USA > New Hampshire > Strafford County > Dover > The first parish in Dover, New Hampshire : two hundred and fiftieth anniversary, October 28, 1883 > Part 4
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2. Moses Ham, chosen 31 March 1772. He lived near Cochecho Pond, and died 11 May 1817.
3. Nathaniel Cooper, 30 May 1775, and again later.
4. Benjamin Peirce, 31 March 1779, and again later.
. Nathaniel Cooper, - a second time, - 30 April 1786, until his death, from consumption, 4 March 1795. He was town clerk from 1780 until his death. The house in which he lived stood on the north-
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east corner of Locust and Silver streets.1 He was succeeded by his son
6. Walter Cooper, chosen 26 March 1795, who was also town clerk until 1777. He was found dead on the shore of a pond in Lee, 14 October 1823.
7. Benjamin Peirce, 26 March 1800; a deacon in the church from 5 November 1780; of honored memory. The house in which he lived is still standing, the second east of Locust street, on the south side of Silver. He died 12 September 1823, aged 80 years.
8. Philemon Chandler, 10 March 1821, whose name is worthily kept in memory. He was born in 1766, died 17 January 1840.
9. Asa Alford Tufts, 27 March 1833 ; of whom one may not speak in his presence as the respect of a whole community would dictate ; whose life, it is hoped, will be spared years longer yet.
10. Andrew Peirce, 28 March 1839, a deacon from 30 December 1838, an honored son of the honored Benjamin Peirce just mentioned ; a deacon in the church, intrusted with offices in the State, - who of us that knew him will forget his white hairs, his graceful form, his silvery voice, his gracious words. He died 4 September 1862.
II. Edmund James Lane, 29 March 1853; still with us, and still revered in the growing infirmities of age; a deacon in the church from 30 December 1838.
12. William Reade Tapley, 26 March 1867, and still in office.
The support of the ministry was, from the earliest times until within this century, from public and general taxation. Our ancestors did not originate this method. It was not an invention of Puritans : the emi- grants brought the system with them from England, where it was univer- sal. The church here was practically as much an " established church " here as the Church of England was an established church in England. The church here was not a sectarian, not even a denominational, church. It has been asked, Was this parish established upon the Cambridge platform of church polity? No; from the vantage-ground of time, we look down upon that platform. There was no such platform when this parish began ; and the parish is simply " The First Parish in Dover." We have been asked, "Was this church founded upon the Westmin- ster Confession of Faith?" No ; we are more ancient than the gath- ering of the divines at Westminster, and this church is simply "The first church of Christ in Dover." Neither parish nor church was
1 A few years since it was removed southward on Locust street, and divided into two parts, stand- ing on the west side of that street ; one of these is now occupied by Nathaniel Watson, a member of this parish.
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organized under any name or with any character other than Christian. The New England parishes and churches being such, and being sup- ported by legislation, they held the same position here which the Eng- lish Church held at home ; they were here "by law established," and therefore, all other people, such as Baptists or Episcopalians, were " dissenters."
The erection of meeting-houses here, the providing of ministers' houses, and the support of the ministry, were alike paid for by the people, taxed according to property. In Dover there was, however, a partial support in the rents of the mill-sites, and of the right to cut timber for the saws. The original settlement was in the fishing interest ; but Monhegan and the Isles of Shoals were better stations for the great fisheries than was the inland Point six miles up the Pascataqua. If visions of mines had occupied their minds, they had quickly faded. Although Cochecho early became a trading-post, where Indians or hunters might sell furs, its trade was not sufficient to raise the place into great prominence. But the great forests were inexhaustible sources of wealth. They were pierced by many rivers. The Newichawannock on the east, Fresh Creek, Cochecho (with its tributary Isinglass), Little John's Creek, Bellamy, Shankhassick (trans- formed to Oyster River), Johnson's Creek, the Piscassick (transformed to Lamprey River), all ran southward, and all had rocky falls filled with sleeping power. Up to the rocks of each flowed the tide-water, ready to receive the products from the saws. The West Indies and other places were rich markets for the lumber.
John Mason had sent a saw-mill to Newichawannock in 1634. It may have been as early as or before 1640 that Richard Walderne built at Cochecho Falls, where he had taken up his residence, the extreme home of English life here. He had large possessions. When he had erected mills in 1649, completed before 2 October (James Wall, builder), in 1649 he sold to Joseph Austin a part of the " old mill." He received very large grants of timber on the Cochecho, 12 December 1648. By 1650 the following sites, with standing timber adjoining, had been granted by the town : -
Cochecho, lower falls, to Richard Walderne.
Lamprey River, 27 December 1647, to Elder Hatevil Nutter and Elder Edward Starbuck.
Bellamy, 23 October 1649, to William Pomfrett, Thomas Layton, and John Dam.
Lamprey River ("Piscassick grant excepted"), 7 June 1652, to Valentine Hill.
Oyster River, 19 November 1649, to Valentine Hill and Thomas Beard.
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Quamphegan, 1 July 1650, to Thomas Wiggin and Simon Brad- street.
Cochecho, second fall, 4 July 1650, to Thomas Wiggin and Edward Starbuck.
Bellamy, above the lower falls, 5 December 1652, to Richard Wal- derne.
Cochecho, second fall, north side, 5 Decem' er 1652, to Richard Walderne.
Fresh Creek, 5 December 1652, to William Furbur, William Went- worth, Henry Langster, and Thomas Canney.
Johnson's Creek, in Durham, 5 December 1652, to Ambrose Gib- bons.
Little John's Creek, at the head of Dover Neck, 5 December 1652, to Joseph Austin.
Later grants I need not give. All these were subject to payment of rent ; some a gross annual sum, and some by the number of trees cut ; traces of which are found even later than the year 1700. The rents were set apart for the support of public worship.
A little earlier, however, is the first vote on record touching the privileges of the church, - a curious one : Providing, 20 April 1644, that Edward Starbuck, Richard Walderne, and William Furbur shall be during their lives, "wearesmen for Cochecho Fall and river," paying yearly a rental of six thousand alewives to the town, - the vote says : " the first they catch to be employed for the use of the Church, and what fish is wanting for the Church's use to be delivered at Common price, that is to say, Three shillings a thousand at the utmost, and the first Salmon they catch to be given to our pastor or teacher." After the wearesmen have six thousand, then, "3dly, Church officers are to be served with fish "; and then, " 4thly, all that beare office in the com- monwealth." It was church and state, - the church taking the place of honor, even in fish.
Our defective records do not give the earliest votes as to the support of the ministry. But, apparently in 1643, appears the following : --
" It is ordered that Mr Dan" Maud1 and Mary his wife, shall Enjoy the house they now dwell in during their lives, provided he continue Amongst us Teacher or Pastor if please God to call him to it."
A vote setting apart the mill rents and providing for the rate of tax ation, passed 16 April 1655, is as follows : -
" It is agreed upon concerninge the setling of comfortable maintenance for the ministry of Douer & Oyster River yt all the Rents of the saw mills shall be sett
1 Mr. Maud, fifth minister, who served from 1643 until his death, in 1655, will be mentioned later in this, publication.
1767958
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apart into a Towne stocke wth two pence upon the pound to be rated upon the estates of all the inhabitants, and all such estates so appointed are to be put into the hands of any that shall be chosen Treasurers by the said Towne to receive the same, wch summ, that hath respect to the Rate, is to be paid in money, Beaver, Beife, Poarke, wheat, Pease, Mault, Butter, cheese, in one or any of these ; this order to take place the 25th of June next, & to continue one whole yeare."
At this date, Mr. Maud, who made his will 17 January 1654-5, which was proved 26 June 1655, may have been deceased, and prepara- tions making for his successor's support ; perhaps directly intended for Rev. John Reyner, who settled here in June or July of that year.
A record, apparently of 1653, shows amount annual rents due from mills : Quamphegan, £10; Capt. Wiggin and Edward Starbuck, at Cochecho second falls, {10; Richard Walderne, at the second falls, £4, and for Cochecho, £50; Joseph Austin, fourth of old mill at Coche- cho, f2; Fresh Creek, 56; Little John's Creek, 66; Ambrose Gib- bons, grain mill, £4; Oyster River, fro; Lamprey River, f20. The mills thus in operation should have given an income for the support of public worship of {122.
Upon our records are tax lists of various years, showing the list of tax-payers, the amount assessed upon each person by the two-penny tax, the privilege of paying in provisions brought to the minister's house, and the prices fixed from year to year. The estimated value of provisions in the tax of 22 November 1659 was as follows : beef, three pence per pound ; pork, four pence ; butter, six pence ; wheat, five shillings per bushel ; pease, four shillings ; malt, six shillings ; barley, five shillings; cheese, at price current. The provision tax next1 year amounted. to nearly sixty-six pounds. I imagine your parsonage receiving the beef, pork, malt, and cheese ; and your late revered pas- tor in its vestibule receipting therefor. It was, however, an easy way then, doubtless scarcely felt by the producers.
The amount of Mr. Maud's salary seems to have been £50 and the two-penny tax in provisions. That of his successor, John Reyner, was £120. The following record bears upon his contract : -
" At a publicke Towne Meetinge ye 19th of ye 2d Mon : 58
" Voted by the Inhabitants in generall a second time that the first ingagement & promise of the Towne unto Mr Reiner of one hundred & twenty pounds yearely is ratifyed & Confirmed to be made good unto Him onely with annexinge thereto such prouisoes & limitations, as will both stand with the true meaninge thereof & may secure the Town from such burthens & pressures, as are feared to come upon them thereby :
" As first, that he except of Ministery & office in the Church, & Continue therein accordinge to the Rule of God's Word.
" adly that mens estates generally in the Towne be not obstruably decayed nor the
1 The tax list for 165y, ab a specimen, will be found in the Appendix.
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Rents belonging to the Towne impard, neither ye one, nor the other from what they are in the Townes present undertakeing for one hundred & twenty pounds yearely : But if so be the Towne be impard, & decayed at any time in their estates & Rents, then accordingly for such time & no longer, the yearely Stypende may by the Towne be lowered, onely if thereby the Maintenance fall below one hundred pounds yearely without probability of its riseinge afterwards, & that he cannot therewith Comforta- bly carry on family occasions, I may make use of some other help for his Comforta- ble Continuance hear, or remouinge to some other place vithout offence :
" 3dly in Case it be testafyed to him by the Towne or the Major part thereof that their expenses for this or that present yeare ar aboue what they are usually in re- spect to more than ordinary or urgent occasions, & that ye rise of their estates is not such as they can Comfortably bear it, & yet make good the summ agreed upon, in such a case ye Towne may be at Liberty to take of from ye Same Summ with respect to such expenses for ye present time, as may Seem meet to them, prouided it be not aboue twenty pounds pr Annum."
The town voted, 7 November 1659, to give to Mr. Reyner " his new dwelling house which was the town's house provided for a minister," provided that he "do live and die with us," and provided that Mr. Reyner " doth free the town from building any other house for a min- ister." After his death the town voted, 29 May 1671, its meaning to give it to him, his heirs and assigns, with the acre of land in which it stood.
The cellar of this house is still visible. From the lower eastern cor- ner of the fortification on Dover Neck one may walk down the road fourteen rods, and from the point then reached, a due east line ex- tending four rods beyond the east line of the highway will reach the remnant of the cellar on which stood the house of Rev. John Reyner. An unprotected hollow in the ground has outlasted two centuries.
Shortly after Mr. Reyner's decease, which took place 20 April 1669, the town took action to build another minister's house, inasmuch as Mr. Reyner had left not only two sons but a widow and five daugh- ters, who inherited. This vote was passed, it appears, at a meeting which invited John Reyner, jr., who had been assistant to his father for some years, to officiate for one year. The vote, which it is not certain was carried into effect, was as follows : -
"At ye sam tim voted that thear shall be a minister's hous billt apon dover neck the dementions is as followeth yt is to say 44 foot in lenketh 20 foot wide 14 foot betwine Joist and Joist with a Stak of Brick Chimneyes and a Sellar of 16 foot- Squaer this house to be Buellded at the charg of the hole town in Genarall."
An incidental record shows that the junior Reyner was, at that date, 22 July 1669, invited to officiate for one year : ---
" Whereas at a Publicke Towne meeting holden the 22 of July 1660 the Towne gave to Mr John Reyner A Call to ofetiate in the ministrey until the 22th of Julye next insuing wich will be in the yeir 1670, at Towne meeting holden the 27th of September 69 Mr John Reyner Gave in his Exseptance to that sarues." 4
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On that 22d of July 1669, the town voted also to set apart $40 of mill rents for the Dover Neck ministry, and a penny rate in pro- visions upon all the inhabitants except those of Oyster River: the order was to stand for one year, but it contains a peculiar provision at variance with taxation : "the penney Rate to be paid in October or November or a free contribution what Everey man will free give."
Preliminary to the settlement of John Reyner, jr., which took place 12 July 1671, the following offers were made : -
"at ye sam tim [13 March 1670-1] for the Better Incoredgment of mr John Rey- ner in the ministrey the Towne doeth order the fortey pounds of mill Rents with the peney Rate to be payd to him yeierely soe longe as he Conteneweth men [worn] the Towne of Douer this peney Rate to be leued ap [on] the Inhabetance of Douer Neck Cocheche Blodey po . . . and oyster Riuer acording to thear Artekells | voted the 13th I month
"at the sam tim And ferder it is Ordred that the Selecktmen haue power to treat with mr John Rayner and to agree with him his finding for him self for Convenient housing not Exsieding seuenty pounds . . . voted the 13th I mo [that is, 13 March 1671.]
" Voted It is this day ordred that twenty Ackers of swampe land to be layd out for the use of the ministrey and not to be allenated without the Consent of Eurie inhab . . . the plase is the great Swamp apon the Neck of land to be bounded and layd out by the sellecktmen "
The salary of Rev. John Pike in 1686 was £60; in 1695, 665 ; in 1707, {80, one third thereof being paid in money. The town appro- priated, 22 May 1710, f10 towards the expenses of Mr. Pike's funeral.
Mr. Nicholas Sever was called to the pastorate by vote of 22 May 1710 ; his salary was to be " not less than eighty pounds per annum money, and one hundred pounds payable in two years towards the purchase of house and land as he sees meet." For service before settlement he was to receive twenty shillings a Sunday, and subsistence for himself and horse. The town added 66 to his salary, 18 December 1710, " to procure him wood," and ten acres of land for him to build upon. The town voted also, 18 December 1710, that "fifty or sixty acres of the most convenient common land on Bloody Point side " be laid out for the use of the ministry " when it shall please God to direct a settlement of that kind amongst them."
Prior to the settlement of the next minister, the town, by vote 7 January 1716-17, authorized the committee appointed to obtain a minister to offer him 690 salary "for his encouragement." Probably this was the salary on which Jonathan Cushing was settled 18 Septem- ber 1717. Twenty acres of land were laid out for "the use of the ministry," apparently in 1720, on Dover Neck, "bounded on the north side by M'. Cushing's ten acres." Mr_ Cushing's residence was not
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owned by the parish, but by himself. He purchased of Daniel Titcomb, 5 May 1718, for "a certain sum of good & currant money," four acres more or less on Pine Hill, " nigh ye new meeting house at Cochecho," bounded west by the road from Dover to Cochecho, northerly and easterly by the common land, and southerly by "ye Road yt goeth from Cap' Paul Gerrishe's to Hanson's"; meaning the titet next south of the present burial ground. There he built a house, and there he died. The house was in a ruinous condition when taken down, or when it fell down, between the years 1810 and 1814. Mr. Cushing's well, very near which the house stood, is still in use; it is on the vacant lot of Mr. John Meserve's, next south of Mr. John Lancaster's residence. You can, any day, drink water from the same well with Mr. Cushing, where he drank a hundred and sixty-five years ago. Or you can drink water from the same spring on Dover Neck with William Leverich, - Hall's spring, - where Mr. Leverich drank two hundred and fifty years ago.
Mr. Cushing's salary, 16 July 1759, was made {1,000. This appar- ently enormous sum was in depreciated paper currency. In 1755, soldiers who had been promised £13} per month were paid £15; in 1757, £25; in 1758, the pay was restored to twenty-seven shillings in silver, making £10 in currency equal to one pound in silver.1
The church's call to Mr. Cushing's colleague and successor, Jeremy Belknap, was concurred in 15 December 1766, with a salary of £100 lawful money, and £150 (650 in three months after installation, £50 in six months, and 650 in nine months), "which is to provide himself a convenient house to dwell in," "or instead of the $150 that the Parish shall provide him a Convenient house." He chose the one hundred and fifty pounds.
Mr. Belknap lived first in the house of Col. Otis Baker, which house was last owned and occupied by Michael Whidden when it was de- stroyed by fire 4 November 1830, and which stood on the southwest corner of Silver and Atkinson streets. Into that house Mr. Belknap moved 6 July 1767, just after his marriage,2 which took place in Bos- ton 15 June
Mr. Belknap purchased of Tobias Randal,3 15 March 1768, for
1 Mr. Cushing appears to have been in good circumstances as to property. His inventory, after his decease, shows that he owned this homestead, other lands in Dover, and land in Madbury, Chichester, and four lots in Rochester ; plenty of live stock, besides silver ware, gold buttons, and other evidences of thrift.
2 On the first Sunday after his bringing his bride to Dover, 6 July, his diary significantly says, " a very full congregation."
3 The conveyance describes the land as comprising about one acre and eleven rods, its line upon the road being eighteen rods and two feet ; Col. Otis Baker's home lot joining it on the cast, and Samuel
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£203 lawful money, the property on Silver street, now forming the northwest corner lot of Silver and Belknap streets, where long stood the old house familiar to many of you. It was an old house in our boyhood, and it must have been built by Tobias Randal, as his con- veyance says, "with the dwelling house & barn now standing on the said Land." He moved into this house 20 June 1762. "Removed," says his diary1 of that date, "to my new house - a small shock of an earthquake about noon, rumbling noise but hardly any shaking."
In that house Mr. Belknap wrote his history of New Hampshire. The last owner of the place was Susan, widow of Samuel Watson and mother of Nathaniel Watson, of this city (who was born in the Bel- knap house 28 December 1827). The house was in bad condition, and it was decided that it was useless to try to repair it. The house was sold at auction, in 1854, to Washington P. Hayes, for $100, to be removed; it was taken down and removed between the roth and 30th of August 1854. The land was sold to the School District, in 1856, for $300.
The depreciation of the currency in the war of the Revolution and the difficulty of collecting by law the church taxes during that period seriously embarrassed Mr. Belknap. Attempts made to collect by force resulted in hardship, and Mr. Belknap interfered to end such proceedings at the sacrifice of his own rights. Extra allowances were repeatedly voted him, but the result of these pecuniary difficulties in the parish was his withdrawal.
When the parish voted, 25 December 1786, to concur with the church in calling Robert Gray, his salary was fioo lawful money, and the use of fifty acres of parsonage lands. The parish made an extra grant of £30, 30 June 1797, "in consequence of the upward prices of Provisions "; and one of £100, 28 March 1798, for the same reason.
On the 28th of March 1787, the parish " Voted, To build a parson- age house the present year, the Dimensions to be 38 feet long and 30 feet wide." It voted also to purchase from George Hanson half an acre of land for a house lot, on the south side of Gershom Lord's land,
Hodge's land bounding it on the west and north. These, premises Mr. Belknap sold to Charles Clapham, of Dover, an Englishman by birth and a lawyer by profession, 6 July 1789, for £82. Mr. Clapham later removed to Portsmouth. . Seethatworth Bandalogy
When the war of the Revolution began, Mr. Belknap succeeded with Some difficulty in bringing bis parents out of beleaguered Boston, and into Dover. Here they long resided, living in the " Freeman house," on Silver street, which still stands. That house is now owned and occupied by Mrs. Isaac N. Drew.
1 For many items I am indebted to the kindness of the Massachusetts Historical Society, which mits me to make extracts from Mr. Belknap's interleaved almanacs in the library. Another item sug- gestive of ancient times is this, of 23 November 1768: " Silas Hanson killed a bear about 20 Rods from my House."
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for £30; and it contracted, 7 April 1788, with Richard Tripel to build the house and barn, according to the plans, for $300 lawful money. This house? is still standing on its original site on Pleasant street.
Concurring with the church, 23 June 1806, and renewing its concur- rence 13 October following, in calling Martin L. Hulbert, the parish offered $500 salary; the vote upon concurrence, ninety-one yeas to fifty-two nays, did not warrant his settlement. The parish vote of concurrence in calling Caleb H. Sherman, 12 March 1807, fixed his salary at $500, and the "income of the parsonage." Mr. Sherman lived in the parsonage.
Rev. Joseph W. Clary's salary (the parish concurring in the call 25 March 1812) was $500 and the use of the parsonage lands. He lived in the parish parsonage. By vote of 22 July 1828, when he was about to leave, the parish voted to continue his salary for the year and to pay him $500 in March 1830 (substantially equivalent to two years' salary), with the use of the parsonage for his family, if needed, until the latter date.
The parsonage lands were sold, by virtue of vote 25 March 1829, two lots, " the one adjoining Capt. Moses Wingate's land, and the other adjoining Israel Hanson's land." The parsonage house had ceased to be used in 1832. . On the 13th of July in that year, the parish sold it for $1,000 to Daniel and William Osborne, "being the same land and buildings lately occupied by the Reverend Joseph W. Clary." The house, which had hitherto faced the south, was turned so as to face the east, by William Osborne, who lived in that house and died therein 16 August 1839.
The salary of Rev. Hubbard Winslow, fixed in the vote concurring with the church, 17 November 1828, was $1,000; the contract of set- tlement being liable to be ended by six months' notice by either party. Rev. Warren Fay, who did not accept, was offered $1,000 salary, 4 September 1832. Rev. David Root's salary (by vote concurring 5 December 1832) was $1,000. That offered to Jeremiah S. Young, 30 October 1839, was $300 and any moneys remaining annually after defraying other expenses. Rev. J. W. McLane was called by concur- ring vote 17 June 1844, at a salary of $1,000, but he did not accept. The salary of Rev. Homer Barrows, 21 May 1845, and that of Rev. Benjamin F. Parsons, 21 December 1852, was each $1,000. That of Rev. Elias H. Richardson, 30 September 1856, was $1,200; that of Rev. Avery S. Walker, 6 August 1864, $1,500. The parish concurred
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