USA > Rhode Island > Bristol County > Bristol > Historical sketches of the First Congregational Church, Bristol, R.I., 1689-1872 > Part 1
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Historical Sketches
OF THE
First Church in Bristol, R. L.,
1687 - 1872.
Gc
GEN
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 02999 4412
Gc 974.502 B776La Lane, James P. 1832-1889. Historical sketches of the First Congregational Church, Bristol, R. I. £
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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/historicalsketch00lane_0
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
irst
#gregational
BRISTOL, R. I.,
1687-1872.
BY J. P. LANE, PASTOR. 1
PROVIDENCE : PROVIDENCE PRESS COMPANY, PRINTERS, 1872.
Allen County Public Library 900 Webster Street PO Box 2270 Fort Wayne, IN 46801-2270
Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1872, by J. P. LANE,
In the Office of the Libarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.
INDEX.
I. THE FOUNDATIONS LAID. 1620-1691. 3
Preliminary survey of the ground, 3
Settlement of the town of Bristol, 6
Efforts to settle a Gospel Ministry, Erection of a House of Worship, 21
10
Organization of the Church,
2.1 28 Biographical notes of the Early Members, JOHN WALLEY, - -
NATHANIEL BYFIELD, -
30 38
MRS. SARAH BYFIELD, - 38
BENJAMIN CHURCH, -
- 40
JOHN CARY, 46
NATHANIEL REYNOLDS, 47
HUGH WOODBURY, 47
WILLIAM THROOP, 47
NATHANIEL BOSWORTH,
48
The Rev. Samuel Lee, D. D., Founder and First Pastor, -
II. THE BUILDING GOING FORWARD. 1691-1718, - 49
65
Efforts to obtain a Pastor, - 65
The Rev. John Sparhawk, Second Pastor, 66
III. STORM AND PERIL. 1718-1740, 68 The MeSparran difficulties, 68
The Rev. Nathaniel Cotton, Third Pastor, 72 The Rev. Barnabas Taylor, Fourth Pastor, 75
IV. PEACE AND PROSPERITY. 1740-1775, - 76 The Rev. John Burt, Fifth Pastor, -
76
28
MRS. DEBORAH BYFIELD, -
-
2
V. HALTING OF THE WORK. 1775-1785, - 80
Scattered without a Shepherd. - 80
VI. THE WORK RENEWED. 1785-1812, 88 The Catholic Society organized, - 88 - Erection of a Second House of Worship, 89
The Rev. Henry Wight, D. D., Sixth Pastor, 90 VII. THE PERIOD OF REVIVALS. 1812-1830, 94 The Revival of 1812, - - 94
The Rev. Joel Mann, Seventh Pastor, 97
The Sabbath School begun, 98
The Revival of 1820, 99 Erection of " the Hall," 101 -
The Rev. Isaac Lewis, D. D., Eighth Pastor, 103 The Revival of 1830. - 108 - -
VIII. THE BUILDING STILL GOING FORWARD. 1830-1872, 110
The Rev. John Starkweather, Ninth Pastor, 110 The Rev. Thos. Sheperd, D. D., Tenth Pastor, 110 Erection of the Third House of Worship, 112 The Rev. Cyrus P. Osborne, Eleventh Pastor, 116 Payment of the Debt, 117
Erection of " the Memorial Chapel," 118
The Rev. James P. Lane, Twelfth Pastor, 122 Funds and Charities, 123
Sacramental Furniture,
-
125
HISTORY.
I.
THE FOUNDATIONS LAID .- 1620-1691.
PRELIMINARY SURVEY OF THE GROUND.
When the Pilgrim Fathers landed at Plymouth, in 1620, MASSASOIT, at the head of the powerful tribe of Wampanoags or Pokanokets was the principal Sachem of the territory between Narragansett and Massachusetts Bays, having his chief seat at Sowams or Sowamset, now Warren, R. I.
Ile early manifested a friendly spirit toward the English, and, in the spring of 1621, made a treaty of peace with GOVERNOR CARVER, which was main- tained without serious difficulty until his death in 1661.
He was succeeded by his eldest son, ALEXANDER. A rumor soon after obtained credence that Alexan- der was not disposed to follow in the good way of his father, but was plotting with the Narragansetts against the English. He was promptly summoned to the court at Plymouth, where he stoutly main- tained that the rumor was false. Having pledged fidelity he was suffered to depart in peace, and not long after died.
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PHILIP, the youngest son of MASSASOIT, succeeded his brother ALEXANDER, having his chief seat at Mount Hope, a beautiful elevation on the east side of the peninsula, now included within the limits of Bristol, R. I. Among his first acts, he renewed the ancient treaty of his father with the Colonists, and five years passed away before any suspicion of treachery was entertained, when there was a vague charge that he was willing to plot with the French or Dutch against the English. This he denounced as a calumny. After nearly four years more, another rumor of treachery awakened solicitude at both Plymouth and Boston. Upon investigation, proofs of bad faith were discovered, but conference with the authorities issued in renewed engagements of fealty. Three years later, SASSAMON, a "praying Indian," informed the Governor of Plymouth, that PHILIP was trying to excite other Sachems to war against the English. On hearing of this, PHILIP protested that it was not so, but the government did not believe him. A few days after, SASSAMON was missing, and it was soon dis- covered that he was murdered at the instigation of PHILIP. Concealment of his treachery being no longer possible, PHILIP openly engaged in war, and, having enlisted the cooperation of other tribes, lighted the flame in various parts of the country which burned so deeply that it proved to be the most terrific of all those early conflicts with the Indians into which the Colonists were drawn. The first English blood was shed on or about the twenty-fourth of June, 1675, and peace was secured under the well-
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directed energy of the HON. BENJAMIN CHURCH, in command of the Colonial forces, by the death of PHILIP, who was killed near Mount Hope the twelfth of August, 1676, and by the surprise and capture, a few days later, of ANNAWON, PHILIP's chief warrior. The territory over which Philip had presided came into the possession of Plymouth Colony by right of conquest.
When the war thus brought to a close broke out in 1675, Plymouth had been settled fifty-four years, and the entire population of New England, excluding Indians, was about eighty thousand. In what is now the State of Maine, there were thirteen towns and plan- tations, and one organized Congregational Church. In New Hampshire, four towns and three churches. Vermont had not been settled. Massachusetts had sixty-four towns and fifty-seven churches. Connecti- cut had twenty-three towns and twenty-one churches ; and Rhode Island had six towns, viz. : Providence, Newport, Portsmouth, Warwick, Westerly and New Shoreham, but no organized Congregational Church. The various tribes of Indians had been greatly reduced in numbers by wars among themselves and with the Colonists and by the inroads of disease, and in all did not exceed eleven thousand, of whom about four thousand were "Praying Indians," who had been won to some comprehension and practice of Christianity.
" Along a line of rugged coast, from the Penobscot to the Hudson, were scattered settlements of Englishmen at un- equal distances from each other,-closely grouped together
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about midway of that line, farther apart at the extremi- ties. Almost all of them were reached by tide water. A very few were planted in detached spots in the interior ; the most distant of these being about a hundred miles from the sea, whether measured from the east or from the south. In the three associated Colonies there was great similarity in the ordinary occupations and pursuits. The adults of both sexes worked hard; the children went to school. The greater part of the men got a living by farm labor, provid- ing bread and meat, milk, butter and cheese for their own tables, and raising stock to sell in the West Indies for money with which to buy foreign commodities. But they were not all farmers. A portion were lumberers plying the axe through the winter in the thick pine forests, and, at the return of Spring, floating down their rafts to a sure and profitable market. Another portion were fishermen, familiar with the haunts of the cod, the mackerel and the whale, and with all perils of the sea. In the principal towns, various classes of artisans pursued a lucrative trade. The country furnished some staples for an advantageous foreign commerce; and especially in Boston not a few merchants had grown rich."-Dr. Pulfrey's Hist. N. E., III. 132, 134.
SETTLEMENT OF THE TOWN OF BRISTOL.
The treaties of the Indian Chiefs MASSASOIT, ALEXANDER and PHILIP, with the Plymouth Colony, secured to them their rights to the land, unless parted with by honorable purchase, but recognized the juris- diction of the Colony under the English Crown over the entire territory. In 1669, the Plymouth Court granted one hundred acres within the present limits of Bristol, to MR. JOHN GORHAM, " if it can be pur- chased of the Indians ;" and the remainder to the
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town of Swanzey, " for the promoting of a way of trade in this Collonie." On the first of July, 1672, Mr. Constant Southworth, Mr. James Brown, and Mr. John Gorham were appointed by the Court " to purchase a certain p'cell of land of the Indians granted by the Court to the said John Gorum lying att Pappasquash Neck."* After the close of Philip's war on the thirteenth of July, 1677, the Court " rattified, established and confirmed the aforesaid one hundred acres of land to John Gorum's heirs and successors forever." This land was north of the town Cemetery, between the Neck road and the Bay, and remained in the Gorham name and family for several generations down to a quite recent date.
In 1680, The Plymouth Colony granted to John Walley, Nathaniel Oliver, Nathaniel Byfield, and
Pappasquash, Poppasquash, Pappoosquaws, Pappasqua. This name, so variously spelled, has, according to Dr. Trumbull, two plausible derivations ; one, from papasqu, meaning "double " or " opposite to," applicable to the southern end of Bristol, divided by the harbor; the other, from paupocksu, meaning "partridge," applicable to this place as having been a good hunting ground for partridges. Another derivation is fiom Pappoose and Squaws, from the fact that in the early Indian wars the Pokanokets sent their children and wives to this Neck as a place of safety. This last derivation seems to be now generally accepted, al- though it'is mere speculation, there being no historical data to establish it. The name was at first used to desig- nate all of the western part of what is now Bristol, includ- ing both the beautiful peninsula to which it is now applied and the land north, as far as the Warren river.
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Stephen Burton, four merchants of Boston, for £1100, all that portion of territory not previously sold, which is now included in the town of Bristol. The whole of Plymouth Colony was then settled, except this territory, which was the last spot left uncovered in the western march of English population. Mr. Oliver sold his share of this purchase to Nathan Hay- man, another merchant of Boston.
These gentlemen obtained from the Colony special privileges, and made liberal provisions for the settle- ment of the town. Among the former were exemp- tion from all Colony taxes for the term of seven years ; the privilege of sending Deputies at once, as other towns, according to the number of free- men ; a Commissioner's Court to try and deter- mine all actions and causes under ten pounds, with liberty to appeal to the Court of Plymouth ; also, when sixty families were settled, a new County should be organized, and this town should be the County or Shire town. Among the latter were the laying out of broad and regular streets, with building lots of convenient size on them; the donation of lands for the support of the Ministry and Schools ; the reservation of a large and beautiful Common in the central part of the town; and the donation of six hundred acres for the Common improvement of the settlers, and designated as " The Commonage." The proprietors retained for themselves, each, one- eighth part of the original purchase, and, with the above donations, put the balance into the market for sale at reasonable prices. The liberal inducements offered soon drew a number of families here, chiefly
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from Boston, where the proprietors resided, and from Plymouth Colony. The proprietors, themselves, also settled here with their families, and closely iden- tified themselves with all the interests of the town. On the first of September, 1681, the people assembled together and agreed " the name of this town shall be Bristol."*
*The following names appear on the Town Records, as being admitted Inhabitants at this date :
John Walley, Nathan Hayman, Nathaniel Byfield, Ste- phen Burton, Proprietors; and Captain Benjamin Church, Doctor Isaac Waldron, Nathaniel Williams, Nathaniel Reynolds, John Wilkins, William Ingraham, Nathaniel Paine, Christopher Saunders, Timothy Clarke, John Saf- fin, Solomon Curtis, John Finney, Jabez Gorham, Hugh Woodbury, John Rogers, Jabez Howland, Jonathan Davenport, Richard Smith, Joseph Baxter, William Brown, John Corps, Joseph Ford, John Cary, Edmund Ranger, Benjamin Ingell, George Waldron, Thomas Walker, Thomas Dagget, Thomas Lewis, John Pope, John Martin, David Cary, Increase Robinson, William Hedge, Daniel Landon, Widow Elizabeth Southard, Anthony Fry, John Smith, William Hoar, Robert Dutch, James Burrel, Na- thaniel Bosworth, Benjamin Jones, Eliashib Adams, Zechariah Curtis, John Gladding, Joseph Jacob, Robert Taft, Peter Pampelion, Samuel Woodbury, Samuel Gal- lup, James Burrows, Uzal Wardwell, Benjamin Bosworth, Edward Bosworth, Samuel Penfield, George Morye, Jona- than Finney, Nicholas Mead, Jeremiah Osborn, John Bayley, Joseph Sandy, Jeremiah Finney, Henry Hamton, John Thurston, Richard Hammon, William Brenton, Watching Athercon, John Wilson, William Throop, Maj. Robert Thompson, Thomas Bletsoe, Samuel Cohbett, John Birge, Richard White.
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EFFORTS TO SETTLE A GOSPEL MINISTRY.
The Proprietors of Bristol and their associates were fully imbued with the spirit of the Puritan and Pilgrim Commonwealths, and took early measures to secure an able Gospel Ministry. During the first year of the settlement they obtained the services of the REV. BENJAMIN WOODBRIDGE,* who removed
*Mr. Woodbridge was a son of the REV. JOHN WOOD- BRIDGE, who was the first pastor of the first Church at Andover, Mass., and a grandson of the REV. JOHN WOOD- BRIDGE, who was a distinguished dissenting minister of Stanton, Wiltshire, England.
His mother was a daughter of the HON. THOMAS DUD- LEY, married in 1641. His grandmother was a daughter of the REV. ROBERT PARKER, who, by his writings, is well known to have been a strong friend and advocate of non- conformity.
The father, born about the year 1613, was sent to Oxford to be educated, but refusing to take the oath of conformity, he was obliged to leave the University, and pursued his studies privately. In 1634 he came to this country with his uncle, the Rev. Thomas Parker. In 1641 he married and settled at Andover. Upon the invitation of his friends in England, he returned there in 1647. In 1662, being ejected by the Bartholemew Act, he again came to this country and became an assistant to Mr. Parker. Subse- quently he was a magistrate of the Colony. He lived to see three of his sons, John, Benjamin and Timothy, in the Ministry, and four of his grandsons preparing for it. He died 1695, March 17, in the eighty-second year of his age. " The piety," says his biographer, "which he imbibed in his childhood increased with his years. He possessed a wonderful command of his passions, and afflictions and
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here with his family and continued his labors about six years. At the first, beyond the provision of a " house to live in " and wood sufficient for his family's use for one year, there was no fixed salary, but va- rious amounts were rated at different times, probably according to the supposed need of his family and the ability of the town. A house, owned by Nathaniel Byfield, and situated on Byfield street, near the present residence of Hon. I. F. Williams, was hired by the town for Mr. Woodridge's residence, and the lower south room of the same for Sabbath services and other meetings, for which Mr. Byfield received £10 rent per year.
November 29, 1684, it was voted " that Mr. Wood- bridge's salary for this year be made up to Eighty pounds as Money,-and for the next year to be made up Ninety pounds as Money,-and for the year 1686 to be made up as a Hundred pounds as Money, and the sum for each year to be yearly made up, dis- counting of each year so much as shall be contributed by strangers ; and the Hundred per annum to con- tinue till the time that, by agreement of the Court of Plymouth, the Town is to pay towards the Colony charge, and then to come to such further settlement
losses did not shake his peace. Just before his death he refused a glass of wine which was offered him, saying, I am going where I shall have better."
Mr. Woodbridge was ordained over "the Presbyterian party " in Windsor, Conn., 1670, March 18, and after a Ministry of about ten years came to Bristol.
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with Mr. Woodbridge as may be according to the ability of the Town, whether it be more or less. And for the raising of the sum yearly, for Mr. Woodbridge, it is to be by contribution, if what they contribute be not less than their proportion accord- ing to such rules as are hereafter set down, and such as contribute short, or not at all, to be Rated by the Selectmen, and gathered by the Constable each year."
This vote met with considerable opposition in the town, and the ninth of December following was re- scinded, and the following proposal of Mr. Wood- bridge was adopted, viz. : " I do propose that from the twenty-fifth day of April next, and so onward during my continuance, I will take up with a free and weekly contribution. Provided, if it doth not amount to sixty pounds per annum, the Town forth- with to make it up, and if ever it come to above an Hundred per annum, the overplus to be at their disposal."
The labors of Mr. Woodbridge were not sufficiently acceptable to some of the leading citizens to favor his settlement, although no opposition was made to employing his services temporarily. This state of things was unfortunate, both for Mr. Woodbridge, who desired a permanent settlement, and for the town, which needed a settled Minister and a regu- larly organized Church. At length the subject was brought before the Town at a meeting, 1686, May 17, when it was propounded whether any persons were against the settling of Mr. Woodbridge. Eleven persons voted against his settlement, and between twenty and thirty voted in his favor.
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About this time the following letter was addressed " to the Rever'd Mr. James Allen, Mr. Increase Mather, and Mr. Samuel Willard in Boston .*
" BRISTOL, the 11th May, 1686.
GENTLEMEN :- There is a few lines subscribed by my- selfe & some others that I suppose you will have the peru- sal of, & though there is not oppertunity fully to lay things before you, yet I know not but without coming to perticulers you may see reason not to encourage Mr. Woodbridge staying with us. I am satisfied that he is not like to have a quiet & peaceable settlement; nay, those that are estimated by him to be his greatest friends & mnost desire his settling, yet own they doe not see any probability of it. You may hear somewhat of our motions by Mr. Byfield, but there is more to be said that probable he will mind, but if put upon proofs by Mr. Woodbridges not own- ing or denying wee must desire time not exspecting this would be the manner or the season of issueing but rather an oppertunity of advising. That I may a little give you the state of some things with us please consider
That here in this town 14 [or 15] men that have been members of other churches, Mr. Woodbridge instead of getting more Interest in these hath brought it to that now but 3 that I can perceive can act for his settling.
Among them that are the Proprietors soe called being about 18 in number, though they are not willing to vote him out of town, yet I cannct perceive as things are cir- cumstanced that there is above 5 or 6 that act for his settling.
Take the Town as a Town & I know not whether it will not be good to see who they be & how many that are for recalling & further encourageing him, both which I per-
*Mass. Hist. Coll., VIII., 4th Series, 651.
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ceive he exspects. For Mr. Woodbridges first call which he hath built upon ever since was when we were not a Town & were not a Third so many concerned as now are.
Our designe in the paper we have some of us subscribed & sent. is not to give an account of how many in the Town are dissatisfyed, but that you may see that many of them who are principally exspected to act in Church matters are not satisfyed & though there be but 7 of the 14 I mention above have subscribed, yet I can make out what I there write to be true.
It is exspected that there should be a Town meeting, though those Mr. Woodbridge reckoned when he went away should promote it have been cold in it since, but they have rec'd a note from Mr. Woodbridge that surely will put them that are desirous of his returning to be upon action & it will be with lesse offence for them that are for him to appear then for others that are not satisfyed to act against him. It hath been a great wrong for Mr. Wood- bridg he hath allways reckoned his Interest greater than it is. Some there are that are sincerely for him no doubt; but if he will make it his own act to leave us I doubt not but matters with us would quickly be quieted, more than the charge of making Mr. Woodbridg satisfaction for what he hath laid out; if he demand, it will render the thing grievous to some. But if wee part I am for doing all things wee are capable of that can rationally be required of us, For my own perticuler I can truly say I never have managed any perticuler controversie with him. I endeav- ored his settlement & promoted his Interest & boare with many discouragements as long as I thought Fought or could doe with a good conscience. It was allways my un- happiness, that whatever I managed, really designing his benefit, other constructions were made of it by him; but that I easyly gott over & thought he should act for himself, or they for him that he thought could doe it more to his satisfaction. I have slited or took little notice of many affronts I have mett with, but some word he hath said of
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Jate that I have heard him speake, some own others & that I believe I can make out the rest, that I must needs say I take not well from him. How farr of late he hath been guilty in spreading a false report of me in matters that have been much to my damidg & discredit, might be made out if need were. That he should charge me with haveing de- signs as deep as the bottomless pitt; That he should charge mec not only that my designs tended to it, but that my de- sign was to ruin this town, whereas on the contrary it sufficiently appears I have rather adventured the undoing of myselfe for the good of the Town; That he should charge me that because I was sometimes ready to justifye my sincerity in all our late motions respecting him, & that I had peace in my conscience, lett others charge me how they would, That he believed I had some secret inward guilt lay on mee that made me speake soe much of my peace in these matters ; & then at a Town Meeting, where there was a peaceable issue in ade of some affairs of the Town which it is said he is troubled at, that he should say he questioned whether I had anything to do to vote there. These & other such charges & reflections I never deserved from him, or had he reason for, but these are things that I have not had account of or heard but a little while & therefore not in the least to be reckoned as any part of the ground of my former unsatisfyedness with him. To goe about to give an account of the occasions & reasons of my dissatisfaction & by what degrees it came to that heighth that now it is, would be a larger taske than I can now goe about; but if what Mr. Byfield hath to offer be no ground I doubt not but I shall be able to say that & more when there is oppertunity.
These lines are writt in haste. . Be pleased to put a can- . did construction thereon. I thanke God I hope I can truely say I would be found doeing of that which is my duty, could easyly passe by personal injurys. It is not the matter of maintenance or anything of any such nature, but an assured & I think well grounded confidence that his
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settling here is not like to be with love & peace & any com- petent satisfaction to those that are principally aimed at for carrying on church affairs. If he come again there is no hopes of settling church affairs that I foresee; if it be, it will be in some strange and unusual way, & if there be not a settlement of these matters according to the practice of other Churches what sober men that are among us that can will endeavor to remove from us, & we expect no so- ber men to come to us & our place indeed will be outdone. I have mett with several losses & disappointments of late & unexpected dealings from some men, but I reckon this not among the least of my troubles. I hope God will doe me good by all. I should earnestly desire & gladly accept a few lines from you to advise me in anything you thinke necessary. Shall not add but my service & hearty respects to each of you, desiring your prayers for mee, that I may be kept in this hour of temptation & that I may be directed in my duty & found doeing those things that may be for the glory of God and the best good of this place.
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