The history of Weare, New Hampshire, 1735-1888, Part 32

Author: Little, William, 1833-1893. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Lowell, Mass., Printed by S. W. Huse & Co.
Number of Pages: 1240

USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Weare > The history of Weare, New Hampshire, 1735-1888 > Part 32

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CHAPTER XXIX.

THE DARK DAY.

THERE have been many dark days in New England. Long before Weare was settled, and when the Indians had a home in our terri- tory, there came a day of terrifying darkness. It was Oct. 21, 1716. The day seemed turned into night. Birds and animals were bewildered as to the time, and at mid-day they went to rest.

* THE OLD SCHOOL-MASTERS OF WEARE.

Dr. Benjamin Page .... 1772

John Cilley, Jr. 1792

Thomas George. 1806

Robert Hogg.

1772

Joseph Sherborn 1792

Josiah Brown 1806

Ebenezer Breed.

1773

Master Staritt. 1792

Allen Waldo ...

1806

Dr. Philip Hoit ...

1774

John Cilley, Jr. 1793

Daniel Bailey ..

Master Donnovan.

1774

Chase Hadley 1793

Samuel Bell,

Jacob Hale.

1785

William Caldwell.

1785

John Felch ... 1795

Stephen Melvin,

Jonathan Cooper Hill.

1787

Bradbury Bailey. 1801

1803

John Cram,

David Chaplin. 1788

Tristram Eaton. 1803

George Hadley,

Richard Adams 1790

Stephen Melvin .. 1805

Benjamin Shaw,

Nathaniel Weare. 1791

Ezra Edmunds. 1805

David Barnard,

Ithamar Eaton, Jr. 1791

Phinehas Howe. 1806

Moses Barnard.

Abraham Kimball

1785

Jonathan Atwood, Jr .. 1796

Thomas Worthley,

Samuel P. Bailey,

Frederick French 1787

Ebenezer F. Newell.

1808 Dr. William Blodgett,

Mrs. Elijah Brown. 1779 Master Trederway.

1784

Edmund Johnson 1794

Master Cochran. 1794

Jonathan Dow,

Jonathan Fiske 1794

Jacob Eaton,

276

HISTORY OF WEARE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

[1780.

The day marked the year, and it was a point from which the colonists reckoned until the occurrence of a still more remarkable day at this period of our history.

" The dark day of New England," so familiar to old and young, came May 19, 1780. The red sun looked down on the earth a short time at early morn, then the clouds rose fast ; there was lightning and thunder; rain fell full of burnt matter, with a smell of soot; it made a scum on the Piscataquog in some places six inches deep.

Near eleven o'clock, it began to grow dark, as if night were coming. Men ceased their work; the lowing cattle came to the barns, the bleating sheep huddled by the fences, the wild birds screamed and flew to their nests, the fowls went to their roosts. Soon candles were lighted in all the houses, and men carried torches to guide them in the open air. A deep blue color spread over everything, at first, and then the darkness increased so that a man would not be known at a small distance.

Men, ordinarily cool, were filled with awe and alarm. Excitable people believed the end of the world had come ; some ran about, saying the day of judgment was at hand; the wicked hurried to their neighbors to confess wrongs and ask forgiveness ; the super- stitious dropped on their knees to pray in the fields, or rushed into meeting-houses to call on God to preserve them. Here and there a man was found cool and imperturbable and level-headed. Such was Mr. Davenport of the Connecticut legislature. When the growing darkness became so deep that at mid-day they could scarce see each other, and most were so alarmed as to be unfit for service, he arose and said :-

" Mr. Speaker, it is either the Day of Judgment or it is not. If it is not, there is no need of adjourning. If it is, I desire to be found doing my duty. I move that candles be brought and that we pro- ceed to business."

At night it was so inky dark that a person could not see his hand when held up, nor even a white sheet of paper. The full moon rose at nine o'clock, but not a ray reached the earth. It continued black till about midnight, when a small breeze began to blow from the north-west, upon which it soon commenced to grow light. Day dawned bright, and the sun never came up on a lovelier morning than that of May 20th.

Since that time, there have been several days upon which the darkness has been more or less deep. Oct. 16, 1785, was so dark,

277

THE DARK DAY.

1814.]

soon after ten o'clock in the morning, that printing from ordinary. type could not be read. At the beginning of July, 1814, there were three or four days of unusual darkness, in succession. The third, in particular, was a day of total eclipse, along the north side of the Gulf of St. Lawrence. July 15, 1818, was very dark, and candles were lighted at mid-day. The "yellow day" occurred Sept. 6, 1881. The poultry went to roost at noon, lamps were lighted, their flames being as white as a silver sun. The air had a yellow tinge, while the grass and trees were a most delicious, intensified green. So dim was the light on that September day, that many schools, from Maine to Michigan, took a recess. The little light there was seemed to come through dense smoke.

It is probable that the cause of this occasional darkness was the same in all instances. The circumstances attending all the phe- nomena are so similar as to leave little room for doubt on the subject. It is the general opinion that it was occasioned by thick clouds of smoke, high in the air. The effect upon the light was such as smoke would produce.

Whence came the smoke ? Some have thought it was due to an active volcano in the interior of Labrador. Others, that it was owing to forest fires in the West, or the burning of great prairies. But the more probable opinion is that it comes from the burning of the immense peat bogs of the Labrador barrens. In a dry season they burn to the rocks. The fire will run over them more rapidly than over a prairie. In two or three days it sweeps from Hudson bay to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Such a fire yields an immense volume of smoke. No forest fire or burning prairie would produce a smoke so dense.

The dark days have all occurred between the first of May and the first of November. Were they due to volcanic action, they would occur as frequently in winter as in summer.

At the time of " the great dark day," the wind, filled with smoke and soot, had been blowing steadily from the north-west. On the night of May 18th, the wind changed and blew from the east, bringing in from the ocean a dense fog. The fog, clouds, smoke and soot meeting formed an impenetrable stratum, in the atmos- phere, that for hours shut out the light of the sun.

....

278

HISTORY OF WEARE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

[1781.

CHAPTER XXX. THE ANTIPEDOBAPTISTS.

THE great schism, as we have seen, destroyed this church in 1773. The war soon came on, and for several years there was no church in Weare, and perhaps no meetings except those of the Friends. But in 1781, when it became evident that the Americans would gain their independence, the old members woke up. They held a meet- ing July 2d, told their trials, recounted their disagreements, said that some of their members had embraced erroneous principles and that others had got entangled with Quaker notions. They avowed that all these things " had caused much labor and such great dis- couragements that they had not had any heart to go forward since October, 1773." They felt that this neglect of duty had been attended with very bad consequences. Then they confessed their faults, forgave each other and resolved to set out anew. They chose John Worth, who had been a soldier in the war, moderator and clerk, Ebenezer Bailey, who had led men forth to fight the enemy, deacon upon trial, and Joseph George, elder. Elder Samuel Fletcher was the leader in this new movement and was invited to become the pastor of the church, but he did not accept.

They continued their meetings in 1782, Elder Fletcher and others preaching for them, yet they were but a weak handful, and we can find in their record the names of only eight male members .*

Early in 1783, after much discussion, having fully considered the matter and with the advice of Elder Fletcher, they gave up their old church organization, and Jan. 26th formed a new church. Twelve men and fifteen women signed a new covenant, with seven- teen articles .; It was nearly the same as the old one, the new articles relating to their walk and conduct towards each other. They then organized, with the choice of Rev. Samuel Fletcher

* Jonathan Atwood, John Simons, John Worth, John Mudgett,

Caleb Atwood,

Ebenezer Bailey, Joseph George, Nathaniel Corliss.

t Names of the members of the Baptist church in Weare, in 1783; January 26 : " Mehitible Bayley Hannah Esmond Jonathan Atwood

Bety Simons

Hannah Philbrick

Jonathan Philbrick

Sarah Tuxbury

Ruth Atwood

Sameuel Quinby dismisd John Atwood

Dorethy Nichols

Mehitible Currier

Sarah Philbrick Junr

Joshua Quinby dismisd

Mehitible Simons Hannah Tuxbury

Ester Qunby

Jacob Tuxbury

Abiah Nelson

Ebenezer Bayley

Daniel Hadley

Moley Tuxbury

Samuel Bayley

x Moses Esmond x excomd

x Ana Cram x Excomd

John Simons x Expeld

Robert Low dismisd "

279

REORGANIZATION.

1784.]

moderator, Jacob Tuxbury clerk, Ebenezer Bailey deacon, Samuel Bailey and Jonathan Atwood elders. "After the above proceeding Rev. Mr. Fletcher, in a solemn and decent manner, proceeded and gave each member the right hand of fellowship, declared a full satis- faction with each member and that this church is in good standing according to gospel order."

Letters were soon received from the Salem and Deerfield churches, extending to our church freedom and full fellowship. The first was signed by Samuel Fletcher; the second by Peter Moores.

Elder Fletcher continued to preach occasionally, as his church could spare him. Elder Eliphalet Smith also preached, and our church was delighted with him. They voted to pay him eighteen shillings for each visit and chose a committee to treat with him to come and settle, but he declined .*

The church moved on smoothly after Elder Fletcher breathed life into it in 1783. They were highly prosperous, and their path full of sunshine. Brother Joseph Sargent was the subject of dis- cipline in 1784. He was accused of loose conduct. It was charged that one evening he met with other young people at Samuel Bailey's " for the purpose of singing psalm tune and after they had done he went with rude company to the house of William Whittaker at an unseasonable hour of the night and there spent the time in singing and dancing." Two of the brethren labored with him, but he would not own anything of it. Then Brother Samuel Quinbe testified that he heard Sarah Brown, of full age, say that she was at Whit- taker's and saw him dance. Hannah Tuxbury, being called into the meeting, testified that she saw Joseph Sargent at Whittaker's the time above mentioned, and she saw him dance there with some other persons. The church heard this evidence " and judged his conduct to be very dishonorable to God and unbecoming a Christian and that they could not commune with him while in such a sin," and they " voted to suspend him from the communion of the church till God give him repentence." Then the word "expelled " was written after his name and never erased. Dancing was a great crime in the eye of the church in those days.

Brother Jonathan Atwood in March, 1787, accused Brother Samuel Bailey of double dealing about hiring a school-master. Bailey had

* At a town-meeting held April 9th, James Emerson, Obadiah Eaton and John Worth were chosen to treat with Mr. Eliphalet Smith, to preach, and Aug. 26th voted to raise money to pay for it.

280

HISTORY OF WEARE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

[1788.

driven out Master Caldwell and got another teacher in his place. They " had it hot and heavy," and the church, April 5th, " gave it as their opinion that Brother Bayley have been out of the way." Brother Jacob Tuxbury " was mixed up" in the quarrel.

At this time Elder Amos Wood came; he acted the part of a peace-maker. He succeeded ; a meeting was called, the matter dis- cussed, and the three belligerent brethren "conkluded to forgive all past injuries and never call them in question again." The church was delighted, they unanimously declared their satisfaction, agreed that the supper be administered the third Lord's day in May and that the Friday preceding be observed as a "preperetory " day for the solemn ordinance.

Elder Amos Wood was twenty-seven years old when he came to Weare. He was from Medfield, Mass., and brought excellent letters of recommendation. The people seemed to know instinctively that he was the one sent to them. Sept. 10th the town voted to hire him to preach the gospel one year at the expense of the town, and to have the public worship one half on the north side of the town and the other half on the south side. They chose Capt. George Hadley, Benjamin Silley and Jacob Tuxbury a committee to treat with Mr. Wood, and Col. Nathaniel Fifield and Captain Hadley col- lectors to gather the tax to pay him.

In 1788 the town hired Mr. Wood to preach another year, and at a meeting held Sept. 16th, " Voted to Give Mr. Amos Wood a call to settle as a gospel minister in said Weare." They gave him his choice of either of the minister lots, and the income of the other ministerial lots as long as he should perform the ministry of the whole town, and fixed his yearly salary at £50. They chose a com- mittee to treat with him,* who reported, Oct. 6th, that he would ac- cept. The town fixed Nov. 19th for the ordination, and chose John Robie to take a quit-claim deed from him of the minister lot that the town reserved. The church also voted to give Mr. Wood a call.

The town committee, with the church, then invited Mr. Hezekiah Smith, of Haverhill, Mr. Samuel Fletcher, of New Salem, Mr. Thomas Gair, of Boston, and Mr. Thomas Green, of Cambridge, to be present and assist in the ordination. They also sent letters to Revs. Isaiah Parker, of Harvard, Samuel Ambrose, of Sutton, and Job Seamans, of New London, to come.

* They were Lieut. Samuel Caldwell, Capt. George Hadley, Capt. Ithamar Eaton, Jacob Tuxbury and Samuel Bayley.

281

AMOS WOOD.

1788.]

This was to be the first ordination in Weare, and Amos Wood the first settled minister. There were great expectations, and the most generous preparations were made. Each leading member of the church prepared a feast for the expected guests.

The morn of Nov. 19th the church met. They received the Rev. Hezekiah Smith and Dea. Francis Chase, delegate, from Haverhill, Mass., and Elder Job Seamans, of New London. Elder Smith was chosen moderator, Elder Seamans clerk. The church covenant and state of the church were examined. The church voted to blot out the fourteenth article and receive the following in its place : "There shall be free liberty in the church for the improve- ment of gifts agreable to the rule given in God's word." Then, the church being agreed, the council proceeded to the ordination. Rev. Hezekiah Smith preached the sermon and gave the charge. Elder Seamans gave the right hand of fellowship. "The ordination proseaded with Deasonecy and good order and the solemnety Con- kluded as usual."

It has come down to us that there was a large congregation ; that Elder Smith gave them a powerful and edifying discourse ; he was abundantly able to do it; and that the farmer's feasts had no lack of guests.

In the early pastorate of Elder Wood church affairs moved pleasantly. They built the new meeting-house at South Weare, they added to their numbers, they communed often together at the table of our Lord, or as they otherwise expressed it, " the brothers and sisters sat down to celebrate the death of the Lord at his table."

Elder Wood was a shrewd manager, he had great worldly wisdom, was popular and much beloved by the whole town. In 1791 he was a delegate from Weare to the constitutional convention, and in 1794 he preached the annual election sermon before the governor and legislature, which convened at Amherst. It was published by John Melcher, of Portsmouth, printer for the state. It showed fine ability, much breadth of thought, and a liberality remarkable for the times. In it he says : "But it is objected that should men be left at liberty, to profess and propagate what sentiments of religion they please, a deluge of errors, absurdities and enthusiasm will be the consequence. The answer is, that religious liberty has been but little known or experienced by mankind at large, and should it universally prevail, they would be more competent judges of the effects. But we may with safety conclude that religious tyranny has been the occasion of

282

HISTORY OF WEARE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

[1798.

more hypocrisy, error and enthusiasm, than religious freedom ever was, or possibly can be; to punish men for a profession of that re- ligion, which they upon candid reflection and serious inquiry be- lieve to be true, is cruel and oppressive. And to inflict punish- ments upon men on account of their having embraced erroneous opinions, is the most ready way to propagate them. Of all human rights, those of private judgment in matters of religion seem most unalienable."

Amos Wood died suddenly, Feb. 3, 1798, aged thirty-eight years. He was universally mourned, and the whole town attended his funeral. Elder Smith, of Haverhill, preached the funeral sermon, and eight other clergymen were the bearers. He was buried in the grave-yard at South Weare.

The church met, Feb. 13th, at the house of Widow Susanna Wood. " After prayers and praise to God on this solemn occation of the late death of our bloved pastor," they paid the funeral ex- penses, consulted how to provide themselves with another gospel minister, and decided to ask the selectmen to call a meeting of the town for that purpose, and to "inform them that it was the desire of our dying friend and beloved minister and the church to call brother Asa Messer a young candidate in the ministry and tutor of Providence Colledge." They sent to Mr. Messer, but he declined to come.

The church then fell back on supplies. Elder Job Seamans, of New London, preached for them at first. Elder Thomas Rand labored with them in 1799, and Elder Peak "broke the bread of life to them " in 1800. In mid-winter, Jan. 11th, he baptized Sarah Marsh and Abigail Langdon through a hole in the ice, cut in a neighbor's pond for that purpose.

Elder Hezekiah Buzzell, a young and vigorous preacher, broke in on the fold about this time. He roused the people, and he gave them new ideas. Peak and Buzzell, with the aid of other elders, had a glorious revival, and this year thirty were added to the church.

During Elder Wood's pastorate many New Boston people had joined the church in South Weare. They now wished to be dis- missed with letters of recommendation, and Jan. 19, 1800, the church " voted to give the brethren and sisters living in Newboston a dismission from this church and recommendation to the church gathered at amhers and Newboston."

283

CHURCH DISCIPLINE.

1801.]

Elder Isaiah Stone came in 1801. He was very much liked, and the church wished to settle him in town. They decided to raise what they could by subscription, to turn in all the ministerial money that belongs to this side of the town to pay him for preaching one- half the time; the town of New Boston to hire him the other half.

He preached in town for several years, the town voting to pay him a certain amount. As he was a stout, strong man the church thought it would be a good plan to buy him a farm, settle him on it, and let him preach to them one day in the week, and earn his living by toiling on the land the other six. They drew up a sub- scription paper, got $1010 subscribed on it, and then the project fell through. Elder Stone did not delve on that farm.

Elder Thomas Paul preached a few Sundays in 1802.

Elder Samuel Applebee preached, in 1803, for a short time.

Elder Ezra Wilmarth came in 1804, and some of the church wished him to settle with them, but his engagements were such that he could not comply. Elder Elliot came along with him at times.

As these years went by the church "girded up its loins" and did more work for the good of humanity in this world. They tried to make their members better, to cultivate their minds, improve their morals and advance their civilization.

They chose Moses Wood and John Richards a committee to visit the brothers and sisters who forgot their covenants and did not walk to suit them, and find out the reasons for their conduct. May 22d they made a report of those they had visited, and what they said. The following are a few examples :-

Joseph Sargent was the first they named; he had been expelled once before. He said he did not consider himself under any obliga- tion to attend to his duty. The church sent him a letter that they should not consider him any longer a member, and that he was cut off from all the privileges of this church until he return by true repentance.

Susanna Wood, widow, said she did not feel disposed to attend to her duty and walk in fellowship with the church, "she prefered to cary her own burdens and go it alone." They sent her a letter ; said her conduct had been a matter of grief to them, and her be- havior in the meeting-house " lite." If she did not return, confess and repent within three months, she would be cut off from all the church privileges.

Mehitable Bailey, the very one who years before had in church-

284

HISTORY OF WEARE, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

[1803.

meeting accused the sisters of " putting too much linnin and wool- ling yarn together," was still alive. She said she had nothing against the church to cause her to absent herself from her duty, but that the cause was the darkness of her own mind. They sent a committee to labor with her.

John Atwood confessed with grief his unchristian behavior in getting intoxicated and making a beast of himself. He was for- given on condition that he would reform.

Moses Wood and Ichabod Eastman had a great difficulty about property. The church refused to decide between them, bade them take it to the court, and they tried to compel them to confess, re- pent and forgive for the abuse they had given each other. Brother Wood confessed, but Ichabod would not, and they concluded that all he was after was to make confusion in the church.

Samuel Bailey was dissatisfied because the church did not favor Eastman in the above matter, and because he himself was dropped as a committee to procure a minister, and refused to do his duty and keep his covenant as morally bound. Nov. 12th they labored with him, but could get no satisfaction. The next day they sent him a letter of admonishment, telling him they could not travel with him in fellowship and communion until he returned by true repentance. But it effected nothing. Sept. 21, 1803, they sent him another letter, but he took no notice of it, and they left him out in the cold. Brother Bailey was a man of wealth and influence, and they were sorry to part with him.

John Simons, they thought, was a subject for discipline, and they labored with him. Jonathan Philbrick, Jr., was a young, smart member of the church, enthusiastic to do his duty He took a con- ceit that Brother Simons, who was many years his senior, was not cor- rect in his walk, and he labored with him in private, as commanded by the Scriptures. Mr. Simons looked upon him as a pompous, self-conceited meddler, and told him so. This hurt the young man's feelings, and he reported the case to the church. He charged Simons with light, unchristian behavior when among young people, and with conversing with his neighbors about matters unbecoming his profession. Mr. Simons said he was not guilty.

At the hearing they asked him if he did not think Brother Phil- brick had a right to converse with him if he thought he was out of the way. Brother Simons replied that Philbrick had no business to reprove him ; that they had not been friends for seven years, al-

285

DISSOLUTION.

1803.]

though they had partaken of the communion together within two; the church said they thought Brother Philbrick did right, and Brother Simons fell into a great rage, called Philbrick and others liars, and said he cared not for the church nor what they did with him.

The church admonished him by letter, and said that unless he confessed that he was wrong in despising the authority of the church, and charging some of the brethren of lying in open church- meeting, they could not travel nor commune with him. But he would not confess nor repent. The church disliked to part with him, and, Sept. 21, 1803, sent him another letter ; they exhorted him to confess and repent and gave him three months in which to do it. The time expired, and they expelled him.

A few years after, believing it his duty to have his boat on safe waters, Brother Simons joined the Freewill Baptist church, where he sailed pleasantly for a season.

And now a great trial and tribulation came. It was all about what minister should preach to them. Brother Moses Wood,* who was a leader among the brethren, wanted Elder Isaiah Stone. Brother Jonathan Philbrick, Jr., and his friends wished for some one else. They could not agree. Brother Philbrick lost his level head, his worldly wisdom forsook him, and contrary to rule, in a public meeting in the hearing of the non-elect, he declared he would do nothing about hiring a minister who followed such crooked paths as Elder Stone ; that Brother Wood's course would break up the church and society. This was not done in private, as the Bible directs.

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The history of Weare, New Hampshire, 1735-1888, Part 32

Author: Little, William, 1833-1893. cn Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Lowell, Mass., Printed by S. W. Huse & Co. Number of Pages: 1240

Author: Little, William, 1833-1893. cn
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Lowell, Mass., Printed by S. W. Huse & Co.
Number of Pages: 1240