History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911, Part 27

Author: Lovejoy, Mary Evelyn Wood, 1847-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Burlington, Vt., Free press printing company
Number of Pages: 1280

USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Royalton > History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911 > Part 27

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The Congregational church has always stood for simple forms of service. The earliest deacons were elected, and be- gan their service, so far as can be learned, without any cere- mony. Their office was an important one, more so then than now, for when the church failed of a pastor, it was their duty to lead in the church service and to preside at church meetings.

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To give greater sanctity to the office it was voted July 1, 1806, that their deacons should be ordained, and October 21st was set as the day for this purpose. A council was called almost as large as for the installation of a pastor. The council met, but the rite was not performed "on account of doubts in ye minds of some of ye council respecting the rite." Nothing more is heard of ordaining deacons until 1833. Rev. A. C. Washburn secured a set of resolutions emphasizing the need of prayerful selection of deacons, their duties, their fitness to act as leaders, and the necessity of their being ordained. The next deacons elected were Joseph Parkhurst and John S. Storrs, who were ordained August 30, with Dea. Joiner and Dea. Kinney.

The following table shows the deacons who have held office since the organization of the church so far as records indicate :

Israel Waller,

elected 1783 ; joined the Baptists about 1791.

Daniel Rix,

66 1787; resigned 1815.

David Fish,

66 1788; died 1795.

Daniel Tullar,

1795; died 1833.

Ebenezer Dewey,

66 1795; died 1820.

Rodolphus Dewey,

1815; died 1829.

Salmon Joiner,

1829; died 1854.

Joseph Parkhurst,

1833; removed 1840.

John S. Storrs,

1833; removed 1842.

Archibald Kent,

1842; died 1849.

Simeon Nott,

1855; removed 1860.

Asahel Clark,

1860; died 1884.

Daniel Rix, Jr.,

1878; living.

Seymour Culver,

1886; living.

Elba A. Corbin,

1892; living.

Henry W. Dutton,

1910; living.

1849; died 1864.

Sylvanus Bates,

60 1815; died 1839.

Jacob Safford,

1829; died 1851.

Jonathan Kinney,

1842; removed 1845.

Rodolphus K. Dewey,

1860; died 1877.

John Wild,

At the annual meeting in January, 1901, three deaconesses were chosen, Mrs. George Laird, Mrs. Seymour Culver, Mrs. Henry W. Dutton, who held the office until 1908, when Mrs. Joel F. Whitney, Mrs. Luke Kendall, and Mrs. Levi Wild were elected. For 1911 the deaconesses are Mrs. George Waterman, Miss Mary Whitney, and Mrs. E. S. Kendall.

The mission spirit of the church was stimulated in the 1830's by the preaching of Rev. A. C. Washburn and by the consecration of one of its members to mission work in a foreign field. At the Centennial Hon. Frederick Billings referred to this event in the history of the church in the following words:

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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

"I was only eight years old when, in 1831, David Belden Lyman, a young man just out of Andover, going to the then far-off, far- off Sandwich Islands, and in search of a wife, appeared here and proposed to one of the deacon's daughters, Sarah Joiner. What a commotion there was in the church! To go to those far-off islands, associated with Capt. Cook and Cannibals, was to depart never to return, and, so solemn was the question, the church came together and discussed and prayed over it before Mr. Lyman gained his suit. She was my school teacher and had to discipline me because, no doubt, I was a mischievous boy, and so I was in favor of her accepting Mr. Lyman, and prayed in my young heart to the Lord, that she might go, and, when she got there, that the Cannibals would eat her up! Dear, good Mrs. Lyman! That I ever should have had such a wish for her! But I trust that she long since forgave me, for she sent loving messages to me when I lived in California." Some ac- count of the work of Mrs. Lyman and her husband will be found in the family record of the Joiners.

For many years the mission collections have been divided among several missionary organizations. In 1882 the benevolent collections amounted to $483.15. Since 1880 the church has contributed for benevolent purposes over $1,200. For a coun- try church with a membership averaging not over seventy this is a very good showing. The Sarah Skinner Memorial Society is the Woman's missionary organization of the church. It was formed soon after the death of Miss Sarah Skinner in 1888, and was named to honor the memory of this beloved member of the church, who was interested in everything pertaining to the missionary cause. The work of the society has been along the lines employed by similar organizations. Several barrels of clothing have been sent to missions, meetings have been held for mission study, and no inconsiderable sum of money has been sent from year to year to the Vermont Branch of the Woman's Board and the Vermont Woman's Home Missionary Union.

From 1889 to 1898 a Ladies' Aid Society was actively at work in the church. Under the auspices of this society enter- tainments and socials were held. When the church was re- paired in 1890 the society furnished new carpets for church and vestry. Later it bought an organ for the vestry, gave sub- stantial aid to the choir, and contributed toward the support of preaching. In 1898 the work of this society was transferred to the social committee of the Y. P. S. C. E.

A Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor was or- ganized Dec. 7, 1885, through the efforts of Rev. A. I. Dutton and his wife. For two years the work of the society was ac- tively carried on, and then it was discontinued until Nov. 27,

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1891, from which date meetings were regularly held until August of the following year, when the society ceased to exist. A new society was organized Oct. 5, 1894, which has continued its work without interruption to the present time." Several members of the church have been received from the society, it has been active in home benevolence, in giving aid to the Sun- day School, and in the social life of the community. It has contributed to both home and foreign missions, to the support of preaching, and very largely to the expense of repairing the church in 1905-6.

Dr. Drake is authority for the statement that on Feb. 6, 1793, the church "voted that the deacons purchase two tankards, six pint cups, two platters, one basin. Voted Amasa Dutton be a committee for the purpose of collecting grain to pay for the above vessels, in Dea. Rix's absence." This communion set was used by the church until March, 1874, when a new set was purchased, which was discarded about nine years ago for indi- vidual service. One of the original pint cups is shown in a cut of relics. The two communion plates now in use were presented to the church by Mrs. William Rix, June 23, 1901. In 1892, Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Kenney presented the church with a com- munion table, and Miss Alice Denison with a Bible, in memory of her mother, Mrs. Eliza Skinner Denison. In 1895 Mrs. Ly- man S. Hayes gave a set of pulpit chairs, and Mrs. William Rix a pair of hanging lamps.

From the beginning considerable attention was paid to music in their church services. Choristers were elected annually in the town meetings in the early days. Later, after the town ceased to hire the minister, this matter was left to some officer of the church. Mr. Hebard and Mr. Day are the first recorded "coresters." Alden Noble is said to have led the choir, and Mrs. Eliza Skinner Denison, and in more recent years D. C. Woodward, and Henry Dutton, also E. A. Thacher, and Mrs. George Laird. It was a considerable period of years between the time when the church condemned using a fiddle in the home and the day when bass viols and flutes were heard in their serv- ices. Martin Skinner played the bass viol for many years. Asahel Nash was chorister and singing master in early days.

The date of the purchase of the first melodeon has not been ascertained, but it was not far from 1860. In 1862 an organ was obtained on trial, and set up on a platform over some of the pews, there to remain until they decided to buy it. What the effect of the music was when the organ was perched on its tem- porary scaffolding, organ to the rear of them, choir in front of them, as they stood facing the gallery, can only be imagined. The first organ was played by Miss Maria Skinner, daughter of

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William Skinner. Mrs. D. C. Woodward, Mrs. Emma Corbin, and Mrs. Emma Bement Culver have been organists for con- siderable periods of time. The present organist is Miss Mary Whitney.

Although singing schools had been held from time to time, the church took the initiative in 1850, and again in 1853. Dur- ing all the years of its existence it does not seem to have lacked for the necessary talent to make its regular services attractive and inspiring through songs of praise rendered by a faithful and excellent choir.

After the town ceased to have a part in the calling and paying of the pastor, the Society looked after the financial con- dition of the church. Their early records, if any were kept separate from those of the church, have been lost. In 1858, May 29, the society, called The First Congregational Society in Royalton, was organized and a constitution adopted. It seems to have been resuscitated in 1863, and again in 1879. After the creation of the fund of $5,000, greater responsibility rested upon it, and new regulations regarding loans were made. A majority of the trustees decide in the making of loans. The fund has been reduced somewhat through unfortunate invest- ments, but it has proved, and still proves, a valuable aid in the support of preaching. Mrs. Henry W. Dutton has been the sec- retary of the society since 1902.

The Royalton Parsonage Association was organized April 9, 1856. The next day the trustees, Daniel Rix, Martin T. Skin- ner, and Calvin Skinner, bought of Darius Skinner the Dr. Richard Bloss residence for use as a parsonage. Dr. Drake occupied it for sixteen years. The trustees by the vote of the shareholders sold the property, Nov. 9, 1872, to Mrs. Katherine Rix Skinner. These shareholders were obtained by the efforts of Mr. Rix and Martin Skinner, who went around with subscription papers. Some of the known shareholders were George Bradstreet, Stillman Smith, Franklin Joiner, Messrs. Burbank and Harvey, also Asahel Clark, and Heman Durkee. In Mr. Durkee's will he bequeathed his shares to the Congregational Society, to be expended annually for "preach- ing of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." If the parsonage was sold the avails were to be divided between the children of his daughter Emily. The church has had no parsonage since the sale of this one.

ROYALTON ASSOCIATION.

The date of the organization of the Royalton Association of ministers, the place, and circumstances attending such organ- ization, have not been learned. The first mention of it thus

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far found is in the minutes of a convention made up of dele- gates from the "Several Bodies of Ministers in the State of Ver- mont, convened by circular letter at the house of President Wheelock, August 27, 1795." There were present Messrs. Job Swift, Samuel Whiting, Lyman Potter, Asa Burton and Martin Tullar. This convention planned for future general state con- ventions, set the first meeting at Rockingham on the third Tues- day of the next June, and left the choice of a preacher to the "Royalton Association."

This record makes it certain that the Royalton Association was in existence at this time, and still another record proves that it had had, at least, one meeting before this. In the Royal- ton church records, under date of Sep. 9, 1795, it appears that the church chose three deacons to attend the next meeting of the Royalton Association, and ask their advice in a case of dis- cipline. The church possesses records of the doings of the Association from 1803 to 1810 inclusive. As Mr. Tullar was in- strumental in the organization of a General Convention for Vermont, it is not unlikely that it was through his agency that the Royalton Association was formed, and, perhaps, soon after coming to Royalton in 1793.

It was customary to have a public lecture at their meet- ings, and to discuss questions of doctrine and polity, and to assign a text for members to write upon and read at the next meeting. Remarks were made upon these sermons, perhaps in the nature of criticism. Later the sessions extended over two days, and candidates were examined for the ministry, and min- isters already ordained were given a standing on request. The attendance upon these gatherings varied greatly. The meet- ings were usually held three times a year, in the first months, June, and in the fall. On Oct. 18, 1803, the Association met at the house of Rev. Martin Tullar in Royalton. Four min- isters were present, Joseph Bowman of Barnard, Mr. Tullar, Lathrop Thompson of Chelsea, and Elijah Lyman of Brookfield. Rev. Samuel Cheever of Hartland being present was invited to sit with them. They discussed the filling of vacancies and other matters.

The meeting in June, 1804, was at Hartland, at Mr. Cheever's house. The same persons were present. They de- cided that each member should spend one Sabbath the ensuing season with one week before and after, by consent of their re- spective people, in missionary labor. Delegates to the conven- tion to be held in Royalton the next September were appointed. In Feb., 1805, they met at the house of Zacharia Perrin in Ber- lin. Three candidates were present. Mr. Thompson was voted a letter of recommendation with a view to his becoming a mis-

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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

sionary. In June they met at Waitsfield, at the house of Rev. William Salisbury. Two candidates, Messrs. Waldo and Nichols were present. They met next in Brookfield, at the "dedication of the new meeting-house." In October, 1806, they met again in Royalton, when Samuel Bascomb of Sharon, and Nathan Waldo of Williamstown were received as members.

Though the membership was small, the Association was progressive. When it met in Brookfield, Feb. 10, 1807, they voted to send a committee of two to attend the next meeting of the Orange Association, to confer with them regarding the estab- lishment of a religious periodical work, also the formation of a missionary society. In October they met in Waitsfield. Only Messrs. Waldo and Salisbury were present. Mr. Waldo preached to Mr. Salisbury sitting comfortably in his own home as scribe, then moderator Waldo and the scribe arranged for the next meeting. There was a large attendance at the meet- ing in Randolph, June, 1808. Rev. Azel Washburn, Walter Chapin, Chester Wright, and Amos Bingham were candidates. Mr. Tullar, one of the delegates to the Convention at Windsor in September, was desired to invite the Convention to meet at his home the next year, and to make out a bill of expense, which the Association would pay. In 1809 they decided the order of the meetings should be Barre, Berlin, Braintree, Rochester, Barnard, Sharon, Royalton, Randolph, Brookfield, Williamstown. At one of their sessions in 1809 they adjourned to meet at five o'clock in the morning, a sure proof that they were not slothful in business.

In 1824 members came from the towns of Pittsfield, Brook- field, Berlin, Randolph, Sharon, Montpelier, Braintree, Waits- field, Rochester, Barre, and Cabot. In 1867 thirteen towns were represented. As years went on, new associations were formed, the railroad was built, and for other reasons, the interest in this particular association seems to have dwindled. When Rev. Joel F. Whitney came to Royalton in 1902, he made an effort to enliven the Association and increase its membership, but was met with indifference explained, no doubt, by good and suf- ficient reasons. He states that, finally, in 1906 the membership had fallen to six, three of these non-residents, and two of them aged men unable to attend and take part in the meetings. A changé was decided upon for these reasons: "The changes so frequent, the inconvenience of getting together by rail without loss of time, and the lack of enthusiastic support led to the merging of the Association with the White River." This was done in 1906.

It seems a pity that an Association so venerable, and that might be productive of so much good, though shorn of some of its powers and responsibilities, should die through lack of inter-

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HISTORY OF ROYALTON, VERMONT

est, and its name after a century and more of existence, should disappear from the records of the General Convention.

OFFICERS OF THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY.

The present officers of the church not already named are, Clerk and Treasurer, Mrs. Emma Bement Culver; Chorister, Mrs. Clara Dyer Harvey; Assistant, George Waterman; Benevo- lence Committee, Rev. Levi Wild and Mrs. Culver; Executive Committee of the Society, Rev. Levi Wild, Chairman, Edward A. Daniels, and Mrs. E. S. Kendall; Treasurer, Dea. Elba Cor- bin; Collector, George Waterman.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE FIRST MEETING-HOUSE.

Reference has already been made to the fact that Sabbath services in town were held for a number of years in private dwellings or barns. With the increase in population some dif- ferent arrangement was demanded. The matter came up at a Freeman's meeting on Dec. 30, 1779. It must have been either formally or informally discussed before this. This meeting contains only the terse record, "Voted to have the meeting house stand on Lieut Stevens lot on the river road above his house." Lieut. Stevens then lived on what in later years has been known as the "Buck" place, now owned by Mr. Pierce. The terrible disaster of 1780 must have rendered naught any effort that may have been made to erect a house there. They still had in view this location, Mar. 20, 1781, when they voted to set up stocks and sign post at the "meeting house building spot."

The next month was to change all their plans as to location. On April 3, 1781, Capt. Ebenezer Brewster of Dresden (a part of Hanover), gave to the town of Royalton a portion of lot 46 Dutch, which he then owned. This was to be used for a meet- ing-house lot and for other purposes. The deed of conveyance is given in the chapter relating to "Town Property." At that time Dresden considered itself an independent town forming a part of the New Hampshire Grants, and Capt. Brewster prob- ably realized the advantage it would be to him to have on his land a center of attraction like a meeting-house. Be that as it may, his deed was one meriting the thanks of all citizens of Royalton, past, present, and future. It had the effect of de- ciding where the first village should begin to grow. At the time it was determined to build a house on the lot of Lieut. Stevens. he was probably the most influential man in the settlement, and no doubt would offer good inducements to have the meeting- house located near him. Capt. Brewster had the advantage of location, his land being very near the exact center of the town.

The inhabitants of Royalton had a hard struggle to make a living and to start afresh after their homes were burned. There were bridges to build, the salary of a minister to raise, and a

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house to be provided for him. It is not strange, then, that nothing is said of a meeting-house again until Jan. 6, 1784. At this meeting they "Voted and Excepted of Leut Lyons Pro- posals to Build a house 30 by 28 feet for the use of the town for the term of ten years & Sd Lyons to have a Good Deed of one quarter of an Acre of Land of the meeting house Lott North of the Road & a Spot of ground to Set Sd house on and Sd Lyon to Be Released Paying town taxes two years From Jany 6th 1784 to Jany 6th 1786."

These fathers of the town did not seem to consider whether by the terms of Capt. Brewster's deed, they had the right to deed a part of the land to an individual or not. They wanted a meeting-house, they had been wanting one for years, and here was a chance to get it, and to have it without any great effort on their part, so they accepted Lieut. Lyon's offer. They chose Mr. John Hibbard, Capt. Joseph Parkhurst, and Lieut. Elias Stevens a committee to give Lieut. Lyon a deed of this one fourth acre, and to take a bond of him to build the house as he had offered to do. In their surprise and enthusiasm over this gen- erous offer they lost sight of the fact, that there was already recorded the action of the town in locating the meeting-house on Elias Stevens' land. It was not even mentioned at a sub- sequent meeting on Jan. 26, but some one soon woke from this state of intoxication over the prospect of having a meeting-house.

When they gathered again, Feb. 16, 1784, the meeting was devoted almost wholly to the subject of a meeting-house. They met at Lieut. Lyon's, and first "recoled" the vote of 1779 establishing the house on Mr. Stevens' land, and then estab- lished it on "Coll Ebenezer Brewsters Lott Neare the Center of the Town on the west side of the River." They did not yet appear to have come into possession of the Brewster deed, for they chose Comfort Sever to take a deed of Col. Brewster of the land on which to set the house. For some reason they voted that Lieut. Lyon build a house 18 by 40 feet, instead of 30 by 28 feet as originally proposed, giving a little less floor space, but probably better suited to their needs.

Lieut. Lyon must have had materials already on hand, and have found abundant assistance, for in the following June, when they met at his house to discuss bridges, it is recorded that they adjourned to the meeting-house and finished their busi- ness. We can imagine the satisfaction and pride that they must have felt, after gathering so long in private dwellings, as they entered a real meeting-house once more, and one that they might call their own. It could not have been fully completed, but they would not be in a critical mood, and they needed no very warm protection on a June day. Their March meeting,

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1785, was held in the meeting-house, and all others until Feb. 5, 1787, when for some reason they adjourned to Isaac Skin- ner's.

In November of that year there is evidence that the long- desired house was not meeting expectations. They chose a com- mittee of three to "Settel with Zebn (they do not say Lieut. this time) Lyon consarning the meeting house that It may be made comfortable to meet in." As they sat or stood around with the November winds chattering to them through the cracks, with their hands in their pockets to keep them warm, we can fancy that the gratitude which they once felt towards Lieut. Lyon was fast congealing.

In the succeeding two years the house evidently did not im- prove as a winter residence, and the dissatisfaction of the voters had been on the increase. They no doubt expressed to Lieut. Lyon their discontent, but he might with propriety have said to them, "All I got out of it was two years' taxes. What did you expect, anyway? Go ahead, and build one yourselves, if you can do any better." David Fish, Bradford Kinney, Com- fort Sever, Ebenezer Dewey, Asa Clark, Daniel Rix, John Kim- ball, Benjamin Day, and Elias Stevens finally petitioned for a meeting, and they gathered again on the glad day of the year, December 25th. They met at the meeting-house, but adjourned for fifteen minutes to meet again at Mr. Lyon's. The rest of the meeting was no doubt warm enough. They voted to build a meeting-house, if a subscription could be raised sufficient to "set up ye frame by ye first Day of Nov next & then ye floors to be cut into pews and sold at publick vandue to ye highest bidders and that whatever any one subscribes shall be taken out of the bid." They voted that the building should be fifty-six feet in length and forty in width, with a porch at each end. They chose Col. Stevens, Doctor Allen, Calvin Parkhurst, Mr. Curtis, Mr. Williams, Capt. Burbank, and Esquire Dewey a committee to collect what sum they could by subscription. This meeting was adjourned to Feb. 1, 1790, when the report of the committee must have been encouraging, as they chose Col. Elias Stevens, Col. Calvin Parkhurst, and Capt. Daniel Clapp for a committee to build the meeting-house. It seems quite proper that the church militant should have selected three military men for this important office. The committee which had been chosen to solicit subscriptions were instructed to call on the sub- scribers and take notes and deliver to the building committee, which would lead one to infer that the greater part of the new church was to be built on paper security. Probably their obligations were met at harvest time, if not before.

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At an adjourned meeting Aug. 6, 1790, originally called by petition to discuss the building of the meeting-house that year and the pastor's house, the only action taken was to elect Zebulon Lyon and Dea. Daniel Rix an addition to the building committee. They adjourned to the 12th, on which date no action whatever is recorded relating to the meeting-house. They did provide for building their pastor's house, which was, prob- ably, all that they felt they could do in one year.

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History of Royalton, Vermont, with family genealogies, 1769-1911, Part 27

Author: Lovejoy, Mary Evelyn Wood, 1847- Publication date: 1911 Publisher: Burlington, Vt., Free press printing company Number of Pages: 1280

Author: Lovejoy, Mary Evelyn Wood, 1847-
Publication date: 1911
Publisher: Burlington, Vt., Free press printing company
Number of Pages: 1280