USA > New York > Chenango County > Norwich > History of the first one hundred years of the First Congregational Church, Norwich, New York, 1814-1914 > Part 7
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The meeting voted to accept it. Then he said: "I want you to elect Brother Charles Johnson clerk of this church. Those in favor raise the right hand." Every hand came up. " Those opposed-the same sign." "Brother Johnson is elected church clerk." "The ayes had it." " Receive the benediction." No chance for protest. Mr. Johnson was there and waiting for a lull in the proceedings; but there was no lull, until he had declared the meeting closed, and it was too late. Mr. Scoville never weakened, but-Mr. Johnson did, after much argument and thought over the matter.
The next three years he spent his whole time in clearing up the record and gathering data from which the History, Ser. 1, was written. This Mr. Scoville had promised to do. With this in view the data was all turned over to him. He wrestled with the enigma for some weeks. Finally he brought back the whole bunch and said: " I can't write that history. You have col- lected the material and know all about it and you are the one to write it." Mr. Johnson protested that he knew nothing about writing a book. " Well, try it," said the pastor, " and I will help in any way I can." Suffice it to say, the manuscript was in the hands of the printer in the spring of 1879. The only work the pastor had done on it was to read it over; and the only com- ment the clerk could get out of him was, " That's all right." Mr. Johnson survived the ordeal, and the people the infliction, and he has been able to round out 30 years as church clerk. The election of 1906 came and Mr. Johnson, though elected again, said he must decline the office, though thankful for the confidence made manifest by the vote. It really looked as though the members of the church had voted for him so many times that they just couldn't help it. Mr. Otis Andrew Thompson was elected clerk for 1906; and was con- tinued in office until December 31, 1909, when Lewis M. Donaldson was elected for 1910, Mr. Thompson
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from the pressure of other cares being unable to attend to the duties. Mr. Donaldson seems to have been an efficient church clerk, to this time. (1914.)
Mr. Sessions remained pastor of the church until May 1, 1842. Evidently the results of the trial of Mr. Enos had left in the minds of the membership a not wholly cordial feeling toward Mr. Sessions, which was not, probably, fully admitted, but was in the hearts of the people and produced " a strained relation" toward him, which he became more and more conscious of the longer he remained. April 19, 1842, he presented a request from himself and the church to Presbytery, to dissolve the pastoral relation; presuambly stating the reasons for the request. To this note Presbytery replied granting the request and hinting at the reason for it, which showed they had yielded, " governed by a desire to promote the peace and welfare of the congre- gation and the comfort and usefulness of this brother." What these events were there is not the slightest record, so we can only guess; but in view of subsequent events, one can readily fill in between the lines. He continued to live in Norwich until, probably, April 1943. Ser 1, p. 57.) His daughter married Rev. S. E. Bishop, who became a missionary in the Sandwich Islands. Mr. Sessions went there from Oakland, Cal., (where he had been living with one of his sons) about 1880, and made his home in Honolulu with his daughter, Mrs. Bishop. He became totally blind about five years before his death, which occurred April 4, 1884. His age was nearly 89. Sometime in the latter part of his life the degree of Doctor of Divinity was conferred upon him.
The following statement, in Mr. Session's hand- writing, was found among the church papers, and is dated May 1, 1842. This was just after his pastorate had closed, but he remained in Norwich nearly another year:
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STATEMENT.
Church organized in 1814 with members. ..... 21 :
Received in 20 years and two months, the time of my coming 195
216
Removed in all ways in the same time
105
In the church at my coming. 111 111
Added in Seven Years and Seven Months.
By letter 80
Names found, not on record. 5
Restored after suspension.
2
On examination
48
135
Removed in Same Time.
By death
10
By excommunications 4
Erasures for joining other churches with- out letters 5
By suspensions still existing
14
By letters of dismission
86 119
Gains . .
16
16
Now in full communion
Notes.
127
In 1817 there was a revival In that year
there were added to the church on exam- ination 66
By letter
10 76
Fourteen years
after-in
1831,
there
was
another revival.
Added on examination 39
By letter
8 47
123
REV. AARON RUSSELL LIVERMORE. The Sixth Pastor of First Congregational Church, Nor- wich, N. Y., 1842-1843.
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Take 123 (the number received in revivals) from 195, the number received in 20 years and 3 months and there remains 72 as the number received in the remain- ing 18 years and 3 months. This is but nine more than half the number enrolled since I have been here, viz., 7 years and 7 months.
Of the 72 received in 18 years and 3 months, 30 were on examination. Of the 135 received in 7 years and 7 months, 48 were on examintion; i. e. in the 20 years and 3 months of the church's existence previous to my coming, reckoning out the two years of revivals, there were 18 less received on examination, than in the 7 years and 7 months of my ministry.
Be it remembered also, that the field has been nar- rowed down in these 7 years by the building of a Pres- byterian Church in Preston; also, a Methodist and an Episcopal Church in this village.
There have been but three communions in the 7 years and 7 months, at which no additions were made to the church.
Yet my detractors say that the church has been con- stantly running down; growing leaner-no conversions, Etc.
This is a fair showing as far as it goes; but his own figures, taken from a small blank book, in which he copied his quarterly reports to Presbytery, there were during his pastorate of 7 years and 7 months, received by letter 105, and by examination 50. In the last two years 7 months of his ministry there were 23 received by letter; and but two on examination. This shows that neither the pastor nor the church were fulfilling their mission. It also seems to show that the pastor was more concerned about the length of the member- ship list than about the spirituality of himself or his flock; and one can readily see why the " strained rela- tion" grew up between them. He was an excellent man; a good preacher and a good business man; and did the
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church a great deal of good in teaching it to care for its records and to have system and order in its whole management. In these respects Mr. Sessions and Dr. Taylor were very much alike; and in these respects were very useful to the churches in their day.
Following Mr. Sessions, there were five short pas- torates. Rev. Aaron Russell Livermore began his pastorate October, 1842. On April 1, 1843, on account of ill health he resigned. April, 1873, he was obliged to give up preaching for the same reason. He died at New Haven, Conn., January 25, 1892, aged 81 years. He was a very friendly man, well liked by the church and the affectionate regard was reciprocated on his part. He was a Congregationalist, but was much more con- cerned about Christianity than about dogma. He was a very pleasant man to meet and easy to get acquainted with, but was of a quiet, unassuming disposition. The church was very sorry to lose him.
The next was Rev. William Mason Richards. He came March 17, 1844, as acting pastor. He was also a Congregationalist; and an abolitionist. It seems sig- nificant that the church should turn so squarely around and emphasize its Congregationalism so pointedly in this way. Perhaps Mr. Sessions had given it an over- dose of Presbyterianism ; but its " about face " did not last long, as will appear later. Mr. Richards was remembered by the older people of Norwich as a pleas- ant man, an earnest preacher and a true citizen, but he did not fit into the hole into which he was put when he came to Norwich. As he expressed it in a letter to me telling about his pastorate: " The Session was not yet ready for advanced movements." He resigned May 9, 1845; remained a few months in Norwich and early in 1846, went to the Congregational Church in Oxford for a year; then to Hamilton for three years; then to Morrisville for a while, and then he went west to live with his daughter.
REV. WILLIAM MASON RICHARDS. The Seventh Pastor of First Congregational Church, Norwich, N. Y., 1842.1843.
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After Mr. Richards came Rev. Charles Piersons Jennings, as acting pastor. He would not accept the pastorate because the church was not united in belief. He was a Presbyterian. He came in 1845. In the fall of 1846 he was attacked with laryngitis and in January, 1847, he left the church. Later he became an Episco- palian and became Dean of St. Andrew's Divinity School in Syracuse. Those who remembered him in Norwich, spoke of him as a perfect gentleman, a very worthy man whom it was a pleasure to know and asso- ciate with.
Rev. Daniel Clark, Jr., came to the pastorate after Mr. Jennings. He was at that time Agent of American Education Society and was a Presbyterian. The call which was sent him will cause a smile to present day folks: " The First Congregational Society of Norwich, N. Y., being on sufficient grounds well satisfied of the ministerial qualifications of you, Rev. Daniel Clark, Jr., and having good hopes from our past experience of your labors, that your ministrations in the Gospel will be profitable to our spiritual interests, do earnestly call and desire you to undertake the pastoral office in said congregation, promising you in discharge of your duty all proper support, encouragement and obedience in the Lord. And that you may be free from wordly. cares and avocations, we hereby promise and oblige ourselves to pay to you the sum of Six Hundred dollars, in regular payments during the term of your being and continuing the regular pastor of this church." A com- mittee was appointed to sign the above call and to prosecute the same at a meeting of Presbytery to be held July 6, 1847, at Norwich. This was signed by Jeduthan Hitchcock, Ezra Hewitt, Abner W. Warner, Hiram Weller and Benjamin Chapman. Mr. Clark accepted the call and was at once installed over the church. Were I asked to guess who this call was written by, I should answer at once John Hammond. I am sure
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that Mr. Clark must have smiled when he read it. He was to have no other employment-in consideration of Six Hundred Dollars promised him, " to be paid in regular quarterly payments, during the term of your being and continuing the regular pastor of this church." I do not quite see how they or he were to know when the payments were to be due; nor what the amount of each would be; as no limit is set for the en- gagement. If it should be for five years, a quarter would be fifteen months, of course; so he could only expect $150.00, which would be a rather small salary for a minister, and he must " be free from all worldly cares and avocations." I don't suppose that the promise was taken literally; but, just the same, when Mr. Clark, August 19, 1951, asked the Presbytery to release him, one of the reasons he gave for going was "insufficiency of salary to meet his necessary expen- ses." The other reason was "The want of a comfortable and permanent residence for his family." Presbytery evidently thought them sufficient, so granted the re- quest; and the two commissioners from the church, Nel- son Pellet and Elish B. Smith, concurred, and Mr. Clark left in September. He was drowned September 24, 1869, while pastor of the Congregational Church in Plainfield, Ill., and the church erected a monument in his memory.
Mr. Clark was quite tall and rather slim and con- siderably dignified in manner-a typical Presbyterian clergyman, which fact even his dress proclaimed to the world; but he was not distant in bearing. He was pleas- ant in society and a good conversationalist. He was earnest and alert, and a good preacher and lecturer; was firm, quick and vigorous in his movements and had no sympathy with undue familarity. He lived on the southwest corner of North Broad and Pleasant Streets, in the house which was moved back and is now just west of Dr. Dunne's residence. His oldest child was a
REV. CHARLES PIERSONS JENNINGS. The Eighth Pastor of First Congregational Church, Nor- wich, N. Y., 1845-1847.
1
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First Congregational Church History
boy named William, whom we boys always called " Bill." Several of us were there one day playing, and of course, the name " Bill " was called very often. Mr. Clark was busy with something around the yard, appar- ently not noticing the boys; but all at once he called out: "Boys, William is not a horse. His name is not ' Bill,' it is William. I want you to call him by his name." We thought a good deal of Mr. Clark, but we called the boy " Bill " just the same. We just had to.
The next October, Rev. Samuel W. Bush came to the church as stated supply. He was a Presbyterian, but his first pastorate was over the Congregational Church of Binghamton. He was born in Virginia, July, 1806. His father was a physician. The son studied law, but did not practice much. He became an editor of a newspaper in Pittsfield, Mass., and later took a full theological course at Auburn. He came here from Skeneateles. From here he went to The Presbyterian Church, Cooperstown, and in 1861, went back to Bing- hamton, where he remained and became chaplain of New York State Inebriate Asylum, and held it nearly all the time he lived. He died March 21, 1877. He was a modest, retiring man and not fitted to make much noise in the world; but all during his pastorate mem- bers were often coming into the church; and in the winter of '53-4 a revival came which had a great in- fluence on the church though there were not many con- versions.
Whether by his influence or not I do not know, but in the winter of 1852, Col. Ezra Hewitt, as committee from the church, bought the residence of Ralph John- son for a parsonage, then at the present 271 North Broad Street-the Higley residence. Mr. Johnson April 17, gave possession and Mr. Bush and family moved in. They were found to be very pleasant neighbors, and agreeable company, albeit it the Johnsons were solid Baptists. Mr. Bush left Norwich in May, 1855.
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BENJAMIN CHAPMAN AND DAVID MAYDOLE.
For many years these two reputable citizens were accounted the wealthy men of this church. They occu- pied leading positions in its affairs, and both loved the church ardently. Both were liberal givers, at least in a way; and both were often chosen as officers of the society and on committees for the society's work, but they never were prominent as workers in the spiritual activities of the church.
Both made money honestly by untiring industry and close attention to business. They knew the value of every dollar accumulated-what it had cost them in brain and muscle; and whereas they gave a good deal, it was only after obtaining a thorough understanding of "the a and izzard" of every call.
Mr. Chapman was born first-February 13, 1791; he was therefore about 16 years Mr. Maydole's senior- who was born January 27, 1807. Mr. Chapman had been a citizen and business man in Norwich for 30 years before Mr. Maydole came; and in fact almost since he was born.
Benjamin Chapman's father was Deacon William Chapman, of Saybrook, Conn., where he was born July, 1758. He married Caroline Jones in 1780. Ten children were born to them of whom Benjamin was the fifth. Two of them became clergymen; one of these, who was the youngest child, was Charles, the father of William P., Sarah D., and Charles B. Chapman, whom we know as good Congregationalists. The oldest son, Ezekiel, graduated from Yale; Charles from Hamilton. Caroline next younger than Benjamin, married Deacon Joseph T. Gibert, of Gilbertsville, where she lived and died. She was married in 1830 and died in 1868. All these ten children were born in Saybrook.
Benjamin remained in Saybrook until he was 14, when, with an older brother, he went to Durham, Greene County, N. Y., where they learned the hatter's trade.
REV. DANIEL CLARK, JR. The Ninth Pastor of First Congregational Church, Nor- wich, N. Y., 1847-1851.
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First Congregational Church History
He had, probably, heard much at Durham about the " Shenang Country," so when in 1810 he had come to the age of 19, he left Durham and came to Norwich. Mr. Zeno Allen, who had been living in Durham, came to Norwich either with young Chapman, or very soon after, started a store and hired young Chapman as clerk; and we hear no more about the hatter's trade. Those who knew " Uncle Ben " well, will not be sur- prised at this, for he was a natural merchant-not a mechanic. In fact his name indicates his "bent." He was a shrewd Yankee and Chapman is a Saxon word meaning " a market man, a merchant." It is probable that Mr. Allen knew him in Durham and brought him with him to Norwich. Mr. Allen's store was nearly opposite the American hotel. He continued the busi- ness some two or three years and removed from town; and young Chapman hired to Ira Wilcox, who was in trade in Oxford, and who had opened a branch store in Norwich, which he ran for two or three years. In 1815 Chapman, who was then 24, formed a partnership with Charles York (who was later, Judge York), in a sort of dry goods and general variety business. After about two years the firm dissolved (1817) and Chapman con- tinued the business alone, " terms cash." I am quite confident that he was the first one in Norwich to try this experiment. Others tried it, but with what success I have not found out. Evidently it was not a complete success with him, for I know that he made accounts in the latter years of his merchandizing. York and Chap- man were doing business in the (to us) " Old Chap- man store;" and Chapman continued in that store and soon bought it. After which he made about what we know as " a department store "-sold almost all kinds of goods; and this was about the sort of trade which he carried on as long as he stayed in trade. Benjamin Chapman and Squire Smith were partners a few years and dissolved April 1, 1829.
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Mr. Chapman married Miss Eliza Hayes of Guil- ford, January 16, 1826. In 1833 he bought of Peter B. Guernsey the lot, now at the corner of South Broad and Hayes streets, and built the substantial house, now the residence of W. P. Chapman, his nephew. In this home he passed the remainder of his life, respected by all who knew him. His home was a home of comfort and peace but not of elegance, as that term is now understood. It was furnished as one would suppose a home of a man of means would be, who was more con- cerned for comfort and good taste than for glitter and show. Both himself and his wife were quiet, plain peo- ple who had no desire to make a splurge and a big noise in the world; but to just have a quiet home where they could rest from the cares of business and even of pleas- ure-their home was their castle and to Mr. Chapman his retreat from the busy cares of the merchant and the rush of trade. These being the characteristics of Mr. Chapman, the biographer finds that the story is soon told. One wonders how such a quiet, unassuming man could be a successful merchant. That is one of the par- adoxies of life. He was a genial, pleasant man even though he was a quiet one-always ready for a joke and with one. The business men of the last generation in Norwich repeated very often many of his humorous sayings. They seemed to bubble up at the most unex- pected places. This one was told often :- "A farmer came in the store one day. He was well known and a customer of the store. He walked over to where Uncle Ben was and in a very serious tone, said : ' Good morn- ing, Mr. Chapman; could I get trusted for a few goods today?' Instantly, in the same serious tone, came the reply : 'I don't know. You can tell by trying."
Mr. Chapman united with this church December 31, 1832, on confession. Mrs. Chapman united July 5, 1835, also on confession. She was born May 23, 1802.
Mr. Chapman was always at the annual meetings of
REV. SAMUEL WEBSTER BUSH. The Tenth Pastor of First Congregational Church, Nor- wich, N. Y., 1851-1855.
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the church and for several years was elected chairman; and three or four times was elected a trustee.
He was one of the movers in the creation of Norwich Academy; and was the first President of its Board of Trustees. He was a member of the Board of Direct- ors of The Bank of Chenango and a long time Vice- President of its Savings Bank.
In 1846 he sold his dry goods stock to Chauncey G. Wheeler, who moved it to the second store north, where he continued the business until he died, in 1854.
Mr. Chapman continued his business with groceries, hardware, wall paper, etc. In 1853 he closed all out and retired from business; but the next year, in May, he bought the drug stock and business of Dr. H. R. Moses, which was located in " The Old Stone Block " about where B. E. Reynolds is now. It had been running some years. How it came about does not seem to be known now. Mr. Chapman could not have known anything of the drug business. Being out of business he may have got lonesome and thought he would try it on. It showed that he had no fears of disaster, for he knew he could sell it. He knew how to do that anyhow. He moved it into his own store and called it " Apothecary's Hall," and hired Dr. Moses, " an experienced physician and pharmacist" as assistant. He did not reckon on any disagreement between them. In August it came, and resulted in the resignation of Dr. Moses. This left Uncle Ben "boss and all hands;" but he wasn't scared a bit. He ran the store until the fall of 1854, when he sold it to a very capable druggist, C. H. Williamson, who came from Cooperstown, and who carried on the business several years. Uncle Ben again retired from business, finally.
In May, 1855, William Hayes Chapman, only son of Benjamin Chapman opened "The Old Chapman Store " with a business similar to that which his father had conducted before he retired the first time. His first
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advertisement was careful to add " assisted by Mr. B. Chapman," which meant in practice, that the " assist- ant " furnished the ammunition and would be there in his big chair and greet his old customers and friends as they came in. The business was a success from the start and dear old " Uncle Ben " was to be found in his big chair in the store every day, sometime, as long as he lived. Beside that he did very little to occupy his time, except to read the papers and his books. Of the latter he had gathered possibly 200 volumes of standard works.
There is very little further to say of Mr. Chapman. He was, naturally, so retiring, quiet and unassuming a man that one wonders how he ever was so successful as a merchant; but under his quiet and gentleness there ran a never failing stream of good nature and humor which was ready to break out at the most unexpected moment. These ebulitions were always so pat and per- tinent that it was very evident they were not studied but were the flashes of a steady current of friendliness which was flowing all the time through his nature.
After 40 years of more or less strenuous business life he seemed to enjoy intensely the ability to be still, so he spent very much time in his home during the remaining years of his life. He died March 16, 1880, in his home, aged 80 years.
Mrs. Champan lived four years longer in the home. She died March 9, 1884, aged nearly 82 years. Both were buried in Mt. Hope.
DAVID MAYDOLE.
An early prominent business man of Norwich was David Maydole. He was born at Sharon, Schoharie County, N. Y., Jan. 27, 1807. He was of Scotch-Irish and Dutch descent on his father's side, and Dutch on his mother's side. The earliest ancester now known
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was Alexander Maydole, who was married in Albany in 1736 to Margratt Berger. This was unquestionable the great-grandfather of David Maydole; and his wife, Margratt Berger, was without doubt from one of the early German or Dutch families which settled first in Rensselaerwick, near Albany, amongst the earliest set- tlers of that neighborhood, and soon after the landing of the Pilgrims.
It is supposed that the ancestors of this Maydole came from County Ulster, North of Ireland, being one of the Scotchmen who crossed over from the south- westerly portions of Scotland into County Ulster and there established that race of sturdy, intelligent Scotch- Irish people who have played so large a part in the development of our own country.
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