USA > New Hampshire > Merrimack County > Sutton > The history of Sutton, New Hampshire : consisting of the historical collections of Erastus Wadleigh, Esq., and A. H. Worthen, part 1 > Part 27
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been only a listener to the conversation: " If Elder Moody is not called by grace to be a preacher, why then, in his case at least, nature is stronger than grace, and speaks more plainly, for she certainly indicated unmistakably her design concerning him when she gave him his voice, so admirably adapted to the pulpit."
In manner Mr. Moody is friendly, yet dignified as becomes his years and his profession, quick of apprehension, and of ready sympathies, which last named characteristic probably accounts for the fact that the burden of attending so many funerals has been laid upon him.
Mrs. Moody was born in Gilmanton, July 5, 1804. The sixtieth anniversary of their marriage was celebrated by appropriate exercises at their home in Sutton March 19, 1887. About one hun- dred people were present, and a bountiful supper was served. They received presents to the value of $50. It was an occasion long to be remembered. Elder Moody has been a constant attendant at quarterly and yearly meetings, and has often been called to serve upon ordaining councils. For sev- enteen years he has been president of the N. H. Charitable Society, an organization connected with the Free Baptist yearly meeting. He was present at the first General Conference of the denomination, which was held at Tunbridge, Vt., Oct. 11, 1827, and has several times been a delegate to that body. He was one of the eighteen aged ministers who were at the Centennial Conference at The Weirs in 1880, and in length of service in the ministry stood second among that number.
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REV. HENRY S. KIMBALL
commenced his labors for the Free-Will Baptist church in Sutton April 1, 1866, and was ordained at the North meeting-house May 31 of that year. During the five years of his ministry in this town there was a continued revival, and many were added to the church. He has since labored with churches in Lake Village, N. H., in Lynn, Mass., in Boyls- ton, Mass., in Rochester, N. H., and in Dayville, Conn. He is now pastor of a Congregational church in Massachusetts.
Mr. Kimball was born in Candia, N. H., Sept. 15, 1839. In addition to the common schools he pursued courses of study at Pinkerton academy, at Derry, N. H., and at the Literary Institution at New Hampton, N. H. His theological education was chiefly obtained at the Methodist Theological Institute at Concord, N. H.
He married, April 10, 1862, Miss Carrie L. Belcher, of Goffstown, N. H. They have three children,-Annie B., Ida May, and Maud R.
Mr. Kimball was superintendent of the public schools nearly all the time of his residence in this town.
In reply to a letter asking for facts concerning his course while with the Sutton church and peo- ple, Elder Kimball writes,-"I was there full five years, and enjoyed life there very much. One thing was marked: there was a beautiful harmony exist- ing between the different denominations during my residence in town."
This remark of Mr. Kimball forcibly reminds us
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of a passage found in a letter which is yet in exist- ence, though written in 1850, from Rev. William Taylor to the Calvinist Baptist church in Sutton, of which church he was pastor in 1816, some fifty years before the time of which Mr. Kimball writes. His letter makes allusion to a very opposite senti- ment as existing among the people of the different religious bodies in Sutton. He says,-"I am ap- prised of one great evil which has formerly existed and I suppose still exists among you, and that is that you meet alternately in two places. It is diffi- cult for a church and society to become permanent in such a case. As a general thing they will be contradicted every other Sabbath, and that too before many if not most of the same congregation. The friction in such a piece of machinery always makes it go hard. I know not what state of repair your meeting-houses are in, but if they were both ready to fall down I could tell you what to do, and that would be to build you one good house in or as near the centre as you could get it, and then you could build permanently on your own foundation. However, I must forbear lest I seem to dictate; but it is said a burnt child dreads the fire, and some of you know that I tried that running fire two years in Sutton to but little purpose; and ever since, I have set my face against owning or occupying meeting-houses in partnership with other denomina- tions, otherwise than as mere acts of courtesy."
As will be seen, Mr. Kimball's letter indicates the existence of a state of harmony between different denominations of Christians which Elder Taylor supposed impossible. May we not claim, without
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vanity, that we in this our day are wiser than were our fathers of half a century ago?
REV. ISAAC PEASLEE,
a grandson of David Peaslee, the first settler in Sutton, was born in this town June 10, 1795. The most of his life and ministerial labors, except some six or seven years in Troy, N. H., and Ashburn- ham, Mass., were within the limits of the Weare quarterly meeting. He was converted in early life, served as deacon of the Free-Will Baptist church in Sutton several years; was ordained, and became pastor February 15, 1832. He baptized ninety-six persons in his own town, and his labors as a minis- ter and pastor were greatly blest in the building up of the Sutton church. When, in advanced life, he could no longer preach on account of his infirmities, he was usually found in the house of God, attend- ing Sabbath worship, feeling that his presence there was an influence for good to others, and a blessing to himself.
His first wife was Hannah Mastin,-truly a help- meet in his ministerial labors. They became par- ents of eight children.
Elder Peaslee died at South Sutton, May 11, 1884, being almost 89 years of age. A widow and four children survive him. In his death it might truly be said that a worthy Christian man had gone to his reward. His funeral at South Sutton was attended by Rev. David Moody, the text of the ser- mon being from 2 Timothy iv : 7.
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IIISTORY OF SUTTON.
REV. ARTHUR CAVERNO PEASLEE,
third son of Rev. Isaac Peaslee, was born in Sut- ton, May 29, 1832; was converted at Wilmot Flat at the age of thirty-three, under the ministerial labors of N. L. Rowell and G. W. Norris. Soon after his conversion he felt that the ministry must be his life work; and he sought in New Hampton Institution that intellectual training which would assist in making his ministry a success. He was ordained at Newfield, Me., May 5, 1868. In this place his labors as pastor of the church were greatly rewarded.
In the fall of 1874 he attended, for the first time, the session of the Vermont quarterly meeting at West Topsham. At the close of the session he was invited to remain as pastor of the church. This was his last work, and, being unwilling to give it up, long after he was not able to walk to, or even to stand in, the desk on account of his infirmities, he was carried to the house of God; and there, sitting or reclining on his couch, his eloquence thrilled the hearts of his hearers, inspiring them with renewed zeal and love in their Master's cause.
He held seven pastorates, during which he preached 745 sermons, and baptized 91 persons.
He died at West Topsham, July 1, 1876, leaving a wife and four children. His remains were taken to South Sutton for interment.
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SECOND ADVENT CHURCH AND SOCIETY.
This body of Christians in Sutton organized as a society in 1847. There were in town some believ- ers as early as 1841. Their number increased stead- ily, so that in 1868 they drew, as their proportion of the $60 interest of the town's minister money, $10.35, more than one sixth of the whole, which indicates exactly their strength relative to the other religious societies.
The charter members of the society were Thomas J. Wadleigh, Esq., Thomas Cheney, Phineas Bean, Capt. Nathan Champlin, and Moses Hazen, Esq.
Thomas J. Wadleigh, Esq., was elected treasurer, which office he held till 1860, when Moses W. Rus- sell was elected treasurer.
The same year the society reorganized. The following is the record of this meeting :
The Second Advent Society met in accordance with the call of the secretary. Meeting called to order by T. J. Wadleigh, who was chosen chairman.
Moses W. Russell, clerk and treasurer.
Thomas J. Wadleigh, Nathan Champlin, and Simeon Stevens, executive committee.
Voted, To authorize the treasurer to draw four dollars from the town treasury of minister money, assigned to the Advent Society, and send it to Elder T. M. Preble.
Voted, That the executive committee report a constitution at our next meeting.
At a meeting of the society holden in October, 1868, at the dwell_ ing-house of Phineas Bean, Moses Hazen, Esq., was chosen treas- urer, which office he held until his death, in 1884. Elder Frank Nelson was chosen clerk at this meeting.
At a meeting of the society, held in November, 1884, Dexter E. Brown was chosen chairman; Azariah Cressey, clerk ; Lee E. EI-
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liott, treasurer ; Dexter E. Brown, J. S. Andrew, and F. E. Ferry, committee.
The following is a summary of the provisions of the constitution and by-laws of the society.
1. This society shall be called the First Second Advent Society in the town of Sutton.
2. The officers of this society shall be a president, secretary, treas- urer, and an executive committee, consisting of three or more per- sons, all of whom shall hold their office one year, or until others are duly elected in their places.
3. Article 3 provides for amendments.
4. Article 4 provides for filling vacancies.
Any person of good moral or Christian character may become a member of this society by signing its constitution and by-laws.
THE ADVENT CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF SUTTON.1
This church was organized November 15, 1884. Pursuant to notice, a number of Christian believers met at the house of Lee E. Elliott for the purpose of organizing into a church of Christ, observ- ing the ordinances of divine appointment according to the New Testament basis. Those present did enter into a solemn covenant to walk together, as a church, taking the Bible as our only creed, and making Christian character the only test of fellowship.
The meeting was duly organized.
Dexter E. Brown and Lee E. Elliott were chosen deacons.
Francis E. Ferry was chosen elder, and Elder Azariah Cressey was chosen pastor.
The members, all of them, entered into a solemn agreement to stand by and watch over each other in sickness and in health, to assist each other when in trouble, bearing each others' burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.
While we take the Bible as our only creed, and permit our mem- bers to read and understand for themselves, not seeking in the least to bind our brother's conscience, but leaving overy one free to form his own opinion as to the meaning of the Scriptures, yet I think we agree in the following doctrine or confession of faith :
We believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and earth, and in his Son the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour from sin
1 Furnished by Azariah Cressey, the present pastor.
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and death, and in the Holy Spirit, our ever present Sanctifier, Com- forter, and Guide.
We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament contain the revealed will of God to mankind.
We believe the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and his holy apostles are a full and sufficient statement of the duties and faith of the church.
We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, that he was bur- ied, that he rose from the dead the third day immortal, that he ascended bodily from earth to heaven, where he sitteth at the right hand of God the Father, there to make intercession for us. From thence he shall come again personally to this earth to judge the liv- ing and the dead, and to establish his everlasting kingdom under the whole heaven.
We believe the wages of sin is death, not eternal life in torment.
We believe that the great day of the Lord is near at hand, wherein the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also and the works therein shall be burned up.
We believe according to his promise that God will create a new heaven and a new earth, which will be the abode of the saved ; that the kingdom and dominion under the whole heaven shall be given to the saints of the Most High God.
We believe that the ruler in the new world will be the Lord Jesus Christ, who will reign forever, sitting upon the throne of his father David. Then all of the meek shall inherit the earth, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying; neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things have passed away. See Rev., 21st chapter.
Finally, we believe that this great change is very soon to take place, "for he that is to come will come quickly, and will not tarry." "Behold I come quickly, Amen; even so, come, Lord Jesus." "Let thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven."
THE SPIRITUALISTS.
As early as 1849, at the very commencement of modern Spiritualism, many of the citizens of Sutton became interested in its phenomena, aided soon
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after by some good local mediums. Among the first to adopt the philosophy, and who were its first unswerving adherents through life, were Hon. Reuben Porter and Joseph Harvey, Esq.
The first public lecture was delivered by Dr. Mayhew, of Washington, D. C. Among the able subsequent speakers are recalled the names of Emma Hardinge, Emma Houston, Dr. H. P. Fair- field, Henry Houghton, Dean Clarke, J. P. Green- leaf, Mrs. Lizzie Manchester, Mrs. A. P. Brown, Mrs. Withey, and George A. Fuller.
The Spiritualists in Sutton organized for the first time in 1858, and since that time have drawn their proportion of the minister money.
A reorganization took place by the name of " The First Society of Spiritualists of Sutton," under the laws of the state of New Hampshire, March 5, 1877, with the following officers:
President-William H. Marshall. Vice President-Harriet Fellows. Secretary-James Knowlton. Treasurer-Hattie A. Powers. Collector-Charles C. Marshall.
Simon Kezar
George Fellows Trustees.
Charles A. Fowler.
Since the organization of the Spiritualist camp- meeting at Lake Sunapee, the Spiritualists of Sut- ton, while preserving their organization intact, have to a great extent discontinued their local public meetings, and participate in and help to sustain the annual camp-meetings at the lake.
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OSGOODITES.
We occasionally hear mention made of these people, although, as a body, they exist no longer ; and perhaps there is no person living at this time who is in sympathy with their peculiar views. But, for some years of the early part of this century, they attracted no small degree of attention in War- ner, where they originated, and in some of the neighboring towns. In the part of Sutton adjoin- ing Warner they made a few converts. Their leader, Jacob Osgood, from whom they took their name, was a resident in Warner. He was not a member of any church, but his doctrinal views and sympathies were generally with the Free-Will Bap- tists. His proposition to them, to be by them ordained, was, under the circumstances, declined, and, soon after, he and his followers renounced all faith in ordinations, church organizations, and gos- pel ordinances. They claimed to be "the saints ; " and it was a part of their religion to denounce all denominations in general, and the Free-Will Bap- tists in particular. In connection with much that seemed spiritual in their worship, they indulged in low and personal remarks, objectionable songs, and, finally, in kissing and dancing.
After a career of more than forty years, Osgood died, and the surviving adherents were scattered ; but as late as 1849 the present writer remembers to have attended, for the first and only time, one of their evening meetings, held in a private house in Warner village. On this occasion a few persons, among them the school-master, who had ventured
28
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in out of curiosity, though perfectly quiet and respectful, got soundly reproved by one of the " saints "-a female "saint"-on account of the smartness of their dress.
One of their number had recently died, almost instantaneously, and, as was not unnatural, most of their prayers and exhortations bore reference to the sad event. One of the prayers uttered con- tained the following sentence, so peculiar that it has not been forgotten by the listener to this late day : " Thou knowest, O Lord, Thou didst call for her while she stood at the table washing up her dishes."
The Osgoodites believed in extreme plainness of speech, manners, and dress, and they refused to do military duty ; and to these circumstances a great part of the notoriety they gained was probably due. But they were not immoral in their practices and behavior.
The wife of Jacob Osgood, founder of the Osgoodites, was a daughter of Jonathan Stevens and wife, who were among the early settlers of Sutton, in which town Mrs. Osgood was born, Sep- tember 12, 1779. Her name is found among the centenarians of Sutton.
SETTLING THE MINISTER.
In the warrant for town-meeting, March 1, 1790, is the following article:
To see if the town will vote to settle Mr. Samuel Ambrose as Minister of the Gospel for this town.
Voted in the negative.
The warrant for town-meeting, April 1, 1793, contained the following article:
To see if the town will vote to accept Mr. Samuel Ambrose as Minister of the Gospel for said town, so that he may be entitled to the Right of land in said town that was reserved for the first Gospel Minister that should be settled for said town, on condition of his giving the town a good Deed of some part of the said Right.
Voted to accept of the Rev. Samuel Ambrose as a Minister of the Gospel for said town, on condition of his giving the town a good Deed of the 2nd Division Lot of the Minister Right of land, so called, in said town.
In annual meeting, March 2, 1795,-
Whereas Rev. Samuel Ambrose was accepted as a regular Minis- ter of the Gospel for the town in 1793, and as he has requested the town to dismiss him from being considered a minister of the town, Voted to grant his request, and that all contracts between him and the town are relinquished.
The foregoing extracts from the records show that although Mr. Ambrose had been the minister resident in town for several years, and was the first one, he had never been settled by the town, which
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formal settlement alone could entitle him to the ownership of the minister right of land, so called, in town, a portion of which he cultivated and lived on. Merely holding this land in trust for the min- ister they should choose to settle, the town did not own it and never could own it except through a deed from the minister whom their action could put in possession of it. But the town, either from the natural covetousness of the human heart, or from a conviction that one half of it was all that Mr. Ambrose ought to have, since his labors had by no means been confined to Sutton, desired to keep the other half, and perhaps felt justified in doing so, if possible. On the other hand, Mr. Ambrose felt that his services in Sutton justly entitled him to the right.
As the case now stood neither party had any ownership in it, but each could by its action put the other in possession of one half of it. The advantage which each party held over the other being thus equally balanced, the following some- what remarkable compromise was effected: Mr. Ambrose having three years before asked in vain to be accepted as the minister of the town, now re- newed his request, making no secret of his object, viz., that he may be thus entitled to the possession of the right reserved for the first settled minister by a provision of the charter, and the town voted to accept him on condition of his giving the town a deed of one of the lots. A right, it will be remem- bered, comprised two lots, one of the first division and one of the second division.
If the action of the town of Sutton in thus get-
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ting possession of a portion of the minister right of land should seem like very sharp practice and cause for criticism, it may be well to look into the cir- cumstances. Previous to locating in this town in 1782 Mr. Ambrose had labored a year or two in the vicinity, doing missionary work, and becoming acquainted with the people of the adjacent towns. Especially was this true of the New London peo- ple, who seem to have had quite as much agency in his settling in Perrystown as did the people of the last named town. It appears that it was a New London man who moved his family and goods into Perrystown, and the town of New London paid the cost of the same. (See Judge Sargent's sketch of New London in "History of Merrimack and Belknap Counties.")
Perhaps Perrystown was the most convenient centre of his missionary field, and hence his locating here; but it is known that he served the church and people of New London in connection with the Sut- ton church for several years, and the town of New London contributed towards his support during that time. He also gathered a church in Henniker, which was considered a branch of the Sutton church, not very numerous as to membership, but they maintained public worship on the Sabbath, and the sacraments were administered during sev- eral years. His action in asking for a settlement by the town of Sutton was evidently a result of the action of the town of New London in settling a minister of their own, Rev. Job Seamans, which was done in 1789. Realizing that he would no longer be needed there, and consequently could
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expect no more support from the people, Mr. Am- brose, the next year, 1790, asked to be settled as the minister of the town of Sutton, and his request not being granted, he renewed it in 1793. He remained the minister of the town only two years, at the end of which he asked to be dismissed from said service, not waiting for Sutton to follow the example of New London, which town, becoming tired of paying their minister's salary, asked him in 1795, the same year, to give up the contract with them, which he did, of course trusting, as Mr. Ambrose to some extent had done while he served them, to the contributions of the church and of individuals for his pay.
In warrant for town-meeting, in 1786, is the fol- lowing article :
To see if the town will choose to see if Mr. Ambrose will comply to be our settled minister, and if agreed with, to see what his annual salary shall be.
There is no record of any action being taken on the article when met.
There is nothing to show with which party orig- inated the proposition that Mr. Ambrose should, having first received his own title, convey to the town the second division minister lot; but that the town had, before this time, had its eye on it with a view to possession, is shown by an article in the warrant for town-meeting in 1789:
To see if the town will vote to sell the 2nd Division Minister Lot in said town.
Voted in the negative, perhaps because the dis- cussion occasioned by reading the article in the
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warrant, when posted, brought to the knowledge of the people the fact that the town did not own it, and therefore could not sell it.
Having become, by the treaty with Mr. Ambrose, legally possessed of said lot, the town had a clear right to sell it, and the same was done at public vendue in 1799, Moses Hills, John Harvey, and Lieut. Asa Nelson being appointed to make the sale and take security in behalf of the town.
In 1794, the next year after their acceptance of Mr. Ambrose, the town voted thirty pounds for the support of the gospel in Sutton; but the year fol- lowing no appropriation for that purpose is made, and the subject does not come up again on the records till in the warrant for town-meeting in 1798 is the following article: "To see if you will vote to raise a sum of money to hire preaching this year." When met, it was voted to refer the article to the selectmen for consideration.
In 1800, and for several years after that, they vote " for support of preaching the interest of the money the minister lot sold for." In 1800 they also vote that "the before mentioned interest money shall be equally divided to each meeting- house in said town," Deacon Greeley with the selectmen being committee to see to the laying out of said money.
After his dismission Mr. Ambrose removed from town, but after a very few years returned to Sut- ton and resided here till his death, cultivating his farm and occasionally preaching as he had oppor- tunity, but never being settled again either by the church or town. Some of the votes passed early in
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the present century indicate a determination on the part of the people that he should not be hired again as a regular preacher, perhaps for no better reason than this, that the minister who gathered churches in the wilderness twenty years before was hardly equal to the style of a more modern era.
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