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 7
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This call was declined.
Ap. 27 1778 It was voted that the Louer Part of the Parish have what is called the Louer Parsonage, Buildings and flats (salt marsh) And the upper part of the Parish to have what is called the Upper Parsonage for the present year.
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HISTORY OF CHURCH AND PARISH.
Oct. 19 In a warrant for a meeting, an effort was made for unit- ing with Seabrook to hire preaching between them Seabrook at that time not having a setled minister
There is no record that this movement succeceded. At the next meeting it was voted to hire preaching two months at the new meet- ing-house.
June 14 Voted to invite Mr. Zacheus Colby to settle at a Salary of Sixty pounds, beside the parsonage and that he should preach at Seabrook such a part of the time as they should pay for.
This call was not accepted.
In the warrant for a meeting September 1, 1777, the selectmen had received from Gen. Jonathan Moulton of Hampton an offer of a tract of land lying in Moultonborough Gore. or addition, to be used in supporting the Gospel in the parish forever. The 16th of Sep- tember Benjamin Sanborn, Jeremiah Lane, and Nehemiah Cram were chosen a committee to go and inspect said land. November 4 they reported that it seemed to them to be good and valuable land. A committee was chosen to thank General Moulton, and to seek some modification of his terms and report at an adjourned meeting. The only record of this adjourned meeting is that the moderator declared the meeting dissolved.
Dec. 11th 1780 Voted not to hire any one on probation but to extend a call to Rev. Dr. Samuel Langdon to settle at a salary of fifty pounds lawful money annually, or forty two pounds and eight cords good merchantable wood-Three and sixpence of said money to be as good as one Bushel Indian Corn, four Pence Equal to one Pound of Pork, Two Pence half Penny, equal to one pound of good beef, and the buildings and outside fences to be kept in repair as has been usual in times past-The lands to be free from taxes.
When it had been decided to occupy and fortify Bunker Hill in Charlestown. three Massachusetts regiments and two hundred Con- nectient men as a fatigue party were detailed for the purpose and ordered to parade on the afternoon of June 16. Before going to Charlestown they were drawn up on Cambridge common, where they listened to a fervent prayer made by Rev. Samuel Langdon, president of Harvard College, in which he blessed them and bade them Godspeed in their efforts to achieve American independence.
In 1782 an effort was made to form a town comprising Seabrook
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
and a part of Hampton Falls, to be called New Hampton Falls. A bill having been introduced into the assembly to that effect the town took measures to defeat its passage and were successful. We have never been able to find out who were the instigators of this movement, but it probably had its origin from the church troubles of the preceding years, as some of the people living in the lower part of the parish attended church at Seabrook after the new meet- ing-house was built.
DR. LANGDON'S LETTER OF ACCEPTANCE.
Wheras the Inhabitants of Hampton Falls att a Legal meeting held on the Eleventh Day of December 1780 by their vote at Said meeting gave me a call to be their minister, and by a subsequent vote made provision [here he carefully states the terms] all which votes have been communicated to me by their committee-There seriously at- tended the foregoing call to devote my Labors in the ministry of the Gospel, to the service of the Parish and notwithstanding some Discouragments which have appeared in my way, and the earnest applications which have been made to me by some other Parishes when there was a prospect of a Peaceable and comfortable settlement I cannot but apprehend it to be my Duty to comply, with the Call of this Parish, Considering the unhappy divided state they have been in for so many years, past, and hoping I am not mistaken in Judging it to be a call from God, by the Intimation of his Providence-I do herby Declare my acceptance of their call together with the provision made for that part of my support which is granted .- the Deficiency of which is to be made up by the Bretheren of the Church & Congrega- tion also reserving to myself the Liberty of Choice as to the alternative mentioned in the fifth vote-And relying on the gracious assistance of our Lord Jesus Christ, I shall make it my Constant Care and Labor to fulfill the Duties of the Gospel Ministry in this place to the utmost of my abilities So Long as God shall continue me among this people.
SAMUEL LANGDON D. D.
Hampton Falls January 7th 1781
For the Parish Clerk in Hampton Falls to be Recorded in the Parish Book.
Dr. Langdon chose the eight cords of wood instead of the addi- tional eight pounds lawful money. Good, merchantable wood was in all probability hard wood.
While living here Rev. Dr. Langdon compiled and published a book, of which the following is a copy of the title page:
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HISTORY OF CHURCH AND PARISH.
OBSERVATIONS
On the Revelation of Jesus Christ to St. JJohn, which comprehend the most approved sentiments of the Celebrated Mr. Mede, Mr. Lowman, Bishop Newton and other noted writers on this book, and cast much additional Light on the most obscure prophecies Especially those which point out the time of The Rise and fall of Anti Christ
IN TWO PARTS,
Containing PART I. General observations on Prophecy, The Form. Order, and style of the Revelation, The Monitory vision
PART II. The Prophetic Visions, which are distinguished into Five Prophecies Each of which is Subdivided into several scenes.
BY SAMUEL LANGDON D. D.
Minister of Hampton falls in the State of New Hampshire.
Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, For the time is at hand. Rev. chap. 1, Verse 3.
Printed at Worcester, Massachusetts, by Isaiah Thomas.
MDCCXCI.
The views expressed in this work appear to have been those gen- erally entertained at that time, and were presented in an able and interesting manner. This book was bound in leather and contained 33 pages, a copy of which was presented to the Hampton Falls town library by Mrs. J. Emmons Brown in 1897.
The old meeting-house was sold at public auction January 13, 1180, and the proceeds appropriated for the support of the poor, Dr. Langdon having been settled to preach in the new meeting-house.
In 1:85 it was voted to sell the parsonage house and five acres of land, and a certain piece of thatch ground, called Parsonage island, and that the proceeds be applied to the purchase of a house and lands more convenient to the meeting-house, and a committee was chosen for the purpose. At what time the parsonage house and lands were sold we have no definite knowledge. The house and lands adjoining to it were sold to Nathaniel Healey, the ship builder, who appears to have lived there for a number of years. He sold the premises to Theophilus Sanborn, in whose family it has since remained. The five acres opposite the Weare house were probably sold to them, as it was afterward included in their farm.
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
A house standing where Lewis T. Sanborn's house now stands, and eleven acres of land extending down the road toward Hampton, was bought of Jonathan Perkins and used as a parsonage. The house was the one destroyed by fire in 1858, and was the one in which Dr. Langdon and Rev. Mr. Abbot lived. and was sold when the town ministry ceased. After Dr. Langdon's time what was known as the parsonage comprised this place and the pasture below Grapevine run.
March 1787 An Article Relative to making an addition to Doctr Langdon's Salary was taken under Consideration, but no vote was passed upon it.
Jan. 1788 The Revd Doctor Langdon D. D. was chosen and appointed for a Delegate for the Convention to be held at Exeter on the second Wednesday of February next for the purpose of adopting a Consti- tution for the United States.
March 1789 Voted, That the addition to Dr. Langdon's Salary for the future Shall be ten pounds .- At two shillings for Days work- or if any choose to pay money they may have liberty to pay.
It was previously voted that the addition should be in labor.
Feb. 1793 Voted to sel the Parsonage Land near Esq. Wear's, & Voted to Sel Come of the Common on the south side of the old Meeting house hil, as much as Josiah Pevere took in the School house fraim
The committee chosen for that purpose were instructed to invest the proceeds in marsh land or upland, to be added to the parsonage.
In explanation of the second vote it appears that Mr. Peryear had at some time bought the lot on the south side of the parsonage house (now between Mrs. Sanborn's and the Wellswood) with the intention of building a house thereon. The parish, not wishing to have a house there, persuaded him to exchange it for a lot on the common, near where the schoolhouse now stands, where he built a house and lived for a number of years.
Rev. Samuel Langdon was born in Boston in 1:23. Graduated at llarvard College in 1740. Was a teacher in Portsmouth soon after. Was settled as pastor at Portsmouth from 1946 to 1174. Was president of Harvard College from 1714 until 1:80. Was in- stalled pastor of Hampton Falls church January 18, 1:81. Died November 29, 1797, aged 25 years. Ile was buried in the old cemetery on the cross road. He gave his library to the church for the use of the ministers of Hampton Falls. Dr. Langdon was
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HISTORY OF CHURCH AND PARISHI.
the first minister who occupied the parsonage house, which stood near the site of Lewis T. Sanborn's house. His term of the min- istry was quiet and peaceful: the animosities which had cansed so much trouble during the ministry of his predecessor. had in a meas- ure subsided, but were never wholly overcome. Tradition says his services were quite lengthy, the sun being well down in winter when the afternoon meeting closed. At that time there were no means of heating the house. His sermons were written, but delivered with- out notes from memory; occasionally he would examine his manu- script with a reading glass. While living here Dr. Langdon had the misfortune to break his leg, which obliged him to preach for several Sundays standing in the broad aisle before he was able to ascend the high pulpit. It is said that he recommended Rev. Mr. Abbot to be his successor.
Matters in the parish in relation to the troubles which arose be- cause of the building of the new meeting-house did not mend very fast. In 1791 it was put to vote to see if the meeting would vote the committee any compensation for their services in building the new meeting-house, and it was decided in the negative. At the time this controversy was going on emigrants were going to Ohio, which was then the far west. The new meeting-house was called in derision the Ohio meeting-house, because it was located so far west, and it was generally spoken of as the "Hio meeting-house." The immediate neighborhood around the meeting-house was called by its opponents "Tuttletown."
It was impossible to get any appropriation to repair the church. although a number of attempts were made. The only time when anything was voted was in 1829, when it was voted to shingle the north side of the meeting-house, and to sell wood and timber enough from the parsonage to defray the expense.
The first instance of a committee on our record to inspect schools was in 1194, when Dr. Langdon was chosen chairman of such a committee.
October 30, 1391, just previous to Dr. Langdon's death. it was voted to hire some suitable person to preach four Sabbaths, and at an adjourned meeting December 25, it was voted to hire "eight Sab- baths' preaching." At a meeting February 18, 1198, arrangements were made for two more Sabbaths, and it was put to vote and de- sired by the meeting that the selectmen put up a notification "to see if the town will hire Mr. Abbot upon probation."
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
At the same time a committee was appointed to confer with Lieutenant Fifield and others and invite them to join in public worship. These people lived at the lower end of the parish, and were dissatisfied with the location of the house and either attended church at Seabrook or did not attend at all.
Up to this time Hampton Falls had generally been known and spoken of as the parish of Hampton Falls, and very seldom as the town of Hampton Falls, and Falls was generally written and printed with a small "f."
November 12, 1798, in was voted to hire Mr. Abbot five Sabbaths on probation, and at the expiration of that time a call was extended to him to settle as pastor.
The terms offered him were the parsonage, ten cords of pine and hemlock wood delivered at his door, two hundred dollars, and his choice between six cords of good, merchantable hard wood and twenty-five dollars. May ? this offer was increased to three hun- dred silver dollars. His letter of acceptance, which is upon the record, is dated June 2, 1798.
The only other subsequent mention of Mr. Abbot upon the sec- ond book of records, which closes in 1814, is that he was chairman of the school committee from 1801 until 1807.
Ile married February 11, 1802, Miss Catherine, daughter of Rev. Ebenezer Thayer of Boston, by whom he had nine children. He was ordained pastor of the church August 15, 1798, Rev. Jesse Appleton of Hampton giving the right hand of fellowship.
Though "he discharged faithfully, affectionately, and with ae- ceptance the duties of the ministry," and was esteemed and beloved, a portion of his pastorate was somewhat troubled on account of the rise of other denominations. At the time of his settlement some made objection to the soundness of his belief. The Congregational ministers at that time were divided into two classes, Arminians and Calvinists. Mr. Abbot was classed with the Arminians. The Arminians gradually departed from the Calvinistic system and fore- bore to urge its tenets. They omitted to press the Athanasian creed, or to use the Trinitarian doxology, but preferred Scripture expres- sions on these disputed points. They did not insist as a prelim- inary to the ordination of a young man to the Christian ministry his professing a belief in the Trinity or the five points of Calvinism. In a word the Arminians were more liberal in their belief than the: Calvinists. Mr. Abbot afterward became a Unitarian.
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HISTORY OF CHURCHI AND PARISH.
Mr. Abbot, during his pastorate, lived in the parsonage house occupied by Dr. Langdon. He and his family were much liked for their social qualities. Ile was much interested in agriculture: he carried on the parsonage lands with a great deal of intelligence; his methods were in advance of the times. He brought in some new kinds of fruit, and introduced the practice of grafting apple and other fruit trees. He was highly esteemed as a citizen, and his removal from the town was much regretted. While living here, Mr. Abbot often had in his family young men who were fitting for Harvard College, and those who had been conditioned or were sus- pended. Among the latter was Prof. John White Webster, who was hanged in Boston in 1850 for the murder of Dr. Parkman. Web- ster had a bad reputation while he was a member of Mr. Abbot's family.
Mr. Abbot was dismissed from the church in Hampton Falls October 23, 1827, and soon after purchased a farm and removed to Windham. He was drowned while returning from meeting, Sun- day. November 2. 1834, by the upsetting of his boat in crossing a pond between the meeting-house and his home.
Mr. Abbot may be considered the last of the six parish pastors settled in Hampton Falls. During his pastorate in 1818 the legis- lature passed what is known as the Toleration act, which gave lib- erty to any person to support and pay to any religious denomina- tion they might choose, and exempted such as wished to pay their money elsewhere from the assessment of any minister tax by the town.
During the town ministry Hampton Falls seems to have been very fortunate in the selection of its ministers. All of them were graduates of Harvard College, and men of ability, and well up with the times in which they lived, and were a living proof of the advan- tage of an educated ministry. During that time the town occupied a favorable position of respect among the neighboring towns, and we have not been gainers since the system was abolislied.
Rev. Jacob Abbot was born in Wilton, N. H., January 2, 1768, graduated from Harvard College in 1192, was ordained at Hamp- ton Falls August 15, 1798. Died November 2, 1834. His daugh- ter, Martha T., married N. Porter Cram of this town, and resided here during much of her after life.
After Mr. Abbot was dismissed, Rev. Moses Dow preached about three years as a stated supply. By the secession of the Baptists 6
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
and the withdrawal of those who held to the old doetrines, to unite with others at Seabrook and form the First Evangelical Congrega- tional Society of Seabrook and Hampton Falls, the church at Hamp- ton Falls ceased to represent what was known as New England Con- gregationalism. As many of those who formed and have been influ- ential in supporting and maintaining the Line church have been residents of this town, and are at the present time, we will follow them as the direct line from the old church, and now begin to quote from their records.
The Rev. Henry C. Jewett was engaged to preach during the sum- mer of 1834. He came in June and remained three or four months. Ile preached a part of the time in the Hampton Falls meeting-house and the remainder in the Exeter road schoolhouse, the Unitarians having possession of the meeting-house. After he left those who preferred evangelical preaching went to the Congregational meet- ing-house in Seabrook, where the Rev. Jonathan Ward was preach- ing.
Mr. Abbot was a Unitarian during the last part of his ministry. During his ministry many of the people united with the Baptists or became Unitarians. A part of the church, however, continued steadfast in the faith once delivered to the saints, adhering to and maintaining those doctrines which are generally received by what are called the orthodox churches of New England, and which are termed the Calvinistie doctrines. But in consequence of the divi- sion of sentiment on the subject of religion among the people gen- erally, and in compliance with the advice of neighboring ministers who had been consulted on the subject, those who had remained firm in the faith concluded to unite with the people of Seabrook for the purpose of maintaining publie religious worship and the ordinances of the gospel. This union, after much consultation, delay, and discouragement, was ultimately effected.
About the 1st of November, 1764, a church was organized in the south part of Hampton Falls, formerly a part of Hampton and now Seabrook. This church was of the Presbyterian order and was con- nected with the Boston Presbytery. The first Presbyterian church of Newburyport was represented at the organization by John Moul- ton, Jr., and Amos Coffin. The church was made principally of disaffected members of the Hampton Falls church. They gave as a reason for withdrawing that they were dissatisfied with Mr. Win- gate, and that they preferred the Presbyterian form of church gov-
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HISTORY OF CHURCH AND PARISHI.
ernment. Uniting with a few others from other towns they con- stituted a separate church. The records of this church, if any were kept, have been lost, but there are still in existence copies of a ser- mon preached January 31, 1765, at the ordination of the Rev. Sam- uel Perley to the pastoral care of the Presbyterian church and con- gregation of Hampton Falls by George Leslie, A. M., pastor of the church at Linebrook. It seems that there were many obstacles to the organization of a church after the form and to the establishing the gospel in this order. One of the objections probably was a remonstrance from the Congregational church at Hampton Falls, and it is conceived that some would be opposed to the Presbyterian form of church government. About fifteen years after this those who formerly belonged to Hampton Falls church, or a part of them, returned and were readmitted.
Mr. Perley was born at Ipswich, Mass., 1742. graduated at Har- vard in 1:63, ordained January 31, 1763, and dismissed May 22, 1175. Died in Maine November 28, 1831, at the advanced age of 89. After Mr. Perley's dismission there was no settled minister in Sea- brook for many years. Public worship was continued but the church was much scattered.
Rev. Elias Hull was settled as pastor over the church of Christ in Seabrook, February 6. 1199. Mr. IFull was born in Tolland, Conn., in 1718: settled February 6, 1199: died February 28, 1822, twenty- three years from the time of his settlement. During the latter part of his life he preached only occasionally. He had become unsteady and finally died an inebriate. When he first settled he was an acceptable preacher and had a full house. He was not a college graduate, preached without notes, and was a very fluent speaker. He once favored Methodist views, but was settled as a Congregationalist. The Presbyterian form of the church was lost and the Congregational took its place. The records, if any were kept. are not now to be found. Deacon Weare, Deacon Tucker (of Salisbury), Deacon Morrill. Thomas True, John Eaton. Benja- min Eaton, Thomas Cilley, and Joseph Felch are reported to have been members of the old Congregational church. There were prob- ably others, but these are all the names of males that can now be collected. This church contained but few male members.
After the death of Mr. Hull there was no settled minister in Sea- brook for several years. Part of the time they had preachers of different denominations; at others by the missionary society, and a part of the time they were entirely destitute.
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HISTORY OF HAMPTON FALLS.
The church in Hampton Falls, like that in most other towns, had its vicissitudes and trials. Starting in 1711, in 1:37 twenty-two males and thirty-five female members were peaceably dismissed to form a church in Kensington. In 1:44 quite a number had become Quakers and withdrawn. In 1:64 the Presbyterians went out and formed a new parish, which resulted in a division of the town. In 1808 the Baptists seceded and set up a separate church. April 30, 1827. twenty-nine persons legally organized themselves under the name of the "First Congregational Society in Hampton Falls," which title is still retained, but is more generally known as the Unitarian society. True M. Prescott is, at this time of writing, the only surviving original member. In 1835 came the most seri- ous division of all, when those who called themselves the evan- gelical portion of the society withdrew from the more liberal part of the church and afterward united with those in Seabrook under the name of the "First Evangelical Congregational Church of Sea- brook and Hampton Falls," leaving the more liberal part of the church, which were the more numerous, in possession of the meeting- house and the church records, etc. The reason for this division and trouble at this time given by those who went away was the favoring of the half-way covenant by the majority. Those who remained attributed it to the exceedingly radical and sulphurous character of Mr. Jewett's preaching.
May 8, 1832, the selectmen sold the parsonage land, buildings, and wood. On the 8th of October the assessors of the Congrega- tional society receipted for $1,154.91, that being the proportion due said society. At the annual meeting of the society, April 4, 1836, it was put to vote to see if the society would give those persons who contemplated forming themselves into a new society. to be called the "Hampton Falls and Seabrook Congregational Society," their proportion of the fund. It was passed in the negative, six voting in favor and eight against.
At the annual meeting of the society in 1833,-
Voted that the funds of the First Congregational Society in Hamp- ton Falls be divided into two parts. according to polls and rateable estate of the year 1836, provided the disaffected part of the Society with such other members of said Society as may join with them shall form a Separate Society and withdraw from this society they producing a certificate from the elerk of their Society that they are- aetual members therof.
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HISTORY OF CHURCH AND PARISII.
This fund at that time amounted to $1,500. The new society received $450.
May 13, 1837, the following persons had withdrawn: Thayer S. Sanborn, Reuben Batchelder, Emery Batchelder, Moses Batchelder, Samuel Batchelder, Jonathan Cram. Jr., Luke Averill, Joshua Pike, Jonathan Cram, Stephen Green, Robert S. Prescott, Josiah Batch- elder, Sherburne W. Rand, Caleb Tilton, Rebecca F. Cram, and Polly Dow.
In 1834 efforts were made to unite the towns of Hampton Falls, Kensington, and Seabrook into one Evangelical Congregational society. A number of meetings were held for the purpose. the result of which was the formation of the Evangelical Congrega- tional Society of Seabrook and Hampton Falls. For a time they held meetings in the old meeting-house in Seabrook. Rev. Jona- than Ward preached for a time. Later, when the society had built a new meeting-house near the line between the towns, Rev. David Sunderland preached a part of the time at the old meeting-house, and the remaining part at the new house. He was preaching here when the new house was dedicated and continued to preach for some months after.
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