USA > New Hampshire > Rockingham County > Exeter > Men and things of Exeter. Sketches from the history of an old New Hampshire town > Part 4
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lowed to build a gallery for their wives, at the end of the men's gallery, leaving room for still another, if desired, which Mrs. Sarah Wadley, Sarah Young, Alice Gilman, Abigail Wadley, Ephraim Mar- den's wife, Grace Gilman and Mary Law- rence had leave to erect and set up, at the north end of the house.
It would appear that within a few years after Mr. Dudley's settlement, the town had lost some inhabitants, perhaps per- sons of means, so that they were unable to continue his salary, and as he "was not willing to urge that from them which they could not comfortably discharge," it was agreed between them on the 13th of June, 1655, that "the contract made at the time of his settlement should be an- nulled ; that he should lay down his minister-character and that his future exercises on the Sabbath day should be done as a private person, he intending and promising to be helpful, what so may with convenience, either in his own house or some other which shall be ap- pointed for the Sabbath exercises."
The next year the town of Portsmouth, understanding probably that Mr. Dud- ley was relieved of his Exeter charge, passed a vote to invite him to remove thither and become their minister, and the selectmen of that town were author- ized to communicate the vote and make a contract with him. He received the proposition favorably, and agreed to visit Portsmouth the next spring.
The danger of losing their minister seems to have aroused the inhabitants of Exeter to new efforts ; for, at "a full town meeting" on the 8th of June, 1657, "it was ordered and agreed that so long
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as Mr. Samuel Dudley shall continue to be a minister in the town of Exeter, which shall be till there shall be some just cause for him to remove, whereof he is not to be judge himself, but other indif- ferent, understanding men,-the fewness of the people, or greater maintenance to be a cause, are excepted-the town of Exeter is to pay the said Samuel the sum of £50 yearly in merchantable pine boards and merchantable pipe staves, both to be delivered at the water-side, at the town of Exeter, at the current price as they shall go at when they are deliv- ered." The residue, in case full compen- tion was not thus made, was to be taken in corn, and the payments were to be in equal instalments on the 29th of Septem- ber and the 24th of June, in each year. The Wheelwright property was also fully confirmed to Mr. Dudley, and it was provided that the selectmen of the town should yearly " gather up" the said sum of £50, and in case they should fail to do so, they should be answerable to the town for their default, and make up out of their own pockets whatever they failed to collect! It is somewhat doubtful if the selectmen of our day would be will- ing to accept such a liability ; and per- haps it was only the fear of being de- prived of their minister which reconciled them to the condition, two centuries ago.
This action on the part of the town had the desired effect of inducing Mr. Dud- ley to abandon all thoughts of removing to Portsmouth, and to retain him to pur- sue his useful labors in Exeter.
Mr. Dudley being an excellent mnan of business and holding the pen of a ready writer, was frequently employed by his
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parishioners in secular affairs. At a meeting of the town on the 4th of March, 1658, a grant of certain land was made to him, in consideration of his drawing off from the town book all the former grants and necessary orders in relation thereto ; which it was stipulated were to be " fair- ly written." It was also provided, sin- gularly enough, that if he should find recorded any grant or order to hinder this grant of land to himself, the latter should be void, which is evidence of the entire confidence reposed by the people in his integrity.
In 1660 something was needed to be done to the house of worship either by way of addition or repairs, as the select- men were authorized, in case they should be " forced to lay out of their own estates towards the fitting up of the meeting house," to make a rate to reimburse themselves. This was a great advance on the earlier rule, which apparently re- quired the selectmen to make good any deficiency in the minister's salary ; and subsequent votes of the town, as will be seen, still further relieved them from re- sponsibility in parochial affairs.
At a town meeting, on the 15th of March, 1668, it was ordered that Lieuten- ant Hall be empowered to "arrest and sue any that belong to the town that re- fuse to pay to the rate of the ministry." And in 1671 it was agreed that the select- men should be exonerated from the duty of collecting the minister-rate, and that thenceforth Mr. Dudley was to "gather up his rate, himself," in consideration whereof he was to receive £60 instead of £50, yearly. The selectmen were to as- sess the tax, and in case any inhabitant
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should refuse to pay, they were to em- power Mr. Dudley to "get it by the con- stable."
Either this method of obtaining his salary was impracticable or unsatisfac- tory to Mr. Dudley, or the infirmities of age soon compelled him to withdraw from his charge ; for it was but five years later that the place of worship in Exeter appears to have been strangely neglect- ed, if we may give full credit to the alle- gations of the record of a court held at Hampton in May, 1676, which was as fol- lows : " The town of Exeter being pre- sented for letting their meeting house lie open and common for cattle to go into, this Court doth order that the se- lectmen of Exeter do take effectual care that the said house be cleaned, and be made clean enough for christians to meet in, and the doors hung and kept shut ; and this to be done and signified to Mr. Dalton, under the hand of the constable by the next Sabbath day, come se'ennight, or else to forfeit £5; that for the time to come they should keep the said house commodiously tight and suitable for such a place, upon the like penalty."
Mr. Dudley died in 1683 at the age of seventy-seven years, the last thirty-five of which he passed in Exeter ; and was buried, it is believed, in the old grave- yard near the present gas-works. He was connected by blood and marriage with some of the principal men of Mas- sachusetts, and the people of Exeter were fortunate, in every respect, in hav- ing him to settle among them. He was able to allay all jealous feelings on the part of Massachusetts towards Exeter, by his acquaintance with the dignitaries
54
of that colony, and he was unquestion- ably a diligent and faithful spiritual teacher and guide.
For some years after Mr. Dudley's de- cease, there was no settled or regular minister in Exeter ; but it is probable that religious worship was conducted by such clergymen as might be temporarily engaged. In 1683 Rev. John Cotton, be- fore and afterwards of Hampton, is men- tioned in a contemporary account as of Exeter, so it is probable that he minis- tered here for a time. Elder William Wentworth certainly officiated here be- fore October, 1690, as the town then voted to treat with him "for his continuance with them in the ministry." Mr. Went- worth remained in the office of minister in Exeter until some time in 1693, when the growing infirmities of years must have disqualified him for the work.
The course adopted by the town in se- leeting his successor, strikingly illus- trates the simple fashions of the time, and the general concern felt throughout the community in relation to the spirit- ual concerns of even a remote and feeble settlement. On the 23d of June, 1693, Capt. John Gilman and Biley Dudley were chosen "in behalf of the town to go to the neighboring ministers and take their advice for a meet person to supply the office of the ministry in the town of Exeter." The search seems to have been successful, for only three months after- ward a committee was raised to treat with Rev. John Clark, and on the 10th of October, in the same year, Capt. John Gilman, Capt. Peter Coffin and Capt. Robert Wadleigh were empowered to agree with Mr. Clark to become the min-
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ister of Exeter, and to fix his salary for the first half year, the town engaging to pay the same.
But Mr. Clark was not to be secured at once. It is not known why he did not re- move sooner to Exeter, but it may be con- jectured that he required, not unreason- ably, that the inhabitants should first prove their disposition and ability to sus- tain a religious society, by erecting a suitable house of worship. However that might have been, in January, 1695, at two meetings of the town, the subject of building a new meeting-house was dis- cussed, and at length determined ; and " the major part of the town saw cause to erect and set the house on the hill be- tween the great fort and Nat Folsom's barn." But the location of a public building is never an easy matter for a town to agree upon, and a controversy afterwards arose in regard to it, which was only settled at last by a committee chosen for the purpose. Capt. Coffin was employed to keep the account of the work done by the inhabitants upon the house; and the rate allowed was three shillings a day for men, and for lads what the committee should order.
The location decided upon was just in front of the site of the present lower (First Congregational) church, and there the meeting-house, evidently of no mean proportions, was placed, being complet- ed about the beginning of the year 1697. It had doors at the east and west ends, the pulpit on the north side, and stairs leading to a women's gallery on the south side. Pews were built round the sides, and the middle space was probably occu- pied with benches.
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At a town meeting, on the 3d of Feb- ruary, 1697, it was voted "that the new meeting-house should be seated by the committee now chosen, viz., Capt. Moore, Mr. Smart, Biley Dudley, Capt. Hall, Lieut. Leavitt and Mr. Moses Leav- itt; and the committee have full pow- er to seat the people in their places and power to grant places for pews to whom they see meet; and those men that have places for pews shall sit in them with their families, and not be seated no where else." On the same day the committee assigned places for pews, as follows : to Kinsley Hall, his wife and five children, at the West door ; to Moses Leavitt and family at the left hand of Hall ; to Edward Hilton for wife and son Winthrop, his wife and two daughters, Mary and Sobriety, on the North side of the meeting-house, joining to the pulpit and Moses Leavitt's pew; to Richard Hilton for himself, wife, children, mo- ther and sister Rebecca, on the North side of the meeting-house joining to the parsonage pew ; to Mr. Wilson, his wife and son Thomas, and two daughters, Martha and Mary, and Elizabeth Gilman joining unto Richard Hilton's, on the East side of the meeting house ; to Nich- olas Gilman and wife, and John and Else and Catherine, at the East door; to Rob- ert Wadleigh and wife and son Jona- than, a place at the South side joining to the women's stairs; and to Elizabeth Coffin, widow of Robert Coffin, and chil- dren, Simon Wiggin and family, next to Jeremiah Gilman's.
It is probable that Mr. Clark preached for a time in Exeter before his ordina- tion, which was fixed to be on the 21st of
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September, 1698. The 7th of September was ordered to be observed as a day of humiliation. On the Sunday preceding the ordination a confession of faith and covenant, which had been previously agreed upon, were signed by the follow- ing named persons, who were the first members of the first church in Exeter, the organization of which has ever since been maintained :
John Clark, pastor,
Thomas Dudley, John Scrivener,
John Gilman,
Peter Coffin,
Nicholas Gilman,
William Moore,
Richard Glidden,
Thomas Wiggin,
Elizabeth Gilman,
Kinsiey Hall,
Elizabeth Clark,
Theophilus Dudley,
Judith Wilson,
Samuel Leavitt,
Margaret Beal,
Biley Dudley.
Sarah Dudley,
Moses Leavitt,
Deborah Sinkler,
Deborah Coffin.
John Folsom, Henry Wadleigh,
Sarah Loweil,
Jonathan Robinson.
Mehitabel Smith.
The church having been organized, on the day appointed the ordination exer- cises were performed by Rev. Mr. Hale, who preached the sermon, Rev. Mr. Pike, who made the prayer before impo- sition of hands, Rev. Mr. Woodbridge, who gave the charge, and Rev. Mr. Cot- ton, who gave the right hand of fellow- ship.
Mr. Clark received at first sixty pounds a year for his salary, with the use of the parsonage lot and a certain meadow ; to which ten pounds more were afterwards added, to cover the expense of firewood and fencing of the lands. It was also agreed that the town should furnish bim a parsonage house, but he subsequently consented to dispense with that stipula- tion, on condition that the town should pay him one hundred pounds, instead thereof.
Mr. Clark remained in charge of the church in Exeter until his death, in 1705,
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at the age of thirty-five years. He was highly esteemed by his people; they paid to his widow the full amount of his sal- ary, and erected a tomb over his remains, at the expense of the town ; and twenty years later, made repairs upon the same. The grave of Mr. Clark is in the yard of the lower church, and upon his tomb- stone were inscribed these lines :
"A prophet lies under the stone, His words shall live tho' he be gone, When preachers die what rules the pulpit gave Of living, are still preached from their grave, The faith and life which your dead pastor taught Now in oue grave with him, sirs, bury not."
A few days after the decease of Mr. Clark the town voted to observe the last Wednesday of August as a day of humil- iation, and appointed a committee " to take care of the ministers" who should preach in Exeter before that day, and take advice of them or any other persons they might think proper, respecting a suitable minister to be settled here. Early in September a committee, consist. ing of Lieut. Nicholas Gilman and Jona- than Thing, was appointed to give some minister a call, and engage him for the term of three months ; and were instruct- ed to invite Mr. Adams, Mr. White or Mr. Curin(?), for that duty.
It is probable that a temporary engage- ment was not found satisfactory ; for two months afterward. a vote was passed to call a minister in order to a full settle- ment, should the town and said minister agree. In the April following (1706) the town voted to give Rev. John Odlin a call to carry on the work of the ministry +and appointed a committee of ten per- sons, a major part of whom were em- powered to make a full agreement in be- halt of the town with him "for his salary
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and other things needful." Under this authority they contracted to pay him £70 a year, together with the strangers' con- tribution money, and allow him the use of the parsonage and two hundred acres of land, and to give him an outfit of £100 in money towards his settlement.
Mr. Odlin was ordained on the 12th of November, 1706. He was a young man, having graduated at Harvard College only four years before. He married Mrs. Clark, the widow of his predecessor, and his pastorate only ended with his life.
Ere many years had passed, the want of a new place of worship began to be felt. The town had increased in popula- tion, and the Indian wars had for the time ceased to alarm and keep down the frontier settlements. When men ven- tured to go to church without arms in their hands, the tide of immigration be- gan to resume its natural flow. On the 16th of December, 1728, it was determin- ed that a new meeting house should be built, and placed on some part of the land purchased of Capt. Peter Coffin, on which the meeting house then stood.
But so important an undertaking re- quired time, and it was not until the spring of 1731 that the new building was finished. It was placed close by the old meeting-house, which was not removed until after its completion. In March and April, 1731, the pews were sold as follows :
No. 14 to Maj. Nicholas Gilman, Esq., for £21
24 Capt. Theophilus Smith, 16
15 Lieut. Bartholomew Thing, 21
20 Dr. Thomas Dean, 15
30 Capt. Eliphalet Coffin,
18 10s
19 Peter Gilman, 13 10
31 Dea. Thomas Wilson, 13
13 Jonathan Gilman, 23
10 Nathaniel Webster, 11
21 Francis Bowden, 12
12 Samuel Conner, 20
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32
Edward Ladd,
17
22 Capt. Jonathan Wadieigh,
15
25
James Leavitt,
16
23
Lieut. John Robinson,
20
5
Benjamin Thing,
12 10
4
Nathaniel Bartlett,
16 10
9
Samuel Gilman,
13
18
Daniel Gilman,
13 5
6
Dea. John Lord,
12 15
16
Nathaniel Gilman,
17
8
Mrs. Hannah Hall,
13 5
3 Ezekiel Gilman,
20
29
Caleb Gilman,
17
27
Thomas Webster,
17
31
Capt. John Gilman. Jr.
21
28
Jeremlah Connor.
20 10
7
Col. John Gilman,
15 5
2
Jonathan Connor,
21 15
1 Mr. John Odlin,
15
17
Col. John Gilman,
12 13
And in the "lower gallery " the fol- lowing sales were made :
No. 9 to Col. John Gilman, £10
1 Nicholas Gordon,
12 59
5
Bartholomew Thing, 10
5
6 Jeremiah Connor,
10 5
7 Richard Smith,
13
8
Daniel Thing,
11
4
Philip Connor,
11
10
Joseph Thing,
10
3
Nathaniel Webster,
12
2 Willlam Doren,
12
This, which was the fourth house of worship erected in Exeter, was a large structure, with two galleries, and a broad aisle running up to the pulpit, on each side of which were benches for those who did not own pews, and who agreeably to the fashion of the time had seats assign- ed them according to age. A high steeple was added to the edifice soon afterwards, at the charge of some public spirited cit- izens, who presented it to the town, and a bell was purchased and hung, to make all complete. The steeple stood till 1775, when it was blown down in a heavy gale, and rebuilt at the expense of the town ; the building lasted till 1798, when it was replaced by the present edifice, which is still standing on the same spot.
In November, 1731, the town voted to take down the old meeting-house at once, and with the materials to build a
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court house; which was located on the opposite side of the street, just below where the Squamscott House now is.
Mr. Odlin ministered to the people of his charge to their acceptance for more than thirty years, and until the time of the "great awakening " under the influ- ence of Whitefield. Mr. Odlin set his face conscientiously against the "new lights," and though a majority of his pa- rishioners agreed with him, a considera- ble minority were of a different opinion, and zealously supported the views of Whitefield. In 1743 the major part of the people joined in a request to Rev. Woodbridge Odlin, son of Rev. John. Od- lin, to settle over them as the colleague of his father. As it was known that the sentiments of both were in harmony, the partisans of the Whitefield doctrines voted against the younger Mr. Odlin, and being outnumbered, withdrew, to the number of forty-one persons, and on the 7th of June, 1744, were organized in- to the Second Church.
Mr. W. Odlin was ordained on the 28th of September, 1743, his father preaching the sermon on the occasion. He is rep- resented as having been a man of genu- ine piety, and of modest and unaffected- ly simple manners. He succeeded in keeping his church and people well unit- ed, though in the time of the troubles be- tween the colonies and Great Britain, he took an carly and decided stand in favor of the former. He died in 1776, and his parishi voted a gift of 25£ to his widow.
In July, 1776, a call was given to Rev. Isaac Mansfield, who was then serving as a chaplain in the Continental army,
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to settle over the first church and socie- ty. The reply was favorable, and Mr. Mansfield was ordained October 9, 1776 ; Rev. Mr. Thayer of Kingston, preaching the sermon on the . occasion ; Rev. Mr. Fogg of Kensington, delivering the charge, and Rev. Mr. Webster of Salishu- ry, giving the right hand of fellowship. Mr. Mansfield was a native of Marble- head, Mass., a graduate of Harvard Col- lege, and 'a man of good capacity, and we have his own anthority for saying that during the greater part of his pas- torate here, of nearly eleven years, his situation was pleasant and his people well united. But some imprudences on his part at last weakened the ties between them, and he was dismissed at his own request, made according to an agree- ment with the parish, September 18, 1787.
Nearly three years elapsed after Mr. Mansfield's dismission before a succes- sor was obtained. Rev. Mr. Tappan (who was afterwards professor of divini- ty at Cambridge) received a call, but be- cause it was not unanimous, declined it.
In January, 1790, an invitation was given to Rev. William F. Rowland to be- come the pastor, and an annual salary of "four hundred Spanish milled dollars" was voted him. Mr. Rowland accepted the call, and was ordained June 2, 1790. Rev. Messrs. Mcclintock of Greenland, Thacher of Boston, Langdon of Hamp- ton Falls, and Morse of Charlestown, performed the various services of ordi- nation. Mr. Rowland was a native of Plainfield, Connecticut, and a graduato of Dartmouth College. He ministered to this congregation for thirty-eight years, and was dismissed at his own re-
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quest, December 5, 1828. He was a wor- thy man, of good abilities, and fervent piety. The remainder of his life he pass- ed in Exeter, and died in 1843. at the age of eighty-two years.
The next permanent occupant of the pulpit was Rev. John Smith, a native of Weathersfield, (t., and a graduate of Yale College. He was installed March 12, 1829 ; Rev. Mr. Bouton of Concord, Rev. Mr. Miltimore of Newbury, and Rev. Mr. Hurd of the second church in Exeter, assisting in the ceremony. His ministry was a harmonious and success- ful one, and he was dismissed at his own request, February 14, 1838.
.
He was followed by Rev. William Williams, who. was installed May 31, in the same year. Mr. Williams' stay was short, as on account of difficulties which arose, he resigned his office October 1, 1842. He subsequently entered the med- ical profession.
Rev. Joy H. Fairchild, a native of Guilford, Ct., was the next minister ; his installation occuring September 20, 1843. His connection was a very brief one, as he tendered his resignation June 18, 1844. The protracted controversies which arose respecting a charge of incontinence at the place of his prior settlement, which was preferred against him, may well be permitted at this day to passinto oblivion.
Rev. Roswell D. Hitchcock next suc- ceeded to the desk of this church, and was ordained November 19, 1845. He remained until July 7, 1852, when he was dismissed at his own request. He is now adistinguished professor in the Union Theological Seminary, in New York city.
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His successor was Rev. William D. Hitchcock, who was installed October 5, 1853. His ministry commenced with most auspicious prospects, which were terminated in a single year, by his la- mented death, November 23, 1854.
It was not until June 19, 1856, that Rev. Nathaniel Lasell, the next succeed- ing minister, was installed. After a service of three years he asked for his dismission, which was granted June 12, 1859. He was subsequently employed in the profession of teaching.
Rev. Elias Nason, a native of New .- buryport, and a graduate of Brown Uni- versity was installed November 22, 1860, and was dismissed at his own desire, May 30, 1865. He has since lived in Bil- lerica, Mass., and is well known for his antiquarian tastes and writings.
Rev. John O. Barrows, who was in- stalled December 5, 1866, received his dismission October 6, 1869, which he had requested that he inight enter upon for- eign-mission service in Asia.
Rev. Swift Byington, the present min- ister of this society, was installed June 2, 1871. He is the sixteenth in order, of those who have been settled as spiritual guides, over the First Church in Exeter.
XII.
THE NEW PARISH.
The members of the original parish who seceded from it in 1743, and united to form a new society, proceeded in the same or the following year, to build a house of worship. It was situated on the lot where Mrs. W. V. Cobbs' house now stands, and was a building of two stories
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and respectable capacity. Itstood parallel with the street, and on the Western end was a goodly steeple, surmounted with a vane. The pulpit was on the side oppo- site the front door, and a gallery ran round the other three sides. It was this meeting-house in which Whitefield es- sayed to preach on the day before his death, when it was found all too small to contain his thronging auditors, and he was compelled to address them in the open air, on the opposite side of the way.
The seceders naturally wished to be exonerated from paying taxes for the support of the old parish, when they ceased to worship there ; but the law of that day was against them, and though the town was repeatedly urged to relieve them from the burden, the majority would never consent to do so. A petition to the General Assembly of the province for setting off a new parish, was op- posed by the town, and failed. But the society struggled on, and in 1746 made an unsuccessful attempt to procure Rev. Samuel Buel to become their minister ; and in 1747 invited Mr. John Phillips, one of their own number, and afterwards the founder of the Phillips Academy, to act as their pastor, but he declined on the ground of his inability to perform all the duties of the clerical office. Thereupon they extended a call to Rev. Daniel Rog- ers, who accepted it, and wa ; settled ov- er them, August 31, 1747. He was a son of Rev. John Rogers of Ipswich, Mass., and a graduate of Harvard College, where he had also passed some years as a tutor. It has been supposed that his family was directly descended from John Rogers, the Smithfield martyr, but later researches
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