USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Hampton Falls > History of the town of Hampton Falls, New Hampshire : from the time of the first settlement within its borders, 1640 until 1900 > Part 5
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the Parish than from any Reasonable objection they had against Either of the Persons-But Mr. Lawrence also gave a Negative an- swer on account of terms of Settlement Wherupon the People in General Signified their Desire to Renew their Call to Mr. Wingate, and agreed to get him to Preach for four Sabbaths, if he could be Procured. It is true this was opposed by those who had all along opposed his settlement, but this was then but three or four persons. Mr. Wingate was, accordingly, Procured for four Sabbaths, after which a meeting was Called, Notice being up two Sabbaths as usual, to see if the Parish would Renew their Call to Mr. Wingate to settle which we mention, because it has been Represented as if there had been some unfair Proceedings as to this meeting, tho, in what Par- ticulars, we could never find. At this meeting there was again a general Vote of the Parish to Renew their Call to Mr. Wingate, not more than six or seven Voting against it, and he had also again a unanamous Vote of the Church. at the Same meeting also were Voted terms of settlement which being five Pounds Sterling more than had been Voted before, there were more Persons against the terms of settlement than against the Call. tho, we think not more than ten or twelve at that time But afterwards many of these Peti- tioners spoke of it as an Extravagant sum (the sum is 55£ Sterling in the whole besides the Parsonage) and made this the Ground of uneasiness and of stirring up Persons against Mr. Wingate's Settle- ment Representing that it was too much for such a Poor Parish to Pay, and if they were taken off, they would be Easy: this was their General talk and the whole Ground of Complaint then made.
With what Propriety they Desire to take off (as they say) near one half and to maintain another minister when but a year or two ago,
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HISTORY OF CHURCHI AND PARISH.
the whole Parish were not able to pay fifty five pounds Sterling yearly we must leave to themselves to Explain. The truth is the whole Parish is not more than sufficient to support one minister Properly. Tho. we think there was no Reason to find fault with what was Voted Mr. Wingate. Thus matters Rested for some time and it was Generally tho't that the uneasiness which had arose on ae- compt of the Salary would subside. But sometime after some of those persons who had all along opposed our Settlement went about, and in a very Private manner Procured a Number of Persons to Sign a Paper to Signify to Mr. Wingate that there was a great Number of Persons in the Parish against his settlement in order to Discourage him from accepting, which being accidentally heard of by one or two persons who were for Mr. Wingate's Settlement, and of the time when they Designed to Carry the same to Mr. Wingate it was tho't Proper that some Persons should go and meet them at Mr. Wingate's to know what Objeetions there were and Endeavor to Clear up any Difficulties that might be made, accordingly three or four Persons went and met the Persons who had been Procuring Signers, and informed them of what they heard, Desiring to know who were uneasy and what their Objections were, that they might elear up the Matters if they eould. But they Reply'd that what they had to Say was to Mr. Wingate, they had nothing to say to any Body Else, and after the other Persons were with drawn they Delivered a Paper to MIr Wingate Signed by a considerable Number of Persons Signi- fying that they were against his settling, without assigning the Least Reason, and when they were asked the Reasons Deelined giving any which not appearing to Mr. Wingate (after Enquiring into all Cireumstances) to have Equal weight with the unanamous Vote of the Church and Clear Vote of the Parish at a Legal meeting he ac- eepted of the Call. After this another Paper was carried about to be signed to Request the seleetmen to eall a meeting "to see if the freeholders, Inhabitants of Hampton falls will Vote that all the Votes that have been Past Relating to, Mr. Wingate's eall in the Work of the ministry Salary, and support in this Parish of Hampton falls be Repealed, and absolutely Revoked and made void & eo. which being Delivered to the selectmen they Denied ealling a meeting, looking upon it altogether as Improper after matters had been fairly and clearly determined at fair and Legal meetings, to eall a meeting to Revoke the same as it would be after a minister had been setled Ever so Long, to have a meeting to Revoke all that had ever been done .- The absurdity and Impropriety of which they tho't must be quite Evident with several other Reasons which they gave the Petitioners in writing in answer to their Request, in hopes to satisfy them that their Request was unreasonable However it had not this Effect, But they Proceeded to get a meeting Called by two Justices at which meeting they voted all the Proceedings Relating to Mr. Wingate's settlement to be Null and Void .- But not trusting to this when the
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
Councell was convened a Committee of the above Persons appeared and Objected to Mr. Wingate's being Ordained. But never made the Least Objection against his Doctrine, life or Conversation, but on the Contrary, being asked by the Council whether they had any Objec- tions of this sort said they had not, neither did they make the Least Suggestion that they were of a Different Perswasion.
We hope your Excellency and Honors will Excuse this so long a Rehersal of the Transaction of the Parish Relative to these affairs as all the Objections hitherto made, were against the Proceedings of the Parish as Illegal and unfair-for that of being Presbyterians had not yet come into their minds, and these Objections as in the Present Petition Couched in General terms without assigning a single Instance Wherin they were unprecedented or justly Grievous, which made it necessary for to give a Particular accompt, of the whole Proceedings that the Instance wherin we have failed, may be Pointed Out, for we never yet could tell wherin it was .- From this state of facts we apprehend it will appear clear to your Excellency and Honors that the transactions of said Parish, Relative to Mr. Wingate's settlement, have been Regular, and agreeable to the Law and Practice in such Cases. That his call to settlement was as clear and as In- disputable, as Generally can be Expected, and that those who after- wards were Drawn in to oppose it had no just cause for so doing- That at the time when Mr. Wingate was ordained none of these Peti- tioners had the least tho't of being of a different Perswasion for if they had it must be supposed they would have made that one objection before the Councill .- We are therfore fully Perswaded that they will appear wholly Inexcusable in Representing as they do in their Petition as if Mr. Wingate's Religious Sentiments and the Doctrines Preached by him were the ground of their uneasiness, the contrary to which they themselves declared before the Councill, Moreover from the best Infor- mation we can get, one Quarter part at least of these Petitioners never heard Mr. Wingate Preach in their lives and many others of them not more than once or twice, and not one in twenty of them Ever had the least conversation with him to Know any thing of his Religious Senti- ments, And they have put down the Name of one at Least in their Petition, who his own father has Represented as an Idiot, so wanting of understanding that he ought not to be taxed for his head, and he has been accordingly omitted, and many of the Other Petitioners do not own one Inch of Real Estate in the Parish .- How fair these things are we leave to be Judged, and of the like sort is their assertion that near one half of the Inhabitants of said Parish Constantly opposed Mr. Wingate's settlement and dissented therefrom, the Contrary to which is Evident from the foregoing state of facts.
That these Petitioners as well as we are Intitled to his Majesty's Grace, and favor we have not the least doubt .- and this we look upon to be so great a Privelege and favor, that it ought never to be made use of to serve wrong Purposes, and here we beg leave only to Remark that if any number of Persons without any, the least pretense of
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IIISTORY OF CHURCHI AND PARISH.
being of a Different Perswasion, or any the least Objection to the settled minister as to his Doctrine, Life or Conversation (which was the fact here) inny at any time Separate and set up as a Distinct Society, by themselves, without any Countenance from authority, and whether those they separate from Remain able to support the minister or not, (whatever Denomination such may please to assume afterwards) there Evidently Can be no Certain support for the min- istry at all, which is very far from being the Design of the Act of Toleration, And plainly tends to Destroy Religion of all Denominations.
That these Petitioners have the true Doctrines of Grace and Salva- tion preached to them according to their sense of these things, we have nothing to say to, and that they are so Preached by Mr. Wingate, Even these Petitioners themselves after all their Endeavors, could never find the least Objection to make to the Contrary, so that the Inuendos and suggestions against Mr. Wingate's Preaching are put in as we Conceive for no other Reason than that they tho't it neces- sary in Order to their having any Colour for what they Ask, that there should have been in Reality what they without the least foundation Suggest .- Such methods we think quite needless in a Good cause, and they will, we trust, be quite unavailable in any Other. Wherfore we Humbly Pray, not only on behalf of the Parish of Hampton falls, But of all Religious Societies in General that the Petition may be Dismissed-For we think that Encouraging Persons in Methods such as these Petitioners have Practiced will have a direct tendency to Destroy Religious Societys of Every Denomination
But if it shall Appear Otherwise to your Excellency and Honors we Humbly Pray that they may be made a Distinct Parish to act in all Respects by themselves we being fully convinced from what we have already Experienced how great will be the Difficulties of being Connected in Civil matters while there is a Separation as to Others .- For which Reason the Parish were willing, Notwithstanding the un- reasonableness of all their Proceedings, that they should go off as a Distinct Parish and their not accepting of this we think Shews their Dispasition more to keep the Parish in Difficulties than that Religious Principles are the foundation of their Proceedings.
MESHECH WEARE RICHARD NASON JONATHAN TILTON CALEB SANBORN NATHANIEL GOVE ABNER SANBORN JR
Committee.
Province of In the House of Representatives July 2nd 1766.
New Hampshire §
The foregoing Petition being taken under consideration and the Parties heard theron.
Voted That the Petitioners have liberty to Bring in a Bill for them and their Estates to be set off from the Parish of Hampton Falls to
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
act in all respects as a distinct Society or Parish by themselves- Except paying their proportion of the Province tax until a new pro- portion therof .- The line of said New Parish to be fixed by a com- mittee of the General Court, with liberty for such of the Petitioners as shall not fall within said New Parish to Poll off, with their Estates and Belong therto-And for any who shall fall within said new Parish who are not of the Presbyterian Perswasion to poll off with, their Estates and belong to the Old Parish and for any who are not of the Presbyterian Perswasion who have or shall have lands within Said New Parish to Poll off said lands to belong to the old Parish, agree- ably to the purport of a vote of the Parish of Hampton Falls the sec- ond day of Sept. 1765
M. WEARE Chr.
Province of
New Hampshire
In the House of Representatives July 9th 1766
Upon a motion of the Petitioners for some alteration in the fore- going vote.
Voted that it be understood that any non Residents who have or shall have lands in Either Parish shall have liberty to Poll off their said land to that Parish they shall choose
M. WEARE Chr.
In Council Eodm Die
Read and Concurred.
When the parish learned that the Presbyterians had petitioned the General Court for the erection of a new parish within the town, a meeting was held December 30, when Mechech Weare was chosen chairman of a committee of six to appear in behalf of the parish, "to make a True Representation of the proceedings of the parish and to endeavor that the Petition may be Dismissed or that the petitioners may be set off, in all Respects to act as a distinct Parish by themselves."
The condition of affairs at this time appears to have been about this: the old parish did not want another parish within its bor- ders, but if they failed to prevent it they wanted them set off as a distinct and separate town, and this was the substance of what was voted at their meeting December 30. 1765. The petitioners wanted another parish erected in the south part of the town, and the min- isterial money raised upon their property applied to its support, but did not want to be made a separate town. In a petition to the General Assembly, in 1:67, they ask "to be set off as a distinet parish for ministerial purposes only." The old parish was unable to prevent the formation of a new parish, but did succeed in having the petitioners set off as a separate town.
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HISTORY OF CHURCH AND PARISH.
At a meeting April 25, 1768, it was voted that the selectmen be a committee to wait on the committee appointed by the General Court to divide the parish of Hampton Falls, to inform said com- mittee what may appear necessary, ete. In the final division some of the people of Seabrook have felt that Hampton Falls got some advantage over them.
SEABROOK CHARTER.
Anno Regni Regis Georgii Tertii Magna Brittaniæ, Francia et Hiberniæ
An act for erecting and incorporating a new Parish in the southerly part of Hampton Falls in this Province.
Wheras a considerable number of the inhabitants of the Southerly and Westerly parts of Hampton falls have petitioned the General Assembly, to be set off from the old and erected into a new Parish, which has not been opposed: And a Committee of the General Assem- bly have been appointed to fix a line between the Parish proposed to be set off, and the old Parish, who have performed that service and made their return which has been accepted-Therfore be it Enacted by the Governor, Council, and Assembly, That there be and herby is a new Parish erected and incorporated in Hampton falls By the following Boundaries, Viz. A line beginning on Kensington line near Joseph Brown's dwelling house at a road Called Horse hill road, and following said road down to a bridge below Weare's mill. Then runs Easterly on the north line of Elisha Brown's land to the northeast corner therof by the Quakers parsonage so Called .- Then following the road that leads by Henry Thresher's house to the country road, then following the line between land of Abraham Dow and Ralph Butler and Isaac Brown and between land of said Dow and land of Mechech Weare Esq. to the southeast corner of said Weare's marsh at Brown's river so called. then following said river to the westerly end of parsonage island so called. Then round on the Southern and eastern sides of said island to the aforesaid river and to the mouth therof, Shall be the dividing line between the old Parish of Hampton falls and said new Parish, which contain all that part of Hampton falls which lays southerly of said line and Easterly of Ken- sington line-And all the Polls and Estates within Said boundaries are herby Erected and incorporated into a new Parish by the name of Seabrook, and invested with the legal powers and authorities and enfranchised with the same rights Liberties and priveleges that any other Parish in the Province has and enjoys, and are herby exonerated and discharged of and from any duties, taxes and services which they were hitherto bound to do and perform at Hampton falls except as herin after declared, and are also herby excluded from joining with Hampton falls in voting about and concerning any Parochial or town affairs, Saving to particular persons their rights and privileges by
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
law established-And be it further enacted that the highways which are part of the boundary shall be divided, repaired, and maintained as follows, Viz From the beginning of Henry Thresher's way so called, by the country road to the Quakers' Parsonage so called and from the west side of the bridge below Weare's mill to Kensington line, By the new parish and all the residue of said highways by the Parish of Hampton falls aforesaid And it is agreed that the Province rate now proportioned to Hampton falls shall be divided between said parishes It is agreed between them that the said new Parish pay two fifth parts therof annually, till a new proportion be made,-And the treasurer of said province is herby directed to issue his warrants accordingly. And as there are within the limits of said new parish many people Called Quakers who have no concern with the Choice and maintain- ance of the minister settled by the other people of said parish. It is herby enacted that the party in said parish commonly Called Presbyterians, shall choose all officers necessary to carry on their affairs, relating to the choice, Settlement and maintainance of a minister of the Gospel and the building and repairing of the meeting house from time to time, as there shall be occasion, in a separate manner in another meeting without any connection with the common concerns of the parish which officers so chosen shall have the same authority in the business and service for which they shall be chosen as officers of the same name have by law in other parishes, and shall act under oath and be chosen in succession as other parish officers are. In which Election of such officers the Quakers shall have no vote. Provided nevertheless that any person in either of said parishes shall have liberty to poll off, into the other with their estates at any time within two months after passing this act, by giving in their names, and informing the Selectmen of Each parish of their design, and the number of male Polls, belonging to those who are householders who shall so poll off into the other parish respectivly-Any person owning any real estate in either of said parishes who is an inhabitant of some other parish or town may within that time determine to which of said parishes his estate shall belong, and shall declare the same to the Selectmen as aforesaid-and the like time to be allowed to young men whose names were given in as aforesaid after their arrival at full age, Who shall in like manner give in their names and declare to which of said parishes they join and will be deemed to belong And a like time shall be allowed to any person within the meaning of this act, who is absent out of the province at the time of passing the same, after their return.
Provided also that all debts due from said Hampton falls or any demand on them for anything done before the settlement of Mr. Wingate as their minister shall be paid by the whole parish, as tho. this act had never been made and the taxes made since this settle- ment for his support to remain to be settled and determined in the course of law unless agreed to by the parties .- And Samuel Collins is herby appointed and authorized to call the first meeting of the
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HISTORY OF CHURCH AND PARISH.
parishoners of said parish for transacting the general and common business of said parish-And Mr. Winthrop Gove is herby appointed and authorized to call a meeting of said Presbyterians and those con- cerned in their ministerial affairs aforesaid and each of them is herby directed to give fourteen days notice of the time place and design of said meeting by posting up notifications therof at the meeting house in said parish
Province of In the house of Representatives June 2nd 1768. New Hampshire S This act was read a third time and passed to be enacted
P. GILMAN Speaker.
In Couneil June 3d 1768-This bill read a third time and passed to be enacted.
T. ATKINSON JR. Secry. Assented to
J. WENTWORTH
A true Copy Attest SAMUEL WEARE Parish Clerk
POLLING OFF.
By a provision of the act establishing the Presbyterian church. and the charter of the new town of Seabrook, any person living in either town could, within two months after the act went into effect. elect in which town they would be rated with their polls and estates. It appeared to have been the idea at that time that Hamn- ton Falls would always remain under the parish church system, and be governed by the rules of the Congregational church, and that Seabrook would always be a Presbyterian parish and be gov- erned by the laws of that church. The polling off was a thing in the interest of religious freedom and toleration, giving those in either town who held opinions not in accord with the church estah- lished there the liberty to pay their taxes in the other town, with whose church government they were in sympathy, and not be com- pelled to help support preaching they did not believe in. This freedom was carried so far that non-residents could poll their tax- able property from one town to the other as the owners might elect, to support the Congregational or Presbyterian form of church government. Quite a number of non-residents availed themselves of the privilege. This system of polling off continued until 191, when an act was passed by the legislature abolishing it and requir. ing all property to be taxed where it was situated. The immediate canse which led to the passage of this act was that trouble had arisen
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
in relation to the highway tax. After this a number of names which had disappeared from our records since 1968, appeared again upon our rate list. Whether all those who polled from one town to the other were wholly governed by religious motives in their choice we have no means of knowing, but we have some reason to believe that this was not in every case the sole cause. We give below a list of those who polled off under this act.
The following citizens of Hampton Falls polled into Seabrook:
Henry Roby
Isaac Brown
Benjamin Leavitt
Daniel Gove
Joseph Gove
Abraham Green
Richard Tobie
Abel Davis
Job Haskel
Dudley Chase
Jonathan Hardy
Richard Tobey
Daniel Chase
Jonathan Green Jr
Jonathan Green
Samuel Ring
Henry Thresher
The following minors polled from Hampton Falls to Seabrook:
Daniel Gove
Charles Chase
David Gove
Bradbury Hardy
Jacob Thresher
Jonathan Hardy
Joseph Thresher
Nathan Green
David Thresher
Benjamin Green
David Chase Green
David Green
John Chase
Daniel Davis
The following persons living in Seabrook, and owning land in Hampton Falls, elected to have it taxed in Seabrook:
Abner Philbrick
Jonathan Dow
Benjamin Connor
Samuel Philbrick
Enoch Dow
Richard Gove
Abraham Dow
John Brown
Jonathan Chase
Thomas Brown
Jonathan Weare
John Brown Jr
Jacob Hook
John Gove
Winthrop Dow
Widow Mehitable Brown
Elisha Brown
Widow Hannah Gove.
Newburyport men owning land in Hampton Falls who elected to have it taxed in Seabrook:
Jeremiah Peterson
Ralph Cross
Ralph Cross at that time owned the farm now occupied by War- ren Brown. Stephen Caldwell, who came from Ipswich after 1740
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HISTORY OF CHURCH AND PARISH.
and was a farm tenant for Mr. Cross, was rated with the farm in Seabrook.
Nottingham men who polled land into Seabrook were: Jonathan Gove Samuel Gove
Exeter men who polled land into Seabrook:
Abraham Sanborn
Kensington men who polled land into Seabrook:
John Green, Obediah Johnson
Edward Green. John Dow
Jonathan Purington. Jeremiah Green.
Persons living in Seabrook who polled into Hampton Falls were:
David Norton
Moses Norton
John Luey Hussey Hoag
Noah Dow Gamael Knowles
Widow Sarah French
Minors who polled from Seabrook to Hampton Falls were:
Moses Knowles John Blake
Nathan Blake
Hampton Falls men owning land in Seabrook who polled into Hampton Falls were:
Esq Fifield
Nathan Green
Daniel Brown Jeremiah Blake
Nathan Gove
Nathan Tilton
Nathan Cram
Stephen Stoodley
Moses Gill
Henry Blake
Jacob Green
John Moulton Esqr
Salisbury men polling land from Seabrook to Hampton Falls were:
Esq Cushing Elias Pike
Henry Eaton Josiah Hook
Kensington men polling land from Seabrook to Hampton Falls were:
Capt Gove Benj Brown Dea. Dow Henry Lamprey Joseph Brown Edward Palmer
Ebeneazer Brown Josiah Brown Jeremiah Batchelder Simon Batehelder Joseph Batehelder
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
At the first convention held at Exeter, 17:4, Henry Roby was a member from Seabrook. At the second convention held at Exeter, 1:25, Henry Roby and Benjamin Leavitt were delegates from Sea- brook. Both lived in the town of Hampton Falls. Jonathan Leavitt was the second town clerk of Seabrook, and was a Revolu- tionary soldier credited to that town. He lived at the Leavitt farm near Cock hill. Jonathan Hardy. who had polled into Sea- brook, having become reduced in property, and needing assistance, the selectmen of Seabrook came up and disposed of his remaining property at Great hill and applied the proceeds to his support.
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