USA > New Hampshire > The New Hampshire churches : comprising histories of the Congregational and Presbyterian churches in the state, with notices of other denominations: also containing many interesting incidents connected with the first settlement of towns > Part 33
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Rev. Alvan Tobey, a native of Wilmington, Vt. April 1, 1808, a graduate of Amherst in 1828, and of Andover in 1831, began to preach in Durham on the first Sabbath in October 1831. The church and society did not then con- sider themselves in a condition to settle a minister. After two years they had gained so much in strength and interest,
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FARMINGTON.
that, with the help of $ 100 from the New Hampshire Mis- sionary Society, a settlement was effected, Nov. 20, 1833 .- In that two years there was some religious interest, and sev- eral additions were made to the church. And for some years afterwards there were times of seriousness, and, at inter- vals, members were added till the number arose to 83 or 84. But now, for ten or twelve years, the additions have been " few and far between," and the number has declined to less than 60. But the society has gained strength. For about fourteen years now, no missionary aid has been received for the minister's salary. A neat and pleasant house of worship has been built, and was dedicated Sept. 13, 1849. In the new house the congregation is somewhat increased. The Temperance Reform has made much progress ; and the state of morals and intelligence in the community seems to have improved. May the almighty grace of God be granted to revive his work, to save souls from death, and to build up his kingdom here.
FARMINGTON.
Rev. DANIEL D. TAPPAN.
Farmington was taken from Rochester, and incorporated Dec. 1, 1798. It has enjoyed Congregational preaching at intervals from the date of its incorporation. Missionaries. at times, preached from year to year before a Congregational church existed. In 1819 a Congregational church, consist- ing of eight members, was organized by Rev. James Walker, who officiated here for several years. He was succeeded by Rev. Clement Parker. Rev. Timothy Morgan was the stat- ed supply three or four years. Afterwards, Rev. Joseph Lane preached here about a year and a half. Rev. Benj. G. Willey came in 1847, and remained three years. He was succeeded by Mr. R. M. Sargent, who preached about one year. The present minister, Rev. D. D. Tappan, began to preach here, Oct. 24, 1852.
The whole number of church members from the beginning i's 68. The number has at no time exceeded 30, till now. The present number is 31. Number of infant baptisms from the first, eight. There is no parsonage. There is a small fund of $300. There was a revival under the ministry of Mr. Walk- er, and some religious interest under that of Mr. Morgan.
The Freewill Baptists have, more or less, enjoyed preaching for many years. They are now considerably
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numerous, and have recently established public worship anew-it had been for some time suspended. There are but two places of stated worship, at present, within the lim- its of the town,-the Freewill Baptist and the Congrega- tional. The average attendance in both together does not probably exceed 300. Population of the town not far from 1800. There never was a Congregational minister ordained or installed as a pastor here. The church clerk has no rec- ord of the amount annually given to benevolent objects in times past. At present a very commendable spirit of liber- ality prevails. Strenuous efforts have of late been made to suppress the sale of intoxicating drinks, and the result is highly gratifying. The people are evidently improving .- There is much enterprise here in things secular, and the religious prospects brighten.
GREAT FALLS.
Rev. J. B. THORNTON.
Prior to the incorporation of the Great Falls Manufacturing Company, in 1823, the site of the present village of Great Falls was used for farming purposes, and the few inhabitants of the neighborhood were numbered among the parishioners of Rev. Joseph Hilliard, in Berwick, and Rev. Reuben Porter, of the old church in Somersworth. Soon after the settlement of the village commenced, however, religious meetings were hold- en, and Rev. Mr. Porter statedly preached in an unfinished dwelling-house on Bridge street, belonging to the Manufac- turing Company. Meanwhile, measures were being taken for the organization of a church, and on the 16th day of January, 1827, "The Piscataqua Association of Ministers" met in the village, approved of the proposed creed and covenant, and established the "First Congregational Church of Great Falls," consisting of eight members. Rev. Mr. Porter con- tinued to preach as "stated supply," during that year, but early in the next year, Rev. Josiah T. Hawes was ordained -the first settled minister. A meeting of citizens favorable to the purpose, was holden in the village school-house Sept. 13, 1827, and "The First Congregational Society of Great Falls" was organized under the new law of the State, relating to Religious Societies. Arrangements were immediately made for the erection of a suitable house of public worship. The Manufacturing Company generously contributed an appro- priate lot, and $500, and in the following year the church
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was completed at a further expense of about $4000. It was dedicated in August 1828,-Rev. Dr. Lyman Beecher preach- ing the sermon on the occasion. Four religious societies, of as many different denominations, were established in the village at about the same time, hence each was small, and all were more or less dependent upon foreign assistance. This Society was aided for several years in the support of its pastor, by the Piscataqua Association, the New Hampshire Missionary Society and the Massachusetts Society for the promotion of Christian knowledge ; but its ability gradually increased with its additional numbers ; it soon became inde- pendent. Pastors :- Rev. Reuben Porter, "stated supply" for several years ; Rev. Josiah T. Hawes-ordained Jan. 23, 1828-dismissed Jan. 6, 1830; Rev. William Twining- ordained as an evangelist, Jan. 6, 1830; Rev. James A. Smith-ordained April 17, 1832-dismissed July 19, 1837 ; Rev. Alfred Goldsmith-ordained Sept. 13, 1837-dismissed Aug. 24, 1838 ; Rev. John R. Adams-supplied as acting pastor, from Sept. 1838, to Jan. 1841 ; Rev. Samuel Beane -ordained July 7, 1841-dismissed May 24, 1844; Rev. James T. McCollom-installed Oct. 2, 1844-dismissed Dec. 27, 1853 ; Rev. James B. Thornton-acting pastor from April 11, 1854.
The Methodists at the present time, have two societies. A Universalist church was early established in the village, but it flourished only for a few years, and its Meeting-house has since been used as a dancing hall.
The Congregational church has no parsonage and no fund, depending for its support upon the voluntary contribution of its members. The salary of the first pastor was $500, of the second $ 550, and there has been a gradual increase correspon- ding to the increase of the society in the number and means of its members, until within three or four years during which the regular salary has been fixed at $1000. Upwards of $ 500 are annually given for benevolent purposes. The average attendance upon public worship in all the five evangelical churches is probably not far from 2300- upwards of one-fifth of which number attend the Congregational church. Five men have been furnished for the ministry. The whole number of persons who have been received into the church is 463. Present members 149-male 42, female 107-infant baptisms from the beginning 50.
The first general revival of religion in the history of the church occurred in 1830 and '31, when more than 100 names were added to its list of members, and in 1840, under another outpouring of the Spirit, nearly forty others were converted.
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The reason why the number of present members is small in view of the whole number of additions and the age of the church is, because this is a manufacturing village, with a population constantly changing, and many have been dismiss- ed and recommended to other churches. The church has never been so large, and in some respects never more prosperous than at the present time.
LEE.
There is not now, and has not been for many years, a Con- gregational church here. It has been supposed there never was one. But Hon. Valentine Smith of this town, an aged and well informed man, says "there was a church there many years ago, in his boyhood," (he is over 80 years of age,) "that Rev. Samuel Hutchins was the pastor, that he became a pauper, dependent on the town." There is a reg- ular Baptist church in the town, supplied occasionally with preaching ; and also a Christian Baptist church. At a Meet- ing-house in the south part of the town there is occasional preaching by ministers of different denominations-Chris- tian, Baptist, Methodist, and Second Advent.
At the Meeting-house on the hill, the most central local- ity for such purposes, there has been Congregational preach- ing during the summer for five years. A licentiate from Andover Seminary has been sent there for the spring vaca- tion by the N. H. Missionary Society; and the supply has been continued through the summer, with a little aid from abroad. Recently the people have raised a subscription of $300 to obtain the services of Mr. Mason Moore, a licentiate of the last senior class from Andover, for a year, and have applied for aid sufficient to secure the supply. They have a congregation of about 100, and a respectable Sabbath School.
MADBURY.
Anciently a part of Dover, it was sundered from it by an act of incorporation May 31, 1755. Farmer says of the town in 1823: "No church can with propriety be said to have been established here. In 1758, Rev. Samuel Hyde com- menced preaching, and continued until 1770, but no regular
* Sketch by Rev. A. Tobey.
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MILTON.
church was organized. Rev. Eliphaz Chapman officiated from 1771 until 1773; when Eld. William Hooper, a Baptist, formerly of Berwick, commenced preaching and continued several years. There is one Meeting-house in Mad- bury, but no settled minister. There are a considerable number of Friends in this town belonging to the society at Dover. The inhabitants are mostly industrious agricultur- alists ; and as there are neither stores or taverns in town, in- temperance is not frequent among them."
Some forty or fifty years ago there was a Baptist church, of which there is, now living, one member, an aged woman, bearing a good Christian character. There is now a Christian Baptist church in town, not supplied with constant, nor very frequent preaching. There has been some Method- ist preaching here for a few years past in the summer season. A Sabbath School is maintained by the help of one or two young men from Dover.
The town is of a wedge form, and so situated that most of the people could, if they would, attend public worship in Durham, Dover and Barrington, as some of them do.
MIDDLETON.
Here, as in very many towns in the State, fewer inhabit- ants are found than there were ten or twenty years ago- there are forty seven less than in 1790. It was incorporated March 4, 1778. Lee and Rochester sent hither the men who made the first settlements. Its highest population was in 1790-617; it was 476 in 1850.
Rev. Nehemiah Ordway, a graduate of Harvard in 1764, was settled here in 1778, and remained only a few years. He was a native of Amesbury, Ms. No evidence has met us that a Congregational church was ever formed here. There is a Freewill Baptist church of 48 members.
MILTON.
Rev. JAMES DOLDT.
The early settlers of this town were, generally, a vigorous, intelligent class of persons. They came principally from Dover, Madbury, Rochester and towns in that region, where they had been trained, to a good extent, in the principles of
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Puritanism, and they brought those principles with them .- They appreciated religious institutions, and had an eye early to their establishment among them. This town formerly made a part of Rochester, and, for a year after being separa- ted from it, received the labors of their old pastor Rev. Mr. Haven with deep gratitude. They hailed his regular and occasional visitings with great interest. But they needed more constant, steady labors among them than their old min- ister with a large home parish could give them. They set their faces therefore to having religious institutions among them separate from Rochester. The children wished to set up for themselves in religious, as they had in municipal, matters. With this view, they made strenuous and com- bined efforts to have preaching not furnished from the parent town. In some cases a single individual would pay for a Sabbath's preaching, then his neighbor would do the same. After this they would all unite to get one or more. Beyond this, they sought the aid of the New Hampshire Missionary Society then recently formed. This Society responded to their call, and sent them, among some others, Rev. Curtis Coe formerly pastor of the church in Durham. He super- intended the formation of a church in Milton. This took place Sept. 8, 1815, and it consisted of eight members. After the formation of the church Mr. Coe continued to labor more or less as long as he was able to preach. Following him in the ministry of this place was Rev. Dyer Burge. He con- tinued some twelve months or more among them. Follow- ing him, after no long time, Rev. James Walker came and remained till his death, which took place on the fourth day of Sept. 1826. During his ministry the church was consid- erbly enlarged and strengthened. With God's blessing he helped widen and consolidate her foundations. From his death, for six years, there were no regular ministrations of the gospel in the place, only preaching from men occasionally laboring among the people, such as were secured by their united contributions or sent to them from abroad.
In 1832 Rev. Benjamin G. Willey came into this town and labored in the ministry as stated supply till February 1846-nearly fourteen years. During his ministry 100 were received into the church, much the larger proportion by pro- fession. He left from no disaffection on his part or on that of the people. A good parsonage was built during his min- istry costing some ten or twelve hundred dollars, likewise two Meeting-houses, one at the Pond and the other at Milton Mills village so called. . These were both union houses, not free, one owned by the Congregationalists and
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MILTON.
Methodists, and the other by Congregationalists and Cal- vinistic Baptists. Such union in many cases may not be commended, but here it worked well, and under the circum- stances was the best thing that could have been done for the promotion of religion generally. After Mr. Willey, came Rev. Edward F. Abbott and remained in the place as minis- ter till May 10, 1848. He was the first settled pastor the church ever had. He was ordained Aug. 19, 1846, and retired from that relation to this people at the time just named. He left in good and regular standing as a minister. Very soon after Mr. Abbott left, Rev. James Doldt came to this place, and has labored in it in the ministry, as stated supply, ever since. During this time 20 have been added to the church-10 by profession and 10 by letter.
The gospel is supported in this town principally by indi- vidual contributions taken up yearly by subscription. There is a ministerial fund in it giving an annual interest of sixty dollars, which is divided equally among four denominations : Methodists, Calvinistic Baptists, Christian Baptists and Con- gregationalists. The Congregational parish embraces about two-thirds of the population of the town, and it is believed the average attendance on public worship is about 150. Other denominations have less than this, ranging from fifty to one hundred individuals. This town has never fur- nished a man for the Christian ministry in either of the evangelical denominations contained in it. One young man in this parish once had it in view for some time, but was finally deterred by the lean support and hard service attend- ng it. Sixty have been baptized in infancy since Mr. Willey's ministry commenced, which was in 1832. Before that time there were some, but no record in the church book gives the exact number ; 181 members have been added to the church since its formation. Most of these additions have been the fruit of what may be termed general revivals, though some have come in as the result of scattering mercy drops falling here and there on the fields of Zion. For a course of years some twenty five years ago, there were many interest- ng seasons of revival in this town. Numbers of those we might describe at length, but have place only for one. This was one of rare interest, and such as answers our conception of a model revival. The center of it was in a large school listrict in the middle of the town. It came in connection with meetings held in a large school-house of the district, continued day after day, though not called protracted meet- ngs. The meetings as they succeeded each other seemed to be demanded by the state of feeling in the first one .-
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This being full, called for the second, the second for the third, and so on to the end. This marked a distinction between them and many continued meetings, where, without much reference to feeling in commencing, a certain number of days are previously set apart for religious services. As a result of the meetings of which we speak, about thirty were hopefully converted and some ten or twelve family altars reared. Great solemnity and stillness characterized these successive meet- ings. There was nothing which was so obvious to the spec- tator as these. The consequence was, and this we deem a fitting consequence, the conversions in them were deep and thorough. Time, to a large extent, has proved this. Com- pared with forty years ago, the state of things in this town as to general morality, spirit drinking, licentiousness, con- tentions, rude and debasing society in taverns, has greatly improved.
NEW DURHAM.
Rev. Nathaniel Porter, D.D., was ordained here Sept. 8, 1773, and removed in 1777. He was settled the next year at Conway. Elder Benjamin Randall, who is regarded as the founder of the Freewill Baptist churches, began his work here in 1780, and organized a church. Some account of him will be found in this work, in the history of New Castle .- There are Freewill Baptist churches here with about 130 members. It was incorporated in 1762 with a small popu- lation-but 286 persons are found here in 1775. With all other denominations, the Freewill Baptist churches have oc- casion to bless God for raising up and sending Whitefield out to preach ; their founder's heart was given its peculiar fire, though not its peculiar doctrines, from the blessing of God upon his words of eloquence and love. Rev. Messrs. N. Berry, D. Wedgewood and J. Glines, are ministers here.
ROCHESTER.
Rev. J. C. SEAGRAVE.
The charter of George I. is dated May 10, 1722, granting to certain petitioners the township of Rochester, provided that "a Meeting-house be built therein for the public wor- ship of God" within four years from the date of the charter.
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ROCHESTER.
But, at that period, the howl of the wolf, the yell of the savage, and the report of the huntsman's gun, were the principal sounds that disturbed the silence of these dense swamps and primeval forests. For more than a hundred years after Winichahanat had been settled by the London fish-mongers, the Indian's wigwam was the only human habitation between Dover and Canada. To commence a settlement and clear the lands at this distance from the vil- lage of Cochecho, was an enterprise of no common peril, while a cruel and revengeful enemy continually hovered upon the frontier. It was not therefore till 1728, that the first fami- ly was permanently settled in this town. Two years subse- quent to this date the proprietors, induced in part, doubt- less, by the hope of attracting hither a sober and industrious class of citizens, voted to "build a house of worship, forty feet by thirty five, and eighteen feet studs." To defray the expense of its erection, they taxed the owners of whole shares of land three pounds, and other proprietors in the same proportion. In 1732 they voted to call a minister, and every share was taxed forty shillings per annum for his support. But, for obvious reasons, all these measures to secure an adequate support for a minister could but partial- ly succeed. It required something more than the efforts of proprietors, most of them non-resident, to give strength and permanency to gospel institutions in this place. Besides, there was no Missionary Board to send forth a pioneer in the cause of truth, to preach and labor among the early settlers in this wild region. But the men who first made turpentine and potash on Norway Plains and cut down masts and ship-timber on Squamanagonic Hill, the farmers that first built their log cabins and cleared their three acres of tillage land in this town, were the friends of religion, and they determined to give their children an example of fideli- ty to the cause of Christ.
In the year 1737, the General Assembly of this Province passed "an Act for the better support of the gospel minis- try in Rochester." The preamble of this Act was in part as follows : "Whereas the inhabitants of Rochester, have petitioned this Court, setting forth that they, being about sixty families, were without a settled ministry in said town, and in such low circumstances, that they were unable to support the same : Wherefore they prayed that a commit- tee might be appointed by this Court, to call a meeting of the inhabitants of said town, and that a tax might be laid on the non-resident proprietors of land in said town, toward the support of the gospel ministry there." The
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above named Act authorized the levying of an annual tax : of fifteen shillings upon each share of land for "the suppor or an Orthodox Minister of the gospel." In May of the same year, "the Revd. Mr. Amos Main became the settlec minister of this town, for whose support a salary of one hun- dred and thirty five pounds "old tenor" was raised, in addi- tion to the proceeds of the "Parsonage share," which were to be employed perpetually for the benefit of the minister." Mr. Main also came into possession of "the first minister's 1 , - 2 . share" which was his by absolute right according to the provisions of the charter. The town promised also to build him a two-story house forty feet by twenty, wherever and whenever he should request them so to do. There is evidence that the town made ample provision for the support of a minister during the whole of that century. As the curren- cy of the country depreciated in value the stipulated salary was increased in due proportion. Notwithstanding the scar- city of capital and the poverty of almost every family, the pastor was well provided for and the pecuniary obligations of the people to him were sacredly regarded. When life was daily exposed to the Indian's tomahawk ; when nothing but the unparalleled bravery of those pioneers of civilization became the means of preserving the whole settlement from destruction ; when men labored in the fields with their mus- kets at their sides, and went to church armed as if for the battle field, even then the labors of a pastor were valued so highly, that to vote his salary and assess the ministerial tax was the most important item of town business. In 1747, it . was voted to raise one hundred and sixty pounds for the support of the gospel, and five pounds for other town purposes. In 1742 it was voted at a meeting of the proprietors, that "all the Mill seats should be given for the support of the gospel ministry in the town of Rochester forever ; to be divided equally among them if ever there should be more than one settled minister in town."
The ministry of Mr. Main continued till his death, which occurred April 5, 1760. He had labored, for twenty three years, for the spiritual good of this flock and apparently with good success. It is not difficult to picture to ourselves this beloved pastor, as he penetrates the remotest bounds of his parish, to comfort the afflicted, to speak of Jesus to the dying. We see him threading his way through the narrow defiles leading to some opening in the forest, where a family of his congregation, after incredible labor, have just begun to find the soil capable of yielding them a support ; he sits down with them in their log hut to eat wholesome brown bread
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and talk over their past experiences of sorrow and of joy, and then to join with them in devout praise to God for his mercy to the infant settlement. Sometimes the theme on every tongue, was the last murder of a much loved fellow citizen, or, the capture of a little boy by the Indians. There were times when the bravest trembled at the thought that they and their little ones were daily exposed to death .- There was work enough for a pastor to do in those perilous times, if it were only to visit his widely scattered flock, and inspire them with courage and hope, on occasions which tried men's souls. It is worthy of notice, that many of the original roads and bridges of this town were petitioned for and built to accommodate the inhabitants in respect to the meeting upon the Sabbath. Their first thought was, not for a road to market, or to a farm in some other section of the town, but for a road to the house of God !
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