USA > Vermont > Windham County > West Brattleboro > God's delight in the gates of Zion : a second discourse on the early history of the Congregational Church and Society in West Brattleboro, Vt., coverint two pastorates--25 years, or from 1794-1819 > Part 2
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* See Appendix IT, on W. Wells.
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Marlboro without abridging his privilege to commune and fellow- ship with the church in Brattleboro.
On the 20th of June, 1814, " the Congregational or Presbyte- rian Society " met, as warned, 93 out of 130 Associates being present, and of these, 91 voted to invite the Rev. Mr. Burge to settle and be installed among them as the pastor of the church in Brattleboro, and continue in that relation during his life, or until he shall be dismissed by the Society. At an adjourned meeting, July 2, it was voted that the salary should be $600 annually, the trustees to raise and collect the same by assess- ments, deducting what may accrue from donations. The salary was to be paid on the first of January each year, and the stated services to be at the meeting house, lectures and funerals ex- cepted,-108 out of 111, in the affirmative.
At a meeting of the church at the meeting house, dated Brat- tleboro, June 30, 1814, Dea. Nathaniel Samson* moderator, a committee of two members of the church, Doct. Lemuel Dicker- man and Dea. Nathaniel Samson, was chosen to join the " Trus- tees of the Brattleboro Congregational or Presbyterian Society for supporting the gospel," to wait on Rev. Caleb Burge with a united call and invitation for him to accept the pastoral care and perform the ministerial labors for the church and people in this town, by being installed as their pastor and minister ; and also to express the satisfaction of this church with his performances in the pulpit as a candidate, and their sincere desire to reap further benefits from his continued labors of love. At a joint meeting of the church and the Trustees of the Society, July 25, 1814, it was unanimously agreed to accept the answer of the Rev. C. Burge to the invitation to be installed as their minister, and further agreed to send to the following churches for assistance, by their pastors and delegates, in the installation, namely :- the churches in Hatfield, Newport, N. H., New Fane, Halifax, Shelburne, Westminster, Dummerston, Marlboro, Bernardston, and Green- field, together with the Rev. William Wells of this town. Of the proceedings of this council I find no account in the Records of the church. September 15, 1814, Dr. Lemuel Dickerman was chosen a delegate of the church to attend, with the Rev. C. Burge, at the Consociation in Dummerston, that this church may be united with and become a member of said Consociation.
At a meeting of the society, April 10, 1815, the following officers were chosen :- Jonas Mann moderator ; Stephen Green- leaf clerk ; Silas Reeve treasurer ; Nathaniel Samson, Waitstill Orvis and Valentine Harris trustees ; John Kelsey, Abisha Samson and Reuben Stearnes committee ; Russell Hays col- lector, to be paid six dollars for his services ; salary and other expenses $600. In 1816, November 25, it was moved by Col.
* The Dames of the Deacons of this church previous to 1820 were: Joshua Wilder, Jacob Spaulding, Samuel Warriner, Nathaniel Samson; the names of their successors, down to the present date, 1894, are : Russell Hayes, David Carpenter, Clark Jacobs, Joseph Wilder, Preston F. Perry, S. Gilbert Smith, Charles S. Clark, Cotton Mather, Hervey C. Harris.
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Daniel Stewart that the question be tried relative to the sec- ond article of the warrant, viz : To dismiss the Rev. C. Burge. The yeas and nays were taken by dividing the house, and only eleven voted for dismissal. The question was thus decided in the negative. In 1817 the inhabitants comprising " the First Con- gregational Society " in Brattleboro were warned to meet at the " West Meeting house " in said Brattleboro. For salary and other expenses they raised $550. The year following, in April, they voted to raise $500. Six months later, October 5, a meeting was called to see if the existing relation with Mr. Burge could be dissolved ; and a committee was chosen to confer with him on the necessity of dissolving the contract now existing by cove- nant between him and the society, and the making of a new con- tract on the ground of a subseription for his salary. The meet- ing was adjourned twice and then dissolved.
At a church meeting held in July, 1818, Rev. C. Burge modera- tor, the church adopted a covenant and a confession of faith, --- both given in the Records of the church,-the following persons being present : Dea. Joshua Wilder, Dea. Nathaniel Samson, William Bigelow, Moses Nash, Ebenezer Hawes, Jonas Rice, Jonathan Herriek, Thadeus Miller, Rutherford Hays, Isaiah Richardson, David Harris, Silas Reeve, Nathaniel Blakeslee, Samuel Bailey, Jonathan Dunklee, Stephen Greenleaf .* At this meeting it was voted to admit members only when they have been previously examined by the pastor and brethren of the church and duly propounded ; that public offenees require public confession ; and that credible evidence of piety ought to be made the ground of fellowship and christian communion.
The Rev. Caleb Burge, who was installed in August, 1814, seems to have been dismissed during the year 1819, but at what particular date does not appear. During his ministry of five years no less than 96 persons were admitted to the church; 3 in 1814, 26 in 1815, 24 in 1816, 39 in 1817, and 4 in 1818.+ At a ehureh meeting held in the meeting house, September 9, 1819, Dea. Nathaniel Samson, Silas Reeve, and Asa Stoddard were chosen a committee to aid and assist in settling difficulties. Cases of discipline were considered, and the meeting adjourned to Sep- tember 30, when cases of discipline were taken up again, one of which was : Whether a member be guilty of a breach of moral obligation and violate his contract in evading his obligation in putting his property out of the reach of covenant taxation. This was decided in the affirmative by a unanimons vote of sixteen. Three subsequent meetings, one at the school room in the Acad- emy Hall, and one at the house of Anthony Van Doorn, were devoted chiefly to matters of discipline. August 7, 1820, a meet- ing was held to consider a case of discipline, and a vote passed
* Among these we find the name of the brother who, in 1811, asked to be let off from this church, that he might go where he thought he could get sounder doctrine.
t See Appendix III., Caleb Burge, etc.
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making choice of the Rev. Mr. Tufts of Wardsboro as moderator of this church for the time being, or until the settlement of a minister in this parish.
The Congregational Society in the Western section of Brattle- boro met, April 12, 1819, and voted to raise 8500 for salary. September 12, the Society and others who might be disposed to aid, assist, or encourage the preaching of the gospel in the West Parish in Brattleboro, met at the Academy Building to consider the expediency of engaging a candidate to preach the ensuing year ; also the expediency of reorganizing the Society. This meeting was adjourned to October 4, to convene at the Count- ing Room of General Mann's store. Meeting here, at the time named, they adjourned to the Academy, and adopted articles, now read, for a new Society, and adjourned for a week. But of this meeting I find no record.
A meeting of the Society was held April 3d, 1820, at the house of Bixby and Barrett, and a vote passed to issue a subscription paper to raise money for the support of the gospel ; and, on the 10th, having raised $431, and voted to continue the effort, they instructed the Trustees to have the Desk supplied with a candi- date. June 15, they expressed themselves satisfied with the performances of Mr. Hitchcock, and wished he might be engaged for a longer time. September 4, they met, and, having chosen officers, among whom were Nathaniel Samson, Stephen Greenleaf, Rutherford Hayes, Lemuel Dickerman, Moses Van Doorn and Anthony Van Doorn, voted full satisfaction with the ministerial performances of Jedadiah Stark, expressed a wish to call and settle him, and voted to raise a salary of 8400 per annum. Sep- tember 26, they met and chose Samuel Clark, Esq., W. Orvis, and J. Kelsey a committee to confer with the church committee for calling and settling Mr. Stark. February 19, 1821, the society voted to raise money by subscription to pay the expenses of the ordination of Mr. Stark.
October 5, 1820, a church meeting was held in the West Parish meeting house, 22 members present, Rev. Mr. McGee in the chair, and a vote passed, 20 in the affirmative, to give Mr. Jedadiah L. Stark a call to the pastoral care of the church, the Society concurring ; and Rutherford Hayes, Dea. Samson, and Dr. Dickerman were chosen a committee for this purpose. Novem- ber 22, in joint committee of the church and society, it was unanimously agreed to accept the terms proposed in the answer of Mr. J. L. Stark, to be ordained and settled as their gospel minister, and agreed to send letters missive to the following churches ; namely, Halifax, Brattleboro East Parish, Marlboro, Wardsboro, Dummerston, Putney, Winchester, Heath, Canter- bury East Parish, Connecticut, and the Rev. Calvin Park, Pro- fessor in the college, Rhode Island. January 2, 1821, this council met at the house of Barrett and Bixby, and chose Rev. T. H. Wood moderator, and Rev. Hosea Beckley scribe. Having examined the candidate and expressed themselves satisfied as to
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his fitness for the ministry, they voted to proceed to ordain him to-morrow (January 3), at 11 A. M., at which time the service was performed.
In coming now to notice some of the fruits of this Church and Society for the period* of which we speak, aside from maintain- ing its own life and growth, completing its house of worship, and furnishing a large and rich amount of material for another church, and a good man to go with it to organize it, and minister to it for a time, in the East village, a more particular, individual mention should be made of some of the good men and women to whom this parent church and society, meantime, gave birth and bent for various kinds of good work, both here at home and in foreign fields, as teachers, ministers and missionaries. Nor should we fail to mention some who distinguished themselves in other important professions and pursuits, not here only, but in other states and in other lands. As belonging to the class first named, teachers, preachers, etc., I find the following :-
Salmon Bennett, son of Noah Bennett, Sr., who was born here, on the "River Road," January 6, 1790, graduated from Mid- dlebury college in 1815, studied Theology with Rev. E. H. New- ton of Marlboro, was ordained pastor in Winchester, N. H., 1817, sermon by Rev. Caleb Burge. He afterwards preached a year in Roxbury, N. HI., nine years in Marlboro, N. H., then in Bos- cawen, N. H., then in Halifax, Vt., till 1852, when he went to Chautauqua, York State, where he died in 1882.
Edmund Frost-" left handed, sure to hit a bird or a squirrel every time he tried"-was born in Brattleboro, November 16, 1791, graduated from Middlebury college in 1820, from Andover Theological Seminary in 1823, ordained in Salem, Mass., in Sep- tember, and went ont at once as a missionary of the American Board to Bombay, where he died October 18, 1825.
Alonzo Church was born on a farm, said to be the "Dwight Goodenough farm," just above the Brick yard in West Brattle- boro, April 9, 1793. His father, Reuben Church, and his grand- father did their state and country good service in the Revolu- tionary war. Alonzo took a college course of study at Middle- bury, where he paid his way by teaching school in the winters, and where he graduated in 1816 ; soon after which he went to Putnam, Georgia, and established a classical school in 1818. Joining the Presbyterian church, he was soon ordained a minister of that denomination, but continued to teach and became a Pro- fessor of Mathematics and Astronomy in Franklin College, Ga., in 1819 ; then President of the same in 1829, in which office he continued till his death in 1862. In 1830, his Alma Mater bestowed upon him the honorary title of A.M. and D.D.
Roswell Harris, son of William and Abiah Brooks Harris, was born March 6, 1798, fitted for college with the Rev. C. Burge,
* This period includes the history of this church during the twenty years of Mr. Wells' pastorate. or till he and some of its members withdrew to form another church in the East village, i. e., till 1814; also the pastorate of Caleb Burge from 1814 to 1819, together with an occasional reference to some events under the pastor- ate of Mr. Reeve.
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graduated from Middlebury 1821 ; was Principal of our Academy 1821-1823 ; graduated from Andover 1826; was licensed by the Windham Association at Halifax 1826 ; Pastor in. Salisbury, Mass., 1826-1828 ; Principal of Hampton, N. H., Academy 1828- 1833, West Brattleboro Academy 1833-1837, and 1845-1853, and occasionally in subsequent years till he died here in 1871.
Edward R. Tyler, son of Royall and Mary P. Tyler, was born in Guilford, August 3, 1800, but in March, 1801, moved from there with his parents to Brattleboro, to the now Smith-Thurber farm, near the cemetery on the "Hill," where the first meeting house stood ; graduated with honors at Yale 1825; studied Theology at Andover, served as an able pastor at Middletown, Conn., 1827-1831, and at Colebrook 1833-1836 ; was agent of the Anti-Slavery Society a year ; editor of the Connecticut Observer, 1838-1842 ; editor of the New Englander, 1842-1848, in New Haven, where he died in 1848.
Joseph D. Tyler, a brother of Edward R., was born in Brat- tleboro, September 4, 1804; graduated from Yale 1829, and became a clergyman of the Episcopal church, but gave his life chiefly to the instruction of the deaf and dumb, first at Hartford, Conn., but chiefly as Principal of the Virginia Deaf and Dumb Asylum, in Staunton, Va., where he died in 1852.
George P. Tyler, brother of Edward and Joseph, was born December 10, 1809, graduated from Yale 1836, from Union Theological Seminary, N. Y., 1841, and received the honorary degree of D.D. from Middlebury 1864. He was ordained and installed pastor of a Presbyterian church in Lowville, N. Y., 1841, and from 1853 to 1866 was pastor of the Brattleboro East village Congregational church, from which he went to Olivet Presbyte- rian church, Lansingburg, N. Y., where he still remains, being now pastor Emeritus.
Thomas P. Tyler, D.D., brother of Edward, Joseph and George, was born November 20, 1815, graduated from Trinity College, Hartford, Conn., had charge of Brattleboro Academy for a time, became an Episcopal clergyman, was engaged in ministerial ser- vice for some years in the state of New York, and died here in Brattleboro some two or three years since.
John Calvin Holbrook, son of Dea. John and Sarah K. Hol- brook, was born January 7, 1808. He studied two years at Hop- kins Academy in Hadley, Mass., one year with Rev. E. H. New- ton, Marlboro, and two years at the Military Academy, Norwich, Vt .; was, for a time, clerk in Holbrook & Fessenden's book-store; 'then a successor to his father in publishing books and making paper ; then a member of a publishing house in Boston ; then engaged with others in publishing the Comprehensive Commen- tary and other works in Brattleboro. Nor was it very long be- fore he resolved to give up secular pursuits and devote himself to the ministry, went to Iowa and, in 1842, became pastor of a church in Dubuque. To serve this calling, the ministerial, in various forms and places, as pastor, correspondent for papers, or
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as agent, secretary, or director, for educational, or missionary enterprises, as in Iowa, Chicago, Boston, New York, or Europe, and now in California, he has continued up to the present time.
Samuel Hayes Elliot, son of Hon. S. Elliot, who died here in West Brattleboro, December 10, 1845, was born October 23, 1809, prepared for college here at the Brattleboro Academy, graduated from Union College 1841, studied Theology at Yale, was pastor, first in Woodbridge, Conn., then at Jamestown, N. Y., then at Westville, Conn., from 1842 till 1855. He then gave up the ministry by reason of bronchial difficulties, and engaged in mer- cantile business in New Haven till his death, September 11, 1869.
Lewis E. Sikes was born in Northampton, Mass., October 19, 1810, but eame with his parents to Brattleboro the following year, prepared for college here at the Academy, graduated from Union College 1841, studied Theology at Anburn and New Haven, served as an acting pastor two years in Townshend, Vt., then went West, where he engaged and continued in ministerial work for a third of a century, as in Illinois, Michigan, and Kansas, and died in the latter state in 1892.
Thomas K. Fessenden, son of Joseph and S. L. H. Fessenden, was born here September 10, 1813, began his studies with Rev. E. H. Newton, and continued them at Phillips Academy, and at Pittsfield, Mass .; graduated from Williams College 1833, after which he studied Theology at Andover, Yale, and Princeton ; was licensed by our Windham Association, and served as a pastor in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and York State, till 1854; was a member of the Connecticut State Legislature three years ; then established an Industrial School for Girls in Connecticut, where hundreds of girls were guided to good homes and noble lives ; then raised $300,000 for Hampton Institute, Va .; then gave him- self to every good work where he was now residing, Farmington, till he went to his rest and reward, January 18, 1894.
James Herrick was born March 19, 1814, though not in Brattle- boro. But from his father and grandparents being natives of this town, and from his making this his home for many years, he always looked upon himself and was looked upon by others as belonging here. It was here that he prepared for Williams Col- lege, where he graduated 1841, and from Andover in 1845 ; then went as a missionary of the American Board to Southern India, where he labored for forty years : then took up his abode here in West Brattleboro till his death, November 30, 1891.
Hiram Farnsworth, a native of this town, and a fellow student with Elliot, Sikes, Ilerriek, T. P. Barber,* myself and others here
* Theodore P. Barber, who fitted for college here, graduated from Yale 1842, started out as a tutor in Maryland, but soon became an Episcopal clergyman, and labored as such nearly fifty years in that State, should be included in this list, only he was not born till several years after bis parents, Dea. Anson and Louisa P. Bar- her, withdrew from this first church and cast in their lot with the second in East Brattleboro, where they resided. For a like reason his younger sister, Louisa, for some years a distinguished teacher of a select school in Brattleboro, now the wife of Thomas Doane. Esq., Charlestown, Mass .. is not included in our regular list. Some other names that would seem, by some, to belong bere, are excluded in the same way.
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at the Academy, having completed his college course, gave him- self to teaching, at one time in New London, Conn .; after which he served as an officer in the Union army. The last I heard of him he was a highly esteemed citizen and postmaster in Topeka, Kansas.
Another West Brattleboro boy of the times of which I speak, who gave himself to the ministry, was Timothy Root, son of the Timothy Root who succeeded Bixby & Barrett in keeping the "Stewart Hotel," where the "Clark Block " now stands.
Still another child of this church in those early days, who, hav- ing attended the Academy here for a time and completed his studies, became a minister and went South to labor, was a Mr. Salisbury.
And still another, reputed to have been of this class, was Wait- still Orvis, who was born on a farm near the school house in District No. 11. But of this man, and a few others that might be named, such as Bliss Burnap and James Blakeslee, our infor- mation is too limited to make us quite sure of their properly be- longing to the number of which we speak.
Nor was that term of two pastorates, that period of 25 years, , now under review, other than rich in the goodly number of educated, honored, nseful ladies to whom it gave origin, impress, inspiration for a blessed service in the world, as lady teachers, or as the wives of professional and other distinguished men in the various walks of life. As among this class we name a few :-
Sarah M. Woodman, of this village, who was among the first to be educated here at our Academy, married Rev. E. W. Plumb, D.D., a graduate of Middlebury College, 1824, Principal of Brattleboro Academy, 1824-1826, afterwards Principal of other Academies, and sometimes pastor of some church, till his death in 1879.
Two younger sisters, or half sisters,-Eliza and Fanny Wood- man,-were also born and educated here, and married each a med- ical man, two brothers, by the name of Houghton from Halifax.
Laura A. Newton, youngest daughter of Major C. and Betsey Newton, born in Brattleboro May 29, 1807, was married, in 1835, to Rev. R. V. Hall, whose widely extended usefulness was due in large measure to her aid till she died, 1856, at Stanstead, P. Q.
Of the daughters of Rutherford and Chloe Smith Hays (Hayes), Sr., Polly, the eldest, born here near the close of last century, married John Noyes, a graduate of Yale, who taught in Chester- field Academy, became a minister, then a merchant, and eventually a member of congress. Belinda married the Hon. Samuel Elliot of this town. Clarissa married Ayer Moody, a graduate of Dart- mouth College. Sarah married Dyer Bancroft, a graduate of Williams College and a lawyer.
Ellen E. Lord was born in Putney in the early part of this century, but came at an early age with her mother to live in this village, where the writer now resides. Getting her education here at the Academy, she eventually married the Principal, Rev.
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Thomas C. Biscoe, who was soon settled as a pastor in Grafton, Mass.
Sophia P. Eaton, born about 1808, educated here, having her home a mile out of the village on South street, was, at one time Preceptress of the Ladies' Department of the Academy, when Mr. Harris had charge of it ; after which she married Rev. Mr. Perry, and went to live in Standish, Maine.
Amelia S. Tyler, daughter of the Hon. Royall Tyler, Sr., was born 1807, and in 1826 became Principal of a Female Seminary of a high order in Brattleboro.
Elizabeth II. Crosby, born here in West Brattleboro, January 27, 1817, having taken a liberal course of study here and at an Academy in Westfield, Mass., and taught several years, was married to Rev. James Herrick in 1845, and with him went at once to Southern India where they gave some 40 years to mission work under the auspices of the American Board.
Ruth Dunklee, born in West Brattleboro, February 4, 1817, having taken a course of study in part here, and in part at Mount Holyoke Seminary, eventually married Rev. Nelson Barbour, who, a graduate of Middlebury College, was first settled at Sax- ton's River in 1836, and afterwards a pastor in Dummerston and in other places in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts.
Susan E. Arms, daughter of Dr. Willard Arms, who practiced medicine here some forty years, having graduated from the Brattleboro Academy, married Rev. Edward Wright, a graduate of Vale, and, from 1843 to 1852, pastor of a church in West Haven, Conn. Here they soon established "Oak Hill Ladies' Seminary," of which Mrs. Wright became Principal at the death of her husband in 1852. After some 25 years of successful teach- ing, during which time she married Rev. Mr. Atwater, she with- drew from that Institution and gave herself for a time to mission work in the South.
But a notice of the men and women who had their origin and early training in the families of this church and Society during the quarter of a century now before us, as educators, ministers, missionaries, should be so extended as to include other children which these families were bringing forth and preparing, at that time, to go out and bless the world, as in other professions and pursuits, legal, medical, mechanic, agricultural, commercial, or other of the important callings of men in the various walks of life ; of whom the following are a few :-
Russell Hayes, eldest son of Rutherford and Chloe Smith Ilayes, was born here in 1784, and spent a long life in most use- ful service as a farmer, helpful neighbor, Deacon in the church, and public benefactor in every direction, especially in respect to education and religion.
Rutherford Hayes, Jr., brother of Russell, and the father of President R. B. Hayes, was born here, January 4, 1787, and entered early upon a successful mercantile life. In 1817, he
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removed with his family to Delaware, Ohio, where he became identified with the Presbyterian church.
Wm. R. Hayes, a brother of Russell and Rutherford, Jr., was born in 1804, graduated from Yale 1825, studied law at New Haven, and began the practice of law in Brattleboro in 1828. His heart was soon set on becoming a minister, but failing health prevented his preparing for that work, and he sought a milder climate in Barbadoes, where he became U. S. Consul. He devoted his life to the best of Christian enterprise, especially to the temperance cause and the abolition of slavery, and left a legacy of $1,000 to the Academy here in his native village.
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