreemt as it appears in Dover town book of records, refference thereto being had, & that ye selectmen of ye town in generall, (two whereof have been annually chosen wwbin ye district of Oyster River) have all
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HISTORY OF DURHAM
along made rates for ye severall ministers & taken care that the same be paid to ye sd ministers according to the sallaries they have been agreed wth for, untill of late (viz.) ye last year's rate is either by ye neglect of ye Constable. or ye selectmen, or both, so retarded, that ye minister wants subsistence; nor can we understand that ye selectmen have or are abt to make any rate this year for ye minister; so that, either some few of us must maintain a minister or we must be without one & return to Dover again, weh was thought a hardship. more than forty years ago; & a liberty granted as above; & much more hard will it be now we are increased to double the number we then were; so that we most humbly pray yor Hon's will please to send for ye Constable & select- men to answer for ye neglect as above, & that we may have powr granted us, as yor Hon's were pleased at first to grant unto ye Parish of Newington, (viz.) to chuse three or five p'sons annually, weh being chosen by a majority of voices present at such election, may assess & tax ye Inhabitants of our sd Parish pro- portionably in a rate for ye discharging such a sallary as the Parish shall agree to settle upon any minister of the Gospell that we at p'sent have, or hereafter may be fixed amongst us; Likewise, that we may have powr to choose & settle. a schoolmaster upon such terms as we shall agree, wthout any other regard to the town in generall than that ye Constable annually chosen at the general town meeting for collecting ye Prov: tax in our district, may also collect our- Parish dues; And yor Petitioners shall ever pray, as in Duty bound,
Presented by Nath. Hill in behalf of ye subscribers.
Jeremiah Burnham
Elias Critchet, jun.
Stephen Jones
James Nock
Elias Critchett
John Tompson
Sampson Doe
Joseph Jones
Joseph Dudey
John Chesley
John Burnham
John x Sias,-mark.
David Davis
Job Renholds
Abraham Bennick
Sam1 Chesley, jun.
John X Gray,-mark
Sam1 X Chesley,-mark®
John Rawlins
Cornelius Drisco
James Bickford
Robt Burnham
Sam1 X Perkins-mark
Peter Mason
Will m X Duly,-mark
Jon & Simpson
John Doe
Robt Tompson
John York
Sam' Hill
Joseph Chesley
John X Renalls,-mark
John X Cromell,-mark
Josh & X Davis,-mark
John Buss, jun.
Moses Davis, jun.
Philip Chesley
Will m Leathers
Joseph Davis
Francis Pitman
John Tompson, sen.
Ely Demeritt
John Smith
Naphtali Kincaid
Will m Jackson
James Jackson
David Kincaid
Tho: Wille
Jonathan Chesley
James Burnham
Valentine Hill
Robt Huggins
Ichabod Chesley, jun.
Jona Woodman
Thomas Alin
[N. H. Province Papers, Vol. III, pp. 606-07 ..
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HISTORY OF DURHAM
As a result of the above petition the assembly ordered that the selectmen of Dover should "call to an account Jos. Davis, ye last years Constable for that town, in ye district of Oyster River" and see that he pay the money which he was obliged by the town warrant to collect, and that the selectmen see that a sufficient amount should be assessed for the support of the present minis- ter, Mr. Buss, "untill another minister shall be called and settled in his room." This shows that John Buss had been regularly installed and had just claims upon the parish.
The following counter petition was presented by persons living nearer to the Point:
To the Honourable Governour Councell and Representatives Convened in Generall Assembly:
Whereas there is a petition Laid before your honours By part of the Inhabi- tants of oyster River Expecting thereby to Serve their own Interest though it be with much hardship to their Neighbours
We the Subscribers being Residents or free holders within those districts as in petition mentioned do humbly Referr to your Consideration these things as Reasons of objection against the said petition
I That we ought to have had knowledge and to have Conferred with them about the said petition and whereas they keept it private from us it Showeth a Secret plotting and Contriving against our Interest
2 That Some of their Subscribers as we Suppose are neither Residents nor freeholders within the said districts
3 That Some of their Subscribers do denye part or all the petition
4 That if your honours Should See good to grant the Said Petition we being farmars Shall then be So bound up within those districts not haveing Room to advance our Estates-that we Shall not be able to subsist our familyes and to mentain a minister honourably
5 That a Settled Schoolmaster will be of no Service to us in teaching our Children because we do Live so Remote and are also divided with a River and Creeks-but rather as we have hitherto done to hire a Schoolmaster for our- selves and our adiacant neighbours
6 We are very well Satisfyed with our towns general Election of Select men Seeing we have two within our districts who are well acquainted with our affairs and we do count it hardship to be denyed our former privilidg
these Reasons we give haveing many others which we are Loath to trouble your honours withal-we humbly hope that you will not grant their petition- Except it be only to the petitioners and pleas to grant us the Libertyes that our fathers had first Settled in this place
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HISTORY OF DURHAM
We Remain your most Humble Servants
I Thomas Edgerley Sen
2 John Meder Sen
3 Edwerdus Wakeham
4 Thomas Drew
5 John Daniell
6 Joseph Meder
7 Ichabod follet
8 Joannes bunker
9 John Williams
IO Nathaneal Laimmos
II william hill
12 Henry Rines
13 John Edgerley
14 Francis Mathes
15 Richard denbo
16 thomas Rines
17 Samuel Williams
18 Beniamen bodge
19 Sam11 Smith
20 John meder Ju
21 nicoles meder
22 Jno ambler
23 Moses davis Juner
24 John daves Sen
25 timmothy davis
26 Stephen Jonsones
27 John Bickford
28 beniamin mathes
29 Joseph Edgerly
30 John willes Senior
31 John Rand
32 John wille juner
33 John Pender
34 Beniamen Pender
35 John footman sener 36 John Smith junr his
37 william X durgin mark
38 James Thomas
39 Sallathan denbo
40 John: Smith June
41 Samuill wille
42 francies Mathes June
43 william pitman
44 John Rand
45 Samuel Edgerley
46 Joseph Kent
47 Thomas footman
48 Joseph Stevenson
49 William Glines
50 Batholomew Stevenson his mark
51 James F Lingley
52 william wormwood
53 Eleazar Bickford
54 Amos pinkham
55 James Davis Juner his 56 John M Mondro mark
57 Thomas Davis
58 Danel Mishorve
59 Daniel Davies
60 Joseph ginkens
61 James Davis the Son of Moses Davis N. H. Town Papers, XI, 567.]
This petition was probably presented to the Council by Messrs. Jnº Meader and John Ambler, 20 December 1715, or 6 January 1715/6, when they appeared to prosecute the "Counter Petition." It was followed by further petitions which are here presented:
OYSTERIVER PETITION PRESENTED APRILE 6TH 1716 MINUTED To the Honble Geo: Vaughan Esq L. Govr & Commande in Cheif, to ye Honble the Councill & representatives of his Majties Prov: of N. Hamp., Con- vesned in Gen! Assembly :--
The Petition of his Majtles Good Subjects sundry y. Inhabitants of y. Parish of oyster river, wth in the township of Dover- Most Humbly sheweth-
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HISTORY OF DURHAM
That, Agreeable to yor hons resolve (in Janr last for allowing ye Inhabitants of ye Parish of oysteriver till ye first sessions, of ye Gen': Assembly, after ye tenth of March next ensuing ye sd Janry in ord : to a friendly agreement & settlemt of ye differences among themselves,) We, the Subscribes being In- habitants of ye sd Parish of oyster river, or ye majr part of us, have had a meet- ing in sd Parish, at wch time & place, we chose a Committe, & impowered them ye sd Committe, as far as in us lay, to meet & treat wib a Committe from our adverse Pho in order to ye reconciling all misunderstandings & differ- ences in sd Parish. The sª Committes had a meeting accordingly: thô alto- gether ineffectual & to no purpose, as we find by ye return of ye sd Committe on our behalf: Wherefore, we Psume once more to Address yor hon's for yor resolves on this matter as soon as yor hon's in yor wisdom shall see meet: (vizt) yt we may be impowered to call a Parish meeting, in ord' to yr doing wht may be necessary & proper for ye obtaining & Settling a ministr wth in our sd Parish: for yt ye means Pscribed by yor Hon's for a reconciliation to be made among ourselves, has proved of none effect, & we plainly seeing yt a further suspension of yor Hon's determination of this matter will much rather widen, than narrow this breach, Inasmuch, as our cheif end & design is y. speedy settlem' of a learned & authordox ministr among us, that we may no longer be sheep without a shepherd, but yt we may be in the use of means for ye Promotion of Christianity; web is what our neighbours in ye lowr part of our Parish are mainly making their Court against, web is plainly demonstrable by their overtures made, which they so strenuously stand to, for a complyance wth, (vizt) yt a minister be treated wtb to preach at both meeting houses, alternately wthin sd Parish, web is so forreign from reason yt yre is no unpre- judiced rationall man but wb will condemn so impracticable a project .- Our Neighboring Parish, in ye same town wth our selves are now destitute of a ministr as we are, who not long since had a settled ordained ministr among them, & who lost them upon no other consideration than for being urged & solicited to preach at two Places, web he said was so unnreasonable & hard upon him, as he could not Comply wth thereupon lost them: Now can it be reason- able to expect one man to settle undr such disadvantages & hardships weh was ye Pure cause of ye removal of another; & again yr requesting a ministr to preach at two places, is so rare yt tis scarce to be heard of, once in an age, & then you are as certain to hear a denyal as yt ye thing was asked web Consid- eration (in our opinion) might have been a Sufficient disswasive to our Counter Petitioners, from insisting on so unreasonable a point : & thus ye case stands.
May it Please yor Hon's.
We who have been at ye charge of ye new meeting house, so far as ye same is built & finished, have offered it to be a Parish house, with this Proviso, y' all ye Inhabitants wth in sd Parish Joyn wth us in equall proportion compleatly to finish it & agree constantly to maintain ye Publick worship of God therein On ye Lords day, web sd house stands in ye most convenient & proper place wthin sd Parish for yo accommodation of all ye Inhabitants in Gen': that now are, or hereafter may be settled wthin the same :- As to any information web yr Hon" may have had relating to ye Seituation of sd meeting house, its being near ye head line of our Parish, they are false suggestions, for tis a positive truth, & in no wise to be doubted, ye our new meeting house stands nearer to
12
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HISTORY OF DURHAM
ye lowr part of sd Parish, or next ye sea, by two miles, than ic doth to our head line, so yt if ye sª house is not well situated tis because it is not far upwd enough towd our head line, & tis certain yt what further settlemhts there will be in sd Parish, or besure most of them will be above sd meeting house weh is argued from y. far greater quantity of land's being above, than wt is below sd house, Nath1 Hill
Ichabod Chesle
Jaramiah Burnham
Samuel Cheslie
Stephen Jones
Samuel Chesle Juner
Joseph Jones
John Chesle
Jonathan Woodman
William Letheres
his mark
John Smith
James davis ||
Philip Chesle
Elias Critchett Ju
William Jackson
Elias Critchett
Volintine Hill
Abraham bennick
John Footman
Eley demeret Junr .
Samson Doo
James Jakson
Cornalus Drisco
Thomus Wille
David Lyntard
Peter Mason
James Thomas his John § Gray
Thomas Allen
mark
his John O Crommet
mark
Robard Burnnum
Joseph Davis
John Burnum
his
John York
William X Durgin
timothy Connor his mark
mark his
John s munsie
Jonathan | Chesle mark
Timothy T Moses
John Buss Juner
Joseph Daniel his John J Sias mark
James Bikford
John Doo
Joseph Chesle
William duly
James durgin
Robert Huckins
James Nock his
Robart tomson John Rawlings John tomson
mark
John Davies
Joshua Davis
Josep Dudy his
William burly his John + Runals mark
frances X footman
mark
James Burnum
Job Renels
his mark
Edward Letheres Siner
Samuel X Wille
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HISTORY OF DURHAM
"A Petition Psened by John Ambler In behalf of sundry the Inhabitants of Oysteriver May 2d 1716." Evidently written by Elder Ambler himself in a neat quaint handwriting with small characters.
To the Honourable Lif' Gouernour Councell and Representatives conuened in generall Assembly:
May it please your honours
WHEREAS our brethren and neighbours with whome we would gladly haue had the oppertunity of agreeing according to your honours aduice haue now made their Second address to your honours by way of petition as if they are Rather willing to Inuade our priuiledg than to Comply by a brotherly or neigh- bourly agreement
We therefore his Maiestyes good and orderly Subjects do humbly Answer and Reply against their Second petition-as also Intimateing against their disorderly Carryings on-thus-
First-If our Late pastor at douer haue Left his Flock and people for Ends best known between god and himself and haueing Some Infermity of body did according to his thoughts declare that he supposed that his present Infermity might come by Reason of his often going between the two meeting houses we Referr this to your honours Consideration-whether his body was brought down by trauell-or whether the fatness and grossness of his body might not rather signifye to us that more Bodily Exercise might haue been helpfull against his Disease-it may be necessary therefore that we may all Consider the hand of god in it-that when the people began to trouble one another and to Inuade one anothers priuiledg then it pleased our god to Send our pastor away-for the great Shepherd & Command is that his pastor Sheep should Liue in Loue-therefore we do humbly hope that your honours will not account this any Reason why their petition Should be granted.
2 WHEREAS the Honoured Gouernour and Councell was pleased to alow us time to make offers of agreement to one another-we did offer to our neigh- bours ouerlooking their disorder in their building of their meeting hous-that if they would help us to build a ministers house on the personage that we would agree that the meeting should be Every other Sabbath day at the old meeting house untill Such time as we do build a new one and then to haue the meeting continued by turns att the two new meeting houses-and now whereas we haue offered so friendly and Brother Like to our neighbors who do Endeauour to Inuade our priviledg we humbly hope that your honours may Consider that our offer to them is not only fair but that we do Condescend and stoop to them in the same-and therefore that you will not sce good to put us to any hardship or hazards by granting their petition-
3 WHEREAS our brethern and neighbors with whome we would gladly all along haue Joyned if they had gone to work orderly-and had placed their meeting hous something for our Conueniency and had not Set it so unreason- ably beyond the Center of the Inhabitants haue now petitioned for a parish meeting we do with Submition to your honours humbly answer that as they haue without order or government built themselves a meetinghouse we do not desire to Inuade their priuiledg in the same neither are we willing to agree or Consent to a parish meeting in order to the Establishing of that meeting house that is Erected and built without either gouerment or order -- but as we haue followed the order of our town and haue Closed with douer
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HISTORY OF DURHAM
and haue thereby met with the advantage of mentaining our own priuiledg also at oyster Riuer Lower meeting house by the Condecention and Labours of the reuerend and faithfull Mr mathew Short-we do therefore humbly hope that your honours will not see good to deny or deprive us of our priuiledg and our Choyc till Such time as our neighbours minds do come down to a Christian Complyance
I FFRANCES MATHES -
2 JNO AMBLER 3 JOSEPH MEDER
in behalf of the
Aprill ye 7th 1716.
4 JOHN WILLIAMS Rest
We being conuened Together February ye 20th 1716
These are to Certifye al men whom it may Concern That we the Subscribers together with the men whome we do make Choyse of do Endeauor to stand by our priuiledge in the ministry of the gospell in the Lower part of oyster River and we the subscribers do meke choyce of and appoint four men or so many of them as Shall be needfull. namely Seig Joseph Meder jur Frances Mathes John Williams and John ambler to try to agree with our neighbours at the head of the Riuer in order to an honourable agreement between us and our neighbours. That we may by the blesing of god haue the gospell settled amongst us
John Maider his X mark
John Edgerly
William glines
Thomas Edgerley
John rand
Ichabod follet
William pirkins his mark
Thomas Dauis
Joseph Kent
daniel dauis
John Wille
Joseph hix
Thomas Footman
Beniamin bodge
Thomas Drew
William Hill
Moses Dauis Jun.
Samuel Williams
James Langle
Thomas Rines
James Dauis June
Joseph Bickfort
Stephen Jenkens John Bickford John Kent
Abraham mathes
Beniamin Pinder
John pinder
Beniamin Mathes
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