USA > New Hampshire > Hillsborough County > Lyndeborough > The history of the town of Lyndeborough, New Hampshire,1735-1905 > Part 31
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*The house was so plastered as to leave part of the large posts and the braces in view, which were whitewashed. The gallery was supported by pine pillars, rounded and whitened, the entire structure, without and within, indicating the regard of the people for their house of worship.
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and war debts were still pressing. They were as loyal to their church as to their country in its time of conflict. All this, too, while efforts were put forth by Benjamin Killam and others in the southwest part of the town and Jonathan Pearson, Jr., and others in the southeast to be set off from Lyndeborough and an- nexed respectively to Temple and Milford.
FURTHER REPAIRS OF THE MEETING-HOUSE.
On Aug. 19, 1811, the town again voted to repair the meet- ing-house, by "building five pews in the east bannister seat, and five pews in the west bannister seat, and one pew at the east end of the east body seats, and one pew at the west end of the west body seats, reserving one half of the body seats for the use they now are for." Daniel Putnam, Esq., Nathan Wheeler, and Lieut. Oliver Perham were chosen a committee to carry this vote into effect. This committee reported Oct. 8, 1811, as follows :
"That we made a contract with Mr. Jacob Manning to build said pews at 7.99 a piece, in a workman-like manner and with good stuff, amount- ing to D. 95.88. He charges for making and hanging six extra seats, I.25, total D. 97.13. We have examined the pews and are of the opinion that Mr. Manning has fulfilled his contract, and is entitled to the above sum of D. 97.13 within sixty days from this date," which is submitted by
Oct. 7th, 1811.
Daniel Putnam Nathan Wheeler Committee
The town voted to sell the pews at vendue, and chose Nathan Wheeler, Capt. William Clark and Mr. Nehemiah Boutwell a committee to carry out the sale.
The repairs planned at this time, seem to have covered only a part of the work needed. For we find the town voting, in Sept., 1814, "to have a good ground pinning of hewed stone put under the meeting-house, the front to be twenty inches deep, and the porch and east end the same, to the door ; and the back side to be one foot deep ; and that there be three new door- stones." The whole cost $123, as estimated by the committee, Daniel Putnam, Nehemiah Boutwell, and Daniel Woodward.
Still further repairs were made upon the house, three years later, when, May 5, 1818, the town voted "to put a new water court around the meetinghouse, to paint it in a decent manner, nail the clapboards well, and make some small repairs in the plastering and joists overhead." The cost at this time was es- timated to be about $155. Daniel Putnam and Nehemiah Boutwell were chosen a committee to get the work done.
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HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH
These, so far as appears, were the last repairs made upon the old meeting-house built by the town, while it was used as a house of worship. In 1837, a new meeting-house, the property of the Congregational church and society was built, and the old house was used thereafter, for several years, as a town house. It was soon considered inconvenient for such purposes, but the town was slow in uniting upon any change in its in- terior which would improve it. A vote of the town was finally obtained, however, to build a convenient town hall; and after this was built, the old meeting-house was sold. Jacob Butler bought it, had the frame taken down, and removed to his place in the northwest part of the town, and had it set up, with some small alterations in its form, and used as a barn.
The barn is still standing ( 1905) and its solid, well-finished oak timbers, ingeniously and powerfully fitted together, do credit, even at this advanced day, to the townsmen and mechanics of that early time.
THE CARE OF THE MEETING-HOUSE.
An item of considerable importance, to be settled annually, was the care of the meeting-house. At each annual meeting, the town entrusted this essential matter to some reliable citizen. The town owned the meeting-house and the care of it was paid for out of the town funds.
In 1775, Mr. George Gould, whose house stood on the oppo- side side of the road, was chosen to take care of the meeting- house, his remuneration, eight shillings.
In 1786, "Voted James Boutwell nine shillings for taking cair of the meeting house the year ensuing." But in 1812, the town voted, "that the care of the meetinghouse be put to the lowest bidder, the undertaker to sweep the house well and keep it clean, to clear the doors from snow in the winter, to open and shut it as often as necessary, and all to be done to the acceptance of the Selectmen." "The care of it was struck off at auction to Mr. Timothy Richardson, at two dollars and ten cents."
THE MEETING-HOUSE GROUNDS.
About the time of repairing the meeting-house previously described, there arose, also, on the part of many of the citizens, a desire for more commodious meeting-house grounds than those hitherto occupied. The insufficiency of the old grounds was less apparent when the population of the town was small.
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But after the close of the Revolutionary War, the number of inhabitants was increasing year by year; and after costly im- provements had been made upon the house of worship, it was natural enough that attention should be directed to securing more spacious grounds for its surroundings. Hence, people be- gan to inquire what it was possible for them to do.
Some of them remembered that the original charter of Lynde- borough from the Masonian proprietors, reserved ten acres there " for public use, notwithstanding such Lott should be laid out to any particular person or persons." Therefore, at the annual meeting, March 5, 1793, Nehemiah Rand, Esq., Dr. Benjamin Jones, and Capt. Benjamin Epes, were chosen to inquire into the matter .* They planned a conference with Major Daniel Gould, the owner of the land adjoining the meeting-house, to see if some arrangement could not be made, and the grounds specified in the charter secured.
This committee took pains to investigate the case and to con- fer with legal counsel ; and at the next annual meeting, March 4, 1794, presented as a report, a writing from Judges Dana and Gordon, whom both Major Gould and the town had accepted as referees, and whose advice they both promised to follow.t The advice was given thus : #
"We the subscribers, having heard the claim of the Town of Lynde- borough to ten acres of land, part of the Lot of land on which their meeting-house stands by their committee, and the objections to the same on the part of Major Daniel Gould, at their mutual request, are of opinion that at this day, no action can be supported against the posses- sion of said Lot, to recover possession of said ten acres ; and the rule of law is, that want of right and want of remedy is the same."
Signed Samuel Dana William Gordon
Amherst, March 23, 1794.
But the ghost was not laid. An article in the warrant for a town meeting, Nov. 16, 1795, revived the matter with great and unexpected vigor. This meeting adjourned to Dec. 7, when a committee, composed of Capt. William Dutton, Mr. John Orne and Mr. John Ordway, was chosen to examine the books, charter, and all votes respecting the ten acres, and report their opinion to the town. The meeting adjourned again to Dec. 21, 1795, and when met, heard the report of the commit- tee ; but voted not to accept it.
* T. R. II, pp. 271, 274.
t This meeting adjourned to March 24, 1794, when the writing was presented. # Id. 284.
-
.
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HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH
Bearing the same date, Dec. 21, 1795, is a protest expressed as follows :
"We the subscribers do hereby protest against the proceedings of the Town respecting their proceeding any further respecting the ten acres of land mentioned in the warrant on which the meeting is held this day, and that we will not pay one cent of the cost that may arise in conse- quence of their proceeding in a law-suit or any other way, for the follow- ing reasons, viz. :
I. That the said ten acres that was proposed to be given to the Town in case the Town had set the meeting-house where the proprietors de- termined it should be set, was lost by the town's noncompliance ;
2. That if the Town had a title to the said land and should recover the same, yet the land would not be worth enough to defray the expense of the lawsuit; and
3. Because the town of late solemnly referred the matter, and voted to abide the report of the referees; and the taking the matter up again in this way reflects great dishonor on the Town.
William Blaney
Aaron Lewis
Jeremiah Carleton
Benjamin Jones
Daniel Gould
Eleazer Woodward
Edmond Bickford, Jr.
Jonas Kidder
James Boutwell
Samuel Huston
Charles Whitmarsh
Thomas Farrington
Ephraim Kidder
Thomas Boardman
Samuel Chamberlain
John Clark
Jacob Dascomb
Jeremiah Brown
Joseph Epes 2nd
Aaron Whittemore
Joseph Hobbs
Edmond Bickford, and
Joseph Kidder
Peter Clark
Andrew Fuller
William Holt added his name, Jan. II, 1796.
The meeting adjourned again to Jan. 11, 1796. On the latter date the committe reported, that
"It appeareth by the charter of the township a meeting house was to be built and ten acres of land reserved there for public use, . . for a common, so long as it shall be called Lyndeborough; and we think the charter would suffice to deposite the same; and by the Proprietors and Town votes the ten acres for a common is to be where the meeting house now stands. Therefore we think it necessary a mediately to petition the Grantors &c. seting forth the inconvenience we labor under by the charters not being fulfiled, and remonstrate for releaf.
William Dutton ) John Orne John Ordway
Committee.
The foregoing protest was little heeded. A vote was passed to petition the proprietors, and also to request the selectmen to join in the petition and report to the town as soon as may be.
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Voted, also, that the committee request Major Gould to set off the ten acres.
The proprietors were petitioned as by above vote. Major Gould had "utterly refused to set off the ten acres or any part thereof." The joint petition of the committee and selectmen of Lyndeborough, therefore, invoked the decision of the um- pire. The proprietors in their meeting at Portsmouth, Feb. 22, 1796, duly considered the petition, and voted, That so far as the interest of the proprietors -
"In the ten acres of land reserved in said Lyndeborough for public uses may be, they confirm the location thereof in Lot numbered seventy, in the second division of lots, including the land where the meeting house is now placed.
Attest George Jaffrey, Proprietors' Clerk.
Not very destructive lightning this, for either party to the contest. The committee and selectmen conjoined made report of this response from the proprietors, which report was accepted, and Capt. William Dutton, Dr. Daniel Russell and Mr. John Ordway were chosen a committee to attend to the matter in whatever way they shall think best for the town, and report as soon as may be.
This new committee reported at the annual meeting, Mar. 7, 1797, and presented a plan of the ten acres reserved by charter for public use in this town, and that the same may have the incumbrances moved off and be for the use of the town accord- ing to charter, proper measures being pursued.
The annual meeting in 1798 met for its adjourned session, Mar. 12, and heard the report of the committee and accepted it. Voted to proceed with the lawsuit against Major Daniel Gould, and chose Capt. William Dutton as agent to carry it on.
A protest was again entered, in the same words as before, but by different signers, whose names follow : --
Ebenezer Gardner Samuel Pearson
Jotham Blanchard
Benjamin Farnum
Eleazer Woodward
Edward Bullard
Benjamin Jones, Jr.
Timothy Carleton
Abiel Stickney
Oliver Holt
Jonathan Pearson, Jr. William Holt
Timothy Pearson Nehemiah Boutwell
A true copy, attest. Jacob Dascomb, T. Clerk.
In 1799, March 18, an effort was made to have the suit with- drawn from court, and the case once more submitted to referees. But the measure was negatived, and Capt. William Dutton was re-elected agent to carry on the suit.
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HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH
Again, Sept. 30, 1800, the town voted "to further pursue the lawsuit with Major Gould, and chose Capt. Dutton, Lieut. Clark and Uriah Cram a committee to proceed according to their dis- cretion in the matter."
But at the adjourned portion of the annual meeting of 1801, held on March 23, proposals were received from Major Gould in the following language : -
" The subscriber being apprehensive that the further continuing the long and expensive lawsuit respecting the ten acres of land, &c., will not be attended with any very advantageous circumstances either to the Town or himself, makes the following proposals to the Town, (viz. ) that if the Town shall think fit to drop the action and pay their own cost - I will pay mine- and will give the Town a Deed of all the land I now claim that now lays common, with the addition of all the land there is or will lay East of the line and west of the Road. Beginning at the North- west corner of the Pound, from thence about three rods west to a stake and stones, from thence southerly to a stake supposed to be on the line between Major Gould and land of Mr. Boutwell; thence easterly on the line of said land, until it strikes the county road, the Town being at the cost of moving the wall and fencing the premises."
Lyndeborough 23rd March, 1801.
Daniel Gould.
The town chose Benjamin Jones, Esq., Capt. Wm. Clark, Solomon Cram, Capt. Aaron Lewis and Ensign Oliver Perham to confer with Major Daniel Gould and consider the proposals. These were accepted by vote of the town, and Dr. Benjamin Jones, Deacon Aaron Lewis and Capt. William Clark were chosen a committee to authenticate the business and report to the town within eight days, and the meeting adjourned to the 30th inst. at I o'clock P. M.
On reassembling, March 30, 1801, the town voted to accept the deeds and have them recorded on the town records previous to their being recorded on the county records ; and also authorized Capt. William Dutton "to take the lawsuit out of the law, " after which the meeting was dissolved.
Thus ended the tedious, evidently heated and expensive dispute.
MINISTERIAL LANDS.
By each charter of the town, whether from Massachusetts, the Masonian proprietors or the provincial governor, Benning Wentworth, one whole right or share in the sixty-three lots, into which the town was originally divided, was reserved for the support of the ministry. This share included from two hundred and sixty to three hundred and twenty acres, and a proportional
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part with the other shares in any common or undivided lands which might remain in the town. These lands at first were not very productive. But as the population of the town increased, the lands became more valuable.
In 1802 the town voted to sell all the ministerial lands in this town on the following conditions, * viz. : -
"That if Mr. Goodridge will give the Town an acquittance of all his right and title to said premises " * * * "the Town will give him one half of the interest of the money that may arise upon the sale of said lands yearly, so long as he performs the work of the ministry in said Town, and that Mr. Goodridge clear the premises of all incumbrances by any person or persons improving any of said premises, and that a commitee be chosen to again wait on Mr. Goodridge and report to the Town as soon as may be." At a subsequent meeting, on Mar. 22, 1802, this com- mittee reported ; that "Mr. Goodridge will comply with the vote of the Town at their last meeting respecting said lands " and the town voted "to sell all the ministerial lands in this town at public vendue " and "Jacob Dascomb, William Clark, & Joseph Epes, 2nd., were chosen a committee to effect the sale."
Six lots of excellent land, containing about 360 acres, were sold at public vendue at the house of Mr. James Ordway, inn- holder, on Thursday, Apr. 29, 1802. The proceeds of the sale amounted to $2,621. The committee received good security for the several sums, and for the punctual payment of the interest ; and the town faithfully fulfilled their agreement with their pastor.
At the May meeting in 1805, a vote was passed that the in- terest of the ministerial land money be paid to the treasurer of the town, to be appropriated for the use of the town.
Presumably, the question of the right to do thus may not have been raised. They may have been embarassed by their abundance of ministerial funds, and carelessly voted to apply them to more urgent needs of the town, as on the previous year they voted a portion of the ministerial forfeiture money "for the repairs of the meeting-house, if needed.t
Apparently, some disturbing influence intervened at this time to affect their deliberate action.
In 1806, on account of bodily infirmity, Mr. Goodridge re- signed the pastorate, and the town voted him one hundred dol- lars, annually, toward his support during his natural life. He did not long enjoy this annual stipend ; for he passed to his eternal reward on town meeting day, March 14, 1809, an event
*Town Records, II, 409. +T. R. III, p. 26.
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HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH
on which the town clerk, Nathan Wheeler, made the following record : -*
"After the votes for Governor were counted the melancholy news of the death of our former pastor, the Rev. Sewal Goodridge, was brought into the house by Dn. Peter Clark, upon which the town passed the fol- lowing votes or resolutions,-
I. Voted unanimously to assist the bereaved family at the funeral & in burying our Reverend Pastor, Mr. Goodridge.
2. Voted to choose a committee of seven.
Chose Dn. Clark, Dn. Huston, Dn. Lewis, Dr. B. Jones, Capt. Wm. Clark, Lt. Jacob Richardson & Capt. Jonas Kidder for said Committee.
3. Voted that the Committee be instructed to bury the Rev. Mr. Good- ridge in a decent, respectful & ministerial manner, to send to & request all the Ministers to attend, make provision for their entertainment, & pay all funeral charges, except the mourning garments of the family."
The most unfeigned thanks of Mrs. Goodridge and family were presented to the town for the respect shown to the memory of her late husband and their father at the adjourned meeting, Mar. 21, 1809.1
After the resignation of the Rev. Mr. Goodridge, the church called three pastors in succession, Mr. Jesse Fisher, Rev. Abra- ham Randall and Rev. Jaazaniah Crosby .; But difficulties arose concerning each of these, and none of them was installed as pastor. The Rev. Nathaniel Merrill was next called, in 18II, and became pastor. He was ordained Oct. 30, 1811, the town having concurred with the church in both his call and or- dination. The town also agreed, "provided he shall relinquish or quitclaim all right & title to all ministerial charter privileges in this Town," to give him three hundred dollars as a settle- ment, payable at the expiration of one year from the time of his settlement, and four hundred and sixty dollars per annum, each and every year that he shall perform the work of a gospel minis- ter in this town, payable the first of January annually.
This settlement Mr. Merrill seems to have accepted and con- sidered "liberal for this part of the country." The sermon at his ordination was preached by Rev. Elijah Parish, D.D., of By- field, Mass., and at the next annual meeting the town presented him their thanks "for his ingenious discourse," requested a copy of it for the press, and voted to get five hundred copies of the sermon, charge, and right hand of fellowship printed.
The pastorate of Mr. Merrill was both a long and successful one. Several causes, however tended to disturb its closing years. Baptist, Universalist and Christian societies sprang up *T. R. III, p. 136. + T. R. III, p. 139. #T. R., III, pp. 96, 142, 174.
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during his ministry, and doubtless bore their part in causing some disturbance. But some people who were not connected with either of these expressed dissent from his preaching and refused to be taxed for his support. About that time, also, the legislature passed an act permitting dissenters from the ministry of any church to pay their ministerial taxes toward the support of any regular minister whom they preferred. By this act they were relieved from being taxed to support preaching with which they had little or no sympathy.
These incidents lead us by no very long road to another point from which to view "the ministerial fund." The Congrega- tional Church, the first in town, and so long as it remained the only one, had sole and unquestioned right to the use of that fund. The land was undoubtedly granted for the support of the ministry in accordance with the narrow view of the ministry held by Massachusetts, the original grantor. Was it, therefore, necessary that New Hampshire, always less bigoted, should be cramped by her example and precedent? When other relig- ious bodies sprang up in town, was the Congregational Church still to be the sole recipient of the ministerial benefice ? For a brief period it enjoyed this advantage. But, in process of time, three other bodies were organized in town, and were these to be utterly excluded from any share in this fund ? Obviously not, according to their opinion and purpose. Relieved by a law of the state from being taxed to support a ministry from which they dissented, were they not entitled to share with others in the public funds of the town set apart for the preaching of the Gos- pel ? They assumed the affirmative of this question, and peti- tioned the town for a share of it.
In 1830, the warrant for the annual meeting makes first men- tion of the Baptist denomination as an applicant for a propor- tional part of the interest of the ministerial fund .* To this application there was added a P. S. which requested that "all the religious denominations might have a share of the interest in proportion to their taxes. The town voted "to dismiss the article."
In 1831, the different denominations do not appear as such on the records.
But in 1832, the Baptist society repeated their application, and were treated as before.t In response to another repetition of their request for a division of the interest of the ministerial
*T. R. IV, pp. 103 and 106. +T. R. IV, p. 155.
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HISTORY OF LYNDEBOROUGH
fund at the annual meeting in 1833, the town voted "not to divide the interest of the ministerial fund."* On the Ioth of April following, the town voted to give "the whole of the ministerial fund so called " to "the First Congregational Ortho- dox Society," with the exception of twenty-five dollars which was to be paid annually to the Baptist society, upon similar conditions and restrictions to those required of the Congrega- tional body. The latter, however, might according to vote, "retain said fund Ninetynine years." "Yeas 67, Nays 58."
Again in 1834, a petition was presented requesting a division of the ministerial interest money between the different religious denominations in proportion to their several valuations, pro- vided they expend the same for preaching within the limits of the town. This petition was signed by,
Jonathan Putnam
Samuel Hartshorn
Ephraim H. Putnam
John Hartshorn 2nd
Ephraim Putnam 2nd
William Perham
Eliezer Putnam
Andrew Harwood
Jonathan Putnam Jr.
Asa Blanchard
Israel Putnam
Daniel Blanchard
Thomas Bradford
James Pearsons
Albert Hardy
David K. Holt
Solomon Cram
David Perham
Joseph Cram
John Carson
Daniel Cram
Joshua Baldwin
Henry Cram
James L. Clark
James Cram 2nd
In response to this request, the town voted to divide the in- terest of the ministerial fund between the several religious de- nominations in this town, agreeable to a petition." t
Nov. 28, 1834, after granting the above petition, the town voted to revoke the action of April 10, 1833, which gave the entire fund, except $25 annually, to the "Congregational Orthodox Society," # for ninety-nine years.
On Sept. 1, 1835, voted to raise a committee of nine, § "to hear proposals for a compromise with the First Congregational Orthodox Society " respecting this fund. The committee chosen were Edmond Perkins, Daniel Putnam, James Cram, 2nd., Jonathan Putnam, Jr., Thomas Kidder, Joseph Chamber- lain, Benjamin Jones, Israel H. Goodridge, and Oliver Whit- ing. At an adjourned meeting of the town, on Sept. 5, this committee reported,
* T. R. IV,pp. 189 and 190. #T. R. IV, p. 220. § T. R. IV, p. 246.
+T. R. IV, p. 209.
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"That said Society propose that they will give Bonds by an authorized committee to restore the funds in question to the town Treasury with all the interest after December next, as soon as a tax shall be raised and assessed by legal vote on the polls and estates in said town to defray the debts and charges of said Town, whose proportion on residents shall be nearly equal to the fund, and that said town shall vote to distribute said funds among the inhabitants of all denominations in said town in pro- portion to their ratable valuation." * And your committee recommend the adoption of the above terms.
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