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 4
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61
Rev. Ephraim N. Hidden was ordained pastor of this church Sept. 1841, and continued his services till Oct. 1849.
Rev. William A. Patten was ordained pastor of this church church July 18, 1850, and continued his services till July 21, 1852.
Rev. U. W. Condit was installed pastor of this church, July 10, 1855, and is the present pastor. From the dismiss- ion of Rev. W. A. Patten to the settlement of the present pastor the pulpit was supplied by Rev. W. A. Fobes and E. F. Abbott. In order to show the efforts of the early set- tlers to establish the gospel here, and their high apprecia- tion of religious privileges, we transcribe the terms upon which the first pastor was settled. "Voted, that the parish agree to allow Mr. Timothy Upham £60 lawful money, for the first year's salaray, to begin the first day of March next, and to add £5 yearly, till it amounts to £75, and to continue the same salary so long as he continues a regular minister ; and likewise, to build a house on the parsonage
=
37
DEERFIELD,
lott where the Meeting-house was framed, forty two by thirty two, two stories high, with a commodious cellar, and well, the outside to be enclosed so as to be comfortable, and two rooms to be finished according to country mode, within one year from this date ; meaning, to consult with our Elected pastor ; the other part of the house to be finished in four years from this date. A barn to be built, thirty two by thirty, within one year from this date ; likewise, to keep his horse for one year from the said first of March ; the sec- ond year, one horse and one cow ; the third year, one horse and two cows, and after that time, we engage, that there shall be land enough cleared on the parsonage, to keep two cows, one horse and ten sheep, summer and winter, in a middling season, and to be well fenced, and we must keep said fence in repair, but, the meaning is that the said Mr. Upham shall have the whole proffits of the parsonage, except wood and timber, so long as he continues to be a regular Minister of the Gospel, according to the congregational con- stitution ; and also, twenty five cords of wood att his house yearly, and his salary to begin from the time of his settle- ment according to the proposal for the first year, till the said first day of March commences." Such care and kindness, on the part of the people must have awakened in the mind of the pastor, the liveliest interest in their welfare and must have cemented a union which lasted nearly forty years, and then only terminated by death. With like care the people of this parish have ever watched over the wants of their spiritual shepherd, as anxious for his comfort as for their own. Rev. Mr. Wells settled in 1812, with a salary of $400 and an ample parsonage ; Rev. Messrs. Hidden and Patten set- tled, each, with a salary of $ 500. Rev. U. W. Condit, settled in 1855, with a salary of $ 600. A house of worship was erected, it is believed, soon after the settlement of the first minister. The frame of this house was raised on ground given by Stephen Bachelder, but before it was covered, it was taken down by vote of the parish, and removed to Chaise's Hill. . The Meeting-house remained on this mount of God, through the ministry of Rev. Mr. Upham, and, till near the close of Rev. Mr. Well's ministry, when it was taken down, converted into the present town-house, and the present house of worship erected. The parish is now providing a new and commodious Parsonage. As nearly as can be ascer- tained, there have been 262 members of the church since its organization. It now numbers 105. There have been 174 infant baptisms. The duty of infant consecration has of late been pressed upon the people, with a desire to bring
38
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY.
back the church, to its original affection for this doctine of training up our children for the church of God.
We have no account of revivals, in this church, till 1831, when the Spirit was poured out in great power. To give an idea of this work we cite an incident. The youngest son of Rev. Mr. Wells was then a boy about ten years of age, and attending school. On a pleasant day, one of the scholars, a little older than himself, invited him to go into the woods, without revealing his purposes. And when he arrived in the shade of the green woods, he was surprised to find a number of little groups holding prayer meetings in nature's temple .- About 60 were gathered into the church. Revivals also oc- curred in 1835 and 1838 bringing in 50 members. To show the high value set upon a pastor by our ancestors, we relate the following facts. After father Wells had accepted a call from the parish, the people made arrangements to move his family and effects. A number of carriages were sent to con- vey his family and furniture, and when the pastor and fam- ily had arrived at Nottingham Square, they were met by a procession of about forty carriages, and escorted to the par- sonage. And when arrived at the parsonage, the company formed themselves into lines extending from the street seve- ral rods, to the entrance of the house, between which the pastor and his family passed to his future home, to meet with such an entertainment as his parishioners knew, so well, how to provide. Forty years have passed, and when reciting this incident, the venerable countenance of the aged pastor was lighted up with pleasant smiles, and tears came, unbidden, in remembrance of such kindness from friends who, with three or four exceptions, have passed away. There are now 116 members in the church. There is not a place in town where intoxicating drinks are sold as a beverage.
DERRY.
FIRST CHURCH .- Rev. J. W. WELLMAN.
On the 12th of April 1719, old style, under a large oak, at the east end of lake Tsienneto, " as the Indians named it, or Beaver Pond, as it is now more commonly called, Rev. Jas. McGregore delivered from Isaiah 32 : 2, the first sermon ever preached in Derry, then called Nutfield. The preacher was a Scotch Presbyterian minister, "of distinguished talents." His audience was a company of Scotch Irish emigrants from
* Pronounced, Sho-ne'-to.
39
DERRY.
the north of Ireland, who, only the day before, had reached the shores of this beautiful lake, then embosomed in an unbroken wilderness. Soon after this, those pious emigrants, sixteen families in all, organized themselves into a church and society, modeled after the Presbyterian form, and presented to Mr. McGregore a formal call to become their pastor. As there was then no Presbytery in New England, they found their church polity not applicable to all the exigencies of the church militant. They therefore cheerfully conformed, for the time being, to the principles of Independency, and on an appointed day, with appropriate religious services, the minister received the people as his pastoral charge, and they received him as their pastor. The text from which Mr. McGregore preached his own installation sermon was Ezekiel 37: 26. He had received ordination in Ireland to the work of the ministry. Thus was formed the first Presbyterian church in New England. At a communion season four years after, there was present two hundred and thirty communicants. On a similar occasion, some ten years after the formation of the church, there were present three hundred and seventy five. Mr. McGregore died March 5, 1729, aged seventy two. "His personal appearance was commanding ; his stature, tall and erect." "He possessed a vigorous and discriminating mind," and "was strictly evangelical, in his doctrinal views, and peculiary spiritual and experimental, in his preaching." He was "a wise, affectionate, and faithful guide to his people both in civil and religious matters. His name and memory were most tenderly cherished by his bereaved flock and succeeding generations."
Very soon after the death of Mr. McGregore, the Rev. Matthew Clark was invited to officiate as minister, but was not installed as the pastor of the parish. Mr. Clark, at this time was about 70 years of age. He had been a military officer in the Protestant army in Ireland, and served at the memorable siege of Londonderry. Subsequently he became a preacher of the gospel, and followed some of his companions in arms, and other friends, to this town. He married, as his third wife, the widow of Mr. McGregore. He supplied the pulpit and performed pastoral labor for the people, for about four years, when he gave up his charge to a regularly installed successor. He died Jan. 25, 1735, aged seventy six. At the communion season Oct. 8, 1732, six hundred communi- cants were present. Oct. 6, 1734, only fifteen years after the formation of the church, seven hundred were present This large number of communicants was owing to several causes ; first, to the fact that the standard of qualification for church
40
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY.
membership in the Scotch Presbyterian church, is such, that any person of good moral character, and of ordinary intelli- gence upon the doctrines of the catechism, who will give his assent to the creed of the church, can be admitted ; secondly, to the fact that there were but two sacramental seasons in the year, to which the people attached the greatest importance, attending meeting for religious services and preaching, on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday immediately preceding the communion Sabbath, and also, on the Monday immediately following; and thirdly, to the fact, that it was then custo- mary for the people of the neighboring towns, especially for those who had gone out from this town to come, on these occasions, and participate with the church in this sacred observance, Still, it is probable that the number of resident members was very large, including, as it doubtless did, by far the larger portion of the inhabitants of the town.
In 1732, the town commissioned Mr. Robert Boyes to go to Ireland, and, with the assistance of Rev. Mr. McBride of Ballymony, select and invite "a suitable, well qualified, and accredited minister to take charge of them in the Lord, en- gaging to pay any one who should consent to come, £140 annually, besides the expenses of his voyage, and also, to give him, as a settlement, one half of a home-lot and a hun- dred-acre out-lot. In Oct. 1733, Mr. Boyes returned with the Rev. Thomas Thompson, who, on the eve of his depar- ture was ordained by the Presbytery of Tyrone, as pastor of the colonial church in Londonderry. Mr. Thompson was twenty-nine years of age when he came to the people of his charge, and he labored with them only five years, when he died, Sept. 22, 1738. He was a very faithful and accepta- ble pastor, and under his labors the church was much enlarged. During his connection with the church, it had the largest number of communicants which it has ever had, having, in one instance, at least seven hundred present at the com- munion season. On some of these occasions, the number was so large, according to the traditions of the people, that they were obliged to hold the services of the sacrament in the open air.
In 1739, the parish and church extended a call to the Rev. William Davidson, engaging to give him £160, as a settle- ment, and the same sum, annually, as his salary .** Mr. Davidson was installed in 1740. He married the widow of
* Every thing considered, probably few ministers if any, now in the State, receive a salary so large as this, Mr. Davidson received, including his settlement, three hundred and twenty pounds, the first year. At that time the Governor of the colony received one hundred pounds. But, at the present time, a clerk in a rail-road office receives a larger salary than the great majority of the ministers of the State.
41
DERRY.
Mr. Thompson his predecessor, and was the pastor of the church for more than fifty years. He died Feb. 15th, 1791, aged seventy-seven years. He was born in Ireland, and was edu- cated at the university in Scotland, graduating, in 1733, at the early age of nineteen. He is described as having been peculiarly mild and amiable in his disposition, and sincerely devoted to the interests of his people, by whom he was greatly beloved. He was not an exact theologian, nor a very effective preacher. It was during his ministry that the " great awakening" occurred in New England. At this time, the celebrated Whitefield preached in Londonderry, and the West Parish in the town, to a very considerable degree, par- ticipated in the general awakening of the churches. But Mr. Davidson, who was pastor of the East Parish, gave the new movement no countenance whatever. In this he was sus- tained by his people, and consequently his church remained unblest. Subsequently, the discipline of the church was so much neglected, and vital piety so much declined, that there was scarcely any distinction between the church and the world.
After the death of Mr. Davidson, the church remained vacant for about four years. In 1795, a call was extended to the Rev. Jonathan Brown, and he was ordained as pastor of the church, by the Londonderry Presbytery. A large mi- nority of the parish, however, made a determined opposition to his settlement, and earnestly remonstrated against his or- dination. But the Presbytery disregarded the remonstran- ces, and placed him over the church. The minority subse- quently withdrew from the parish and formed a Congrega- tional church and Society, the latter of which was incorporated by an act of the Legislature under the name of the "Third Parish in Londonderry." This Congregational Church main- tained separate worship for about twelve years. Mr. Brown's ministry continued until Sept. 1804, about nine years, when "in consequence of renewed opposition and alleged impru- dences," he was dismissed, at his own request. He was never again settled in the ministry. He died in February 1838, eighty years of age.
In 1809 the First (or Presbyterian) Parish, and the Third (or Congregational) Parish, chose a joint committee to con- sider their differences, and to draft articles of agreement, with a view to unite the two parishes. The articles of agree- ment, reported by this committee, were adopted, with slight amendments, by both Societies, aud thus the two parishes were made one. These articles of agreement prescribed, among other things, that the minister of the parish should be
4
42
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY.
ordained by " a convention of ministers and delegates" selec- ted by the candidate and the parish ; also, that, in any case of discipline, if any appeal is made, it should be made to a " convention of ministers and delegates ;" and, "that, in case of any dispute arising between the church and minister, the same shall be submitted to a convention of ministers and delegates." They likewise prescribed that, the church should be governed by the minister and a committee of twelve men, members of the church, which committee should be chosen by the parish once in three years. But in no respect do these articles recognize any allegiance, on the part of the church, to the Presbytery. Soon after, the new parish was incorporated by an act of the Legislature under the name of " The First Parish in Londonderry." After the union of the two parishes, the two churches took measures to effect a corresponding union. They "mutually chose a committee of six members to draft articles of agreement." At a subse- quent meeting of the two churches, the report of the com- mittee, including a creed and covenant for the proposed new church, was adopted. At the same meeting, the two chur- ches took the following action : " Voted, to resolve ourselves into one church, engaging to walk together corresponding to the articles of agreement upon which our union is founded, according to the ordinances of the gospel." Thus a happy union was effected, and the bitter alienations and animosities of the several preceding years began to be buried. The new church was essentially Congregational in its form, fully rec- ognizing the doctrines of the independency of each local church and the propriety of advice and aid from sister chur- ches. Its creed and covenant was also the same, in substance, that are usually adopted in the Evangelical Congregational churches of New England. In consequence of this change, a few members of the old Presbyterian church refused to unite with the new church, but they occasioned no serious difficul- ty. This church has continued unchanged in its form of gov- ernment down to the present time. It was originally called, The First Church in Londonderry. Its name now is, The First Church in Derry .**
On the 7th of May 1810, the First Parish voted to extend a call to the Rev. Edward L. Parker. The call having been accepted, in accordance with the articles of agreement, letters missive were sent to several churches, convening an Ecclesias- tical council, which ordained Mr. Parker on the 12th of Sept.
* In the year 1828 the town of Londonderry wes divided into two towns, the eastern division receiving the name of Derry, and the western division retaining the name of Londonderry.
43
DERRY.
1810. He was born in Litchfield, N. H., graduated at Dart- mouth, and pursued his theological studies, partly under Prof. Shurtleff of Dartmouth, and partly under Dr. Wor- cester of Salem, Ms. His ministry of forty years in Derry, was one of great usefulness. He has been called a model pastor. He was a man of untiring diligence, and was whol- ly devoted to the work of "saving himself and those that heard him." It has often been said that his life is appropri- ately written, in the emphatic words inscribed upon his tomb stone : " Not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." During his long pastorate, the church enjoyed an unusual degree of harmony and prosperity. The articles of agreement which had so auspiciously united the two chur- ches and parishes, remained essentially unchanged, and conse- quently, the organization of the church and parish was the same at the end, as at the beginning, of his ministry .* Dur- ing these forty years, there were "repeated and powerful manifestations of divine grace." There were eight revivals of religion. As the result of one of these seasons of religious interest, that of 1837-8, over one hundred persons were added to the church, and ninety-six of them upon a single sabbath. Mr. Parker died July 14th, 1850, aged 66, and was buried in the same cemetery with his five predecessors in the minis- terial office. Rarely can it be said of a church, as old as this, that all its pastors down to the present, sleep together in its own church yard.
The present pastor, Rev. J. W. Wellman, was ordained June 18, 1851. The church and society proceeded in this case, as in the case of Mr Parker, according to the articles of Agree- ment, and ordained their pastor, elect, by an Ecclesiastical council. The number of members now in the church is two hundred and fifty-two.
DERRY.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH .- Rev. E. G. PARSONS.
The Lower Village in Derry lies upon the Turnpike, about a mile from the First Parish Meeting-house. Pinkerton Academy is established here. The concentration of business and population at this place, created a necessity for a sepa-
* Mr. Parker was himself a Presbyterian and a member of the Londonderry Presbytery ; and during his ministry his church was represented at the meetings of the Presbytery by a delegate. This occasioned the very general impression that this was a strictly Presby- terian church. It should be known, however, that the Articles of Agreement do not recognize any Presbytery.
44
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY.
rate place of worship. A Meeting-house was erected by the Methodists, in which enterprise many of the people of the village who were not of this persuasion, united. The re- moval of the place of worship in Londonderry to a more dis- tant point, induced a considerable number of families, living in the vicinity of the Village, to unite with the people here. In the year 1837 measures were taken "to form a Congre- gational Church." A Council met Aug. 3, 1837, and organ- ized "The First Congregational Church in Derry" with sixty-four members,-twenty males, and forty-four females, of whom forty came from the First Church, and twenty- three from the church in Londonderry, and one from Pel- ham. In the course of a few months, thirteen others were received by letter. In the same year the Society erected a neat and convenient Meeting-house.
Mr. Pliny P. Day, a recent graduate from Andover, was ordained pastor Oct. 4, 1837. Mr. Day's ministry was con- tinued here thirteen and a half years, when, early in the year 1851, he was, at his own request, dismissed.
On the first day of Oct. following, Rev. E. G. Parsons, the present pastor, was installed. In the course of Mr. Day's ministry this church witnessed, on several occasions, a share of the special, divine influence, graciously bestowed upon the town. It received, in fourteen years, in addition to the original sixty four members, from the world, one hundred and twenty persons ; and by letter, forty-seven, making the whole number added to the church, one hundred and sixty- six. During the same period, there were removed by death, twelve males, twenty seven females; by dismission, twenty four males, thirty-nine females ; and by exclusion, six males ; total removals, one hundred and eight; leaving, Oct. 1851, one hundred and twenty two members, of whom twenty four were non-residents. Since the latter date, the church has received eleven by profession, and by letter, fif- teen. Nine have been removed by death, and nine by letter. Present number, Oct. 1, 1855, one hundred and thirty, of whom twenty are non-residents. During the last three years, this church and society have, at their annual collections for objects of Christian benevolence, increased in every instance, the amount contributed the preceding years for the same object.
This church, from the beginning, has struggled against the inconvenience of its situation, between largely endowed par- ishes on two sides of it, having no endowment of its own except the annual liberality of its members and friends .. It also suffers from the decline of business, and removal, or
45
EPPING.
death of many of its most important supporters. A portion of the population changes frequently, and the new comers are not always in sympathy with the Congregational faith .- A large proportion of the youth betake themselves to more inviting fields of enterprise or duty. Yet, through divine grace, the church, and the society connected with it, hold their own, at least, and are disposed to trust in God and go forward. It is a fact of interest that, at the present mo- ment, six of the young men of the congregation are mem- bers of college, all of whom are hopefully pious, and most of whom will, probably, become ministers of the gospel. Much interest is felt in the education of the young of both sexes.
EPPING.
There are several fine streams of water passing through this town which diversify the face of the country, and place it among the more pleasant towns in the State. It was settled early, being a part of Exeter, from which it was taken, and incorporated, Feb. 12, 1741. The sentiments of the primary settlers were Orthodox.
A church was organized and Rev. Robert Cutler settled,. Dec. 9, 1747. He was a native of Cambridge, Ms., a grad- uate of Harvard in 1741, and continued in the pastoral office until Dec. 23, 1755, a period of eight years ; 101 were added to the church in his time. At his dismission a charge of immoral conduct was preferred against him. He was settled again however in Greenwich, Ms. in 1760, and there he went to his reward, Feb. 24, 1786, aged sixty eight years.
Rev. Josiah Stearns, was settled as pastor here, March 8th, 1758, and his pastorate and his life terminated, July 25, 1788. He was born at Billerica, Ms., a graduate of Harvard 1751. He was a descendant from Isaac Stearns, who came from England with Gov. Wentworth, in 1630. He was no ordinary man. Tall in person, of an easy address, devoutly pious, clear, full and persuasive in his sermons, sober, tender, impressive in conversation, he was fitted to exert great influence. The Meeting-house was often crowded with listeners to his earnest appeals. He read other books, but Dr. Thayer of Kingston said of him, "the Bible especially was his library." He was an unwavering friend of liberty. He sent his sons into the field, and, it is said, made large pecuniary sacrifices for the Amer- ican cause. As he reached home from a State convention in Exeter, he called his children together, told them that he
46
ROCKINGHAM COUNTY.
had pledged himself for freedom against English rule and tyranny, and added, "If the cause prevail, it will be a great blessing to the country, but if it should fail, your poor old father's head will soon be a button for a halter." 347 persons were added to the church during his ministry, and 1060 were baptized. Some of his sermons were printed. He suffered long and severely but in much patience, with a cancer, of which he died, aged fifty seven years, after a ministry here of more than thirty years.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.