USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Exeter > History of the town of Exeter, New Hampshire > Part 18
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184
HISTORY OF EXETER.
EPPING PARISH SET OFF.
At the annual meeting of the town, on the thirtieth of March, 1741, the petition of a number of the inhabitants "living at Tuckaway or thereabouts," praying that the town would set them off as a parish by themselves, was presented, and by vote of the town was denied.
These were residents of the northwestern part of the town ; and they did not sit down contented with the refusal, but within the succeeding year presented their petition to the General Assembly of the province, by which, after a notice to Exeter and a hearing thereon, it was granted, February 3, 1742. The bounds of this parish, which received the name of Epping, and was soon after- wards, on the twenty-third day of the same month, incorporated as a town under the same designation, were as follows, viz. : " Beginning at Durham line at the northwest corner of the parish of Newmarket, and from thence bounding on the head line of said Newmarket to the southwest corner of the same, and from thence to run south about twenty-nine degrees west parallel with the head line of the town of Exeter, extending to half the breadth of the township of Exeter from Durham line aforesaid, and from thence to run west and by north to the middle of the head line of the town of Exeter, and from thence to bound upon Chester and Nottingham to the northwest corner of Exeter, and from thence bounding east and by south on Nottingham and Durham to the first bounds."
BRENTWOOD PARIS11 SET OFF.
A petition of some of the inhabitants of the southwestern part of the town, that they should be set off as a separate parish, was presented about the same time, and the town, at a special meeting, on the twenty-second of February, 1742, voted to grant the petition, and that "the petitioners have set off to them and their successors one-half the breadth of the land in said town lying at the westerly end thereof, for a parish, bounded as follows, viz. : beginning at the head of Newmarket line, thence running on a south line to Exeter great fresh river, and then one-half mile by said river, and then south to Kingston line, and so to the head of the township ; provided that the abovesaid parish do settle an orthodox minister of Christ, and maintain and support the same, and all other parish charges within the same, of themselves."
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HISTORY OF EXETER.
This vote received the sanction of the General Assembly, and the parish of Brentwood was incorporated June 26, 1742.
Thus the original territory of the town was now divided into four distinct parishes : the northeastern quarter being Newmarket ; the northwestern, Epping ; the southwestern, Brentwood, and the southeastern retaining the primary designation of Exeter. These were of nearly equal areas, except Brentwood, which was somewhat larger than the others .*
Scarcely had these difficulties with the outlying sections of the town been adjusted, when a more serious trouble arose in the very heart of the place. This was about the time of the great religious awakening in New England, when the influence of Whitefield, preaching a new gospel of enthusiasm, was felt more or less in all the churches. His followers were the " new lights," but the more conservative religionists set their faces like a flint against his methods. The members of the First parish in Exeter were divided in their preferences. Mr. Odlin, their minister, was a conser- vative, as were a majority of his congregation. But a considerable minority of them held different views. Mr. Odlin was getting in years, and somewhat infirm, and was desirous of having his son Woodbridge settled with him, as his colleague. Nearly two-thirds of his parish were of the same mind.
At the annual meeting of the town, on the twenty-eighth of March, 1743, upon an article in the warrant, inserted on the peti- tion of seventy-one of the inhabitants, it was voted that Nicholas Gilman, Thomas Wilson, Benjamin Thing, James Leavitt, Stephen Lyford, James Gilman and Nicholas Perryman be a committee to treat and agree with the Rev. Woodbridge Odlin, relating to settling as a colleague with his father, with power to complete an arrangement with him.
From this vote forty-four of the inhabitants entered their written dissent. It is not understood that there was any personal excep- tion to the younger Mr. Odlin ; the sole objection was to his religious views and position. The dissentients seceded from the church and society, and established a religious organization of their own, the history of which will be found under its appropriate head.
REV. WOODBRIDGE ODLIN, COLLEAGUE.
On June 21, 1743, the committee communicated to the Rev. Woodbridge Odlin the invitation of the majority of the town to
*The town of Poplin (now called Fremont) was set off from Brentwood June 22, 1764; and the town of South Newmarket from Newmarket June 27, 1849.
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HISTORY OF EXETER.
settle over them as colleague with his father, upon the salary of £37 10 s., lawful money, also £50 yearly for the first four years of his settlement ; and after his father's death, £65 annually, and the use of the parsonage. He on the same day accepted the invitation ; and the committee at once made an agreement with the Rev. John Odlin that his salary should be reduced to £50 a year, with the improvement of the parsonage.
The Rev. Woodbridge Odlin was, on the twenty-eighth of September, 1743, ordained as colleague, accordingly.
The seceders from the congregation maintained separate religious worship at their own expense ; but according to the law of the time, they were not exonerated thereby from paying taxes to support the Messrs. Odlin. They made repeated attempts, as will be seen, by petition to the town and to the provincial government, to be relieved from this burden, but for near twelve years in vain. The bitter feeling that had been aroused by their opposition to the party of the Messrs. Odlin, and their rather unceremonious departure, forbade all hopes of harmony between the antagonistic elements.
On the twenty-sixth of March, 1744, the town voted not to grant the petition of Samuel Gilman and others, to be exempted from paying to the stated ministry, or having a reasonable sum allowed them annually by the town toward the support of a gospel minister among themselves.
Thereupon the petitioners made application on the eighteenth of July following, to the General Assembly of the province, for relief from taxation, for the support of the ministry of the town, provided they should maintain a minister themselves. On July 24, the town appointed Nicholas Perryman, James Gilman and Zebulon Giddinge a committee to oppose the petition. After repeated written statements and counter-statements by the parties, the General Assembly thought proper to do nothing in the premises.
It was during this year that the Rev. John Odlin, learning that the Rev. George Whitefield was coming to Exeter, with the inten- tion of preaching there, met him on the border of the town, and solemnly adjured him not to trespass upon his parochial charge.
On the ninth of April, 1748, the mischievous effects of paper currency were again shown, by the necessity of an addition of £200 old tenor to the Rev. Mr. Odlin's salary for the year, and on the twenty-seventh of March, 1749, by a further increase of £100 old tenor, for that year, provided he would give an acquittance for all arrearages.
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HISTORY OF EXETER.
The seceding society had again preferred their petition to be exempted from taxation for religious services, by which they did not profit, but the town again voted to "do nothing about the petition of a number of the society of the new meeting-house."
On the eighteenth of June, 1750, the town voted to pay the Rev. John Odlin £600 old tenor for the year, provided he would, at the end thereof, give a receipt for all arrearages ; and to add to the Rev. Woodbridge Odlin's salary £350 old tenor for the year, on like conditions. And the town again refused "to allow the petition of those in the new meeting-house."
On the thirtieth of March, 1752, the petition of " those worship- ping in the new meeting-house" was again brought before the town, and again denied.
The Rev. John Odlin died November 20, 1754. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, November 18, 1681 ; graduated from Harvard College in 1702, and ministered to the people of Exeter for forty-eight years. He was twice married ; first to Mrs. Eliza- beth (Woodbridge) Clark October 21, 1706, by whom he had five children, and who died December 6, 1729 ; and second, to Mrs. Elizabeth (Leavitt) Briscoe, widow of Captain Robert Briscoe. Mr. Odlin, though somewhat unyielding in his opinions, was a faithful and zealous pastor, and he lived in a time of strong relig- ious excitement and division. He chose the conservative rather than the progressive side, and was supported by the majority of his people. But it must have been a bitter trial to him to see so large a portion of his church and parish alienated from him. He was persevering and conscientious, however, and retained the affection and respect of his followers to the last, as is evidenced by their vote on the twenty-first of November, 1754, to raise £100 new tenor, for defraying his funeral charges.
He is represented as a man of excellent powers of mind. He presided over the convention of ministers which assembled in 1747, and was made chairman of one of its most important committees. A sermon which he preached in 1742 was, printed by the agency of the Rev. Mather Byles of Boston, who wrote a preface to it which contained this commendatory allusion to the author :
It is with no small pleasure that in this precarious season I see such a harmony among the ministers of superior reputation among us, and especially that our living fathers in the ministry are so united, who saw our temple so much in its first glory.
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HISTORY OF EXETER.
At length, the continual efforts of the members of the new society accomplished their purpose of independent existence. On the eighth of April, 1755, sixty-two members of that society pre- sented their petition to the General Assembly, that they and their associates might be freed from paying taxes for the support of the ministry in the old meeting-house, for the future, and be incorporated as a parish. The town appointed Peter Gilman and Zebulon Giddinge agents to resist the petition. Peter Gilman was a leading member of the assembly, and also the principal peti- tioner. It would appear, therefore, that the majority of the town had extraordinary confidence in his obedience, in expecting him to oppose his own petition, or that their feelings had become mol- lified towards the petitioners, and they no longer expected to compel them to contribute to the support of Mr. Odlin. At all events, the petition was successful, and the petitioners were, on the ninth day of September, 1755, incorporated as the Second parish in Exeter ; and for the future, any new comer in the town, or any person arriving at full age, was to "have the liberty of three months to determine to which parish such person will belong."
Thereafter, the warrants for the annual meetings of the sup- porters of the First church in Exeter were for many years addressed to " all the inhabitants of the town exclusive of all the parishes ;" meaning all the inhabitants who were not included in Newmarket, Epping, Brentwood and the Second parish in Exeter.
On the twenty-ninth of March, 1762, at a meeting of the society so warned, it was voted that a new bell be purchased, of eight hundred pounds weight ; and on the thirteenth of December, following, that "the meeting-house be repaired, the repairs to be new glazing with sash glass, shingling, and clapboarding on the fore side and east end, and that it be painted according to custom ;* and that the bell be for the town's use." On the twentieth of March, 1764, it was voted " to use the part of the money divided to this parish by the town from the sale of wharf lots, to pay for the bell."
The succeeding years were a transition period from the most inflated paper currency to hard money. In April, 1765, Mr. Odlin's salary received an addition of £700 old tenor; in April,
* The custom at that time was to paint only the doors and window-frames, and the finish around them. It is doubtful if there was then a house in the town which was completely painted.
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HISTORY OF EXETER.
1766, an addition of £400 old tenor; and in 1767 his entire salary was fixed at £100 lawful money. Old tenor had become a thing of the past, and a specie basis had been reached.
Mr. Odlin continued to minister to his people through the troublous period which preceded the Revolution, and was a warm supporter of the rights of his countrymen. The pulpit at that day was a chief advocate of American liberty, and in both the religious societies of Exeter its utterances were of no uncertain sound. Mr. Odlin died the tenth of March, 1776. His parish manifested their regard for his memory by the payment of the expenses of his funeral and a gift of twenty-five pounds to his widow.
He was born April 28, 1718, and graduated from Harvard Col- lege at the age of twenty. He married, October 23, 1755, Abigail, the widow of the Rev. Job Strong of Portsmouth, and the daughter of Colonel Peter Gilman of Exeter, by whom he had eight children.
He is described as a very pious man ; his preaching was practi- cal ; his manners were plain and modest. There was an unaffected simplicity in all he said or did. He has also been termed a " perfect gentleman," no doubt rather in reference to his qualities of character than to his external appearance or manners.
In July following the decease of Mr. Odlin, the society gave a call to the Rev. Isaac Mansfield to become their pastor, who was accordingly ordained over them October 9, 1776.
In the year 1778, Mr. John Rice, a member of the society, died, giving to the parish, by his will, the house on Centre street, which is now the parsonage, and certain lands on the little river, "to be appropriated to the support of a minister so long as the parish shall continue, and constantly support a regular learned minister or ministers," but in case of failure thereof, to be appropriated for the benefit of a grammar school in Exeter forever. The devise was to take effect upon the decease of his wife. She died five years afterward, and by her will gave certain house lots and a wharf to the parish, on the same conditions specified in the will of her husband.
After Mr. Mansfield had been in Exeter about ten years, there was a disposition manifested by both parishes to reunite. Reso- lutions were adopted by each, expressing such a desire. But it was found that they could not come together under the ministry of Mr. Mansfield, who had, by some imprudent speeches and actions, lost, to some extent, the attachment of his people. An
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HISTORY OF EXETER.
arrangement was therefore made between him and his society the following year, that if a majority of the parish were in favor of his dismissal, he would request it at the hands of a council. That course was taken, and his connection with the society was dissolved September 18, 1787.
Mr. Mansfield was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, in the year 1750, and graduated from Harvard College in 1767. He had served as a chaplain in the continental army about Boston, before he came to Exeter. He remained in the town awhile, after his dismissal, and taught a school. Afterwards, he returned to his native place, where he became a magistrate. He died in Boston, at the age of seventy-six years.
After Mr. Mansfield surrendered the pastoral charge, the two societies, for two years and more, united in supporting public worship, and in 1788, jointly invited the Rev. David Tappan of Newbury, Massachusetts, to settle over them. It happened, un- fortunately, that the call was not unanimous and on that account was not accepted. The two societies did not agree in another choice, and the first society, in 1790, invited the Rev. William F. Rowland to the pastoral office, and he was ordained over them the second of June in that year. Eight years afterwards, a new church building was erected, which is still in use by the society, though its interior was altered and modernized in 1838. The ex- terior was fortunately unchanged. Its style and proportions have been much admired, and it is undoubtedly a fine specimen of the architecture of the period. Ebenezer Clifford of Exeter is under- stood to have designed it.
For thirty-eight years Mr. Rowland continued to minister to the people, during which time he witnessed the substantial extinction of the church of the other society, and the growth of a new church rising from its ashes ; and a very considerable increase in the population and wealth of the town. He was dismissed at his own request December 5, 1828, and continued to live in Exeter until his death, June 10, 1843.
Mr. Rowland was born in Plainfield, Connecticut, May 26, 1761. Ile was a graduate of Dartmouth College in the class of 1784. He was twice married ; first, to Sally, daughter of Colonel Eli- phalet Ladd of Portsmouth, July 30, 1793 ; and second, to Ann, daughter of Colonel Eliphalet Giddinge of Exeter, August 29, 1802. He left one son and two daughters, who all died unmarried. Mr. Rowland was honored in a way that no other New Hampshire
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HISTORY OF EXETER.
clergyman has been, - he was twice appointed to deliver election sermons, in 1796 and in 1809, both of which were published.
His successor in the pastorate was the Rev. John Smith, in- stalled March 12, 1829, and dismissed at his own request February 14, 1838. IIe was a native of Weathersfield, Connecticut, and a graduate of Yale College in 1821.
Shortly after Mr. Smith was settled, the need of a vestry was urgently felt, for evening religious meetings and the like, and, with the concurrence of the parish, a few gentlemen, Dr. William Perry, Captain Nathaniel Gilman, Jr. and others, took upon them- selves the immediate expense of erecting such a building on the northern part of the parsonage land, on Centre street. It was of two stories, the upper of which was used for singing schools and other purposes not necessarily religious. This building subse- quently became the property of the parish, and in the year 1843, after the construction of a vestry in the meeting-house rendered it no longer necessary, was sold to a number of gentlemen for the purpose of a Female Academy ; and later, when that use had termi- nated, was altered into a dwelling house. It is now occupied as such by Mrs. Joseph W. Gale.
The Rev. William Williams was the next minister of the society, installed May 31, 1838. The first year of his stay was signalized by extensive alterations made in the interior of the church build- ing. Up to that time the entire space within the walls was in- cluded in the audience room ; the high pulpit, surmounted by a sounding-board,* was on the north wall, and galleries ran around the other three sides. A great part of the pews were of the old square pattern, with seats facing in all directions.
The changes in the building consisted in flooring over the lower story, and finishing rooms in it for a vestry, lecture room, etc., and in adapting the upper story for an auditorium. Of course, the old galleries were removed, and a smaller one erected for the choir ; a pulpit of modern and moderate dimensions was placed at the west side, the pews were altered into " slips," and the walls were frescoed. Excepting that the change involved the ascent of a flight of stairs, it was an undoubted improvement.
Mr. Williams was dismissed October 1, 1842, by reason of the failure of his health and some difficulties that arose. He after-
* The ladies of the society, unwilling that so interesting a relic of the old times should go to destruction, have caused the sounding-board to be rehabilitated and suspended in the lower hall of the church.
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HISTORY OF EXETER.
wards entered the medical profession. He was a graduate of Yale College in the class of 1816.
The society next chose for their minister the Rev. Joy H. Fairchild, who was installed September 20, 1843, and resigned July 30, 1844. A charge of incontinence at the place of his former settlement preferred against him, gave rise to protracted controversies that forbade all hope of his future usefulness in Exeter. He was a native of Guilford, Connecticut, and a gradu- ate of Yale College in 1813.
The Rev. Roswell D. Hitchcock was the next regular occupant of the pulpit. He was ordained November 19, 1845, and dis- missed July 7, 1852. He was a native of East Machias, Maine, born August 15, 1817, and an alumnus of Amherst College of the class of 1836. While settled in Exeter, he spent one year in Germany, in the universities of Halle and Berlin. After leaving Exeter he was a professor in Bowdoin College for three years, and then was appointed to a like position in the Union Theological Seminary, New York. Of this institution he was afterwards made president, and held the office up to the time of his death June 17, 1887.
He was succeeded in Exeter by the Rev. William D. Hitchcock, who was installed October 5, 1853, and began his ministrations with every prospect of permanence and usefulness, but his career was cut short in a single year by his death November 23, 1854.
More than a year and a half expired before the pulpit was again permanently filled. The Rev. Nathaniel Lasell was installed June 19, 1856, and asked his dismission, after three years of service, June 12, 1859. He was subsequently engaged in the profession of teaching.
The Rev. Elias Nason was the next incumbent, installed Novem- ber 22, 1860, and dismissed May 30, 1865. He was a native of Billerica, Massachusetts, and a graduate of Brown University. He had been a teacher and an editor before he was ordained, and through life held the pen of a ready writer, on literary and histor- ical subjects. He published several works of history and biogra- phy, and delivered numerous lectures. He died in Billerica, Massachusetts, June 17, 1887, the same day as his predecessor in the Exeter ministry, the Rev. Dr. R. D. Hitchcock.
The next on the list of pastors was the Rev. John O. Barrows, a graduate of Amherst College in 1860, who was installed Decem- ber 5, 1866, and received his dismission October 6, 1869, which
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HISTORY OF EXETER.
he had requested in order that he might enter upon mission work in Asia.
The Rev. Swift Byington, the present minister of the society and the sixteenth in order, was installed June 2, 1871. He is a graduate of Yale College in the class of 1847, and a native of Bristol, Connecticut.
13
CHAPTER X.
THE SECOND PARISH. OTHER RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.
THE circumstances under which the secession from the original parish took place, in the year 1743, have been related. The seceders, who numbered about one-third of the tax-payers, and comprised some of the principal and wealthiest citizens, set up separate religious services, and proceeded without loss of time to erect a house of worship and organize a church.
Their meeting-house was finished in 1744, on land given them by Colonel Peter Gilman and Samuel Gilman, situated on the north- erly side of what is now Front street, between the houses of Dr. Josiah Gilman and John Dean, on the lot now owned by Colonel W. N. Dow. It was of two stories and of good dimensions, standing parallel with the street, with a steeple in which a bell was hung, on the western end. The pulpit was in the side farthest from the street ; a gallery ran round the other three sides, and the main entrance was opposite the pulpit.
The attempts made from time to time by the worshippers in the new meeting-house to obtain exemption from the payment of min- ister's rates for the support of the old parish have already been detailed. In these days of wider religious tolerance we may think that the adherents of the Messrs. Odlin should have been more liberal, and ought to have exonerated their withdrawing brethren from the forced contribution which the law enabled them to exact ; but it is not quite safe to say what would have been our own conduct if we had lived in their time, and had felt the same provo- cation which they did. It is too late now to attempt to decide upon the merits of the respective parties.
The new society for some years had no settled pastor. In 1746 they made an unsuccessful attempt to engage the services of the Rev. Samuel Buel ; and in 1747 they invited Mr. John Phillips, one of their own number, and afterwards the founder of the Phillips Exeter Academy, to assume the pastoral office, but he
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HISTORY OF EXETER.
modestly declined, upon the ground of his incapacity, partly by reason of the delicacy of his lungs, to perform all the duties of the position. They were more successful with the Rev. Daniel Rogers, who preached for them early after their separation, and again in the latter part of 1747, and pleased them so well that he remained with them during the rest of his life. They gave him a formal call, and on the thirty-first of August, 1748, he was, by consent of a council of churches, installed over the society as their minister. This was not done, however, without a remonstrance from the old church, backed by the opinion of six ministers from neighboring towns, that the proceeding was irregular.
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