USA > Vermont > History of the Baptists in Vermont > Part 22
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The first Sunday school in Andover. Elder Manning, from his strong views of free grace as opposed to "works," was opposed to the idea of Sunday schools when it was first mentioned in Andover. Moreover he seldom spoke to a child. Yet he loved
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children, and it was at his request that I was named "Dorcas Manning," after a daughter of his that died. My first Sunday school was on this wise. There was a maiden lady whose name was Sally Gibson, who taught school on East Hill in a little school- house not far from the church. She secretly invited all the girls in the school that were about my age, nine years old, to learn verses of Scripture during the week, and she would meet us Sab- bath noon and hear us recite, and so we did. She was terribly afraid the minister would find it out; so when meeting was out we fled to the schoolhouse. We ran, as I plainly remember, and I can think just how Sally Gibson's shawl fluttered in the wind as we hurried on and on till we were in the schoolhouse and the door shut.
I learned a good lot of verses, when some way, I never knew how, the minister heard of it, and sent for me to come to his house. I trembling obeyed. He said to me, "Darkis"-everybody pro- nounced my name that way-"Darkis, tell me truthfully what you do in the schoolhouse on Sabbath noons." "Sir," I said, "we repeat verses from the Bible that we have learned during the week." "Can you repeat any of them now?" Then I began and repeated the verses that I had learned, and he looked at me kindly, and said he was glad to hear me, and gave me a fourpence-ha'- penny, which was worth six and a quarter cents, and after that there was no further opposition to our little Sunday school.
CAVENDISH
Some of the earliest settlers of this town were Baptists. In 1769, eight years after the date of the town charter, John Coffin became the first resident. In 1771, Noadiah Russell and Thomas Gilbert joined the settlement. One of these, Mr. Russell, was a Baptist. At the council, which met in 1789, to recognize the church in Chester, Salmon Dutton, of Cavendish, is reported as a member. The records of Chester church also contains the following:
May 31, 1794.
"Voted to receive Samuel White, Jesse Spaulding, Asaph Fletcher and John Spaulding, of Cavendish, members of the Bap- tist church in Chelmsford, Mass., as members of this church."
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It was also voted to regard them as a branch of the church, with the privilege of being formed into a separate church, when their numbers were increased to twelve, provided they desired it.
Although no conclusive evidence can be found that a tax was collected by the town for the support of religious worship, yet a tax on several occasions was voted, and on one occasion a Mr. Woods and a Mr. Pierce, the one a Congregationalist and the other a Baptist, were employed by vote of the people. On August 17, 1785, the town voted to appoint a committee "to invite or agree with a Gospel minister." The names of other members of the Cavendish church appear in the following certificate: "To all people to whom these presents may come: Know ye that I. Aaron Leland, minister of the sect or denomination of christians known and designated by the name or appellation of Baptist, do hereby certify that Jesse Spaulding, Asaph Fletcher, Robert Davis Gamaliel Gerold, Obadiah White, Samuel White, Noadiah Russell, Benjamin Lynd, John Russell, Eliphalet Chapman, Stephen Roberts, Frazier Eaton, Levi Manning, John Peck, Reuben Chap- man, Perly Fasset, Joseph Wilkins, Joseph Spaulding, and John Spaulding, all of Cavendish, are of the same sect or denomination as the subscriber, and that I, the said Aaron Leland, am minister of the said sect or denomination in the town of Chester, in the county of Windsor, and State of Vermont, and that the above mentioned persons, except three or four belong to the church under the pastoral care of the subscriber. Cavendish, December 20, 1799, Attest, Aaron Leland, Minister."
Rev. John Peck, in his memoirs, speaking of this early religious condition of society says: "An attempt was made about this time to obtain a law of the State, for a general assessment for the sup- port of preachers, similar to what had been attempted in the state of Virginia, which was boldly advocated in a large number of publications in the newspapers, by a reverend clergyman. But these pieces were answered in a very able, candid and forcible manner by a reputable Baptist, Dr. Fletcher, of Cavendish. His powerful appeals to the public in defense of religious liberty put to silence the clergyman; and the object of a general assessment, for the present was given up."
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By advice of an ecclesiastical council convened August 31, 1803, by invitation of the church in Chester, those members who could best be accommodated in Cavendish were dismissed from the mother church. Forty-six was the number reported to the Association, although a smaller number was dismissed from the Chester church.
The following July, one Brooks was invited to improve his gifts among them. Elder Gershom Lane and Brother John Rus- sell were requested to supply the church with preaching, each one- half of the time. These brethren both resided in town and had some gifts at exhortation. For about eight years there was no settled pastor. In 1811, Jonathan Going, a licentiate, from the first church, Providence, R. I., visited them, and afterward became pastor. He held meetings far and near in houses, schoolhouses and barns, and wherever people could be gathered. At a point where the towns of Andover, Cavendish, Chester, and Ludlow corner stood a barn which for those days was spacious and very convenient for meetings. Here gatherings often occurred and the Lord poured out his Spirit. It is said that when young con- verts related their experience with a view of being baptized, in- stead of waiting for a motion and putting the question to vote, the Elder would send someone to each member of the church to inquire if he or she was satisfied with the candidate's relation of christian experience. Eighty-three were received to the church during the five years of this pastorate. Mr. Going was succeeded by Elisha Starkweather, Ruel Lathrop, and Ariel Kendrick. Up to 1825, the church had been known as the Baptist church of Cavendish and Ludlow. On the 28th of January, 1825. forty-six members, resident in Ludlow, were set off as a distinct church. January 26, 1826, Joseph Freeman became pastor. continuing to serve the church for ten years, deducting one year spent at Newton Theological Institution, and one year at Con- cord, N. H. He was also pastor in 1842, and again in 1850-1851. In 1834, the church cdifice was built. During these periods of service, one hundred and fifty-four were added to the church. In the period from 1837 to 1864, the pastors were E. T. Winter, Moses Field, W. Sperry, D. Richardson, A. Angier, R. M. Ely, S. W.
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Miles, Mylon Merriam and Sem. Pierce. During these pastorates one hundred and seven were received to membership. In 1864, S. F. Brown began a pastorate which continued till November, 1875, during which time seventy-two were added to the church. In 1870, by the will of the late Hon. Richard Fletcher, of Boston, the church came into possession of a valuable parsonage, a pastor's library of two hundred volumes, and a fund of $4,000, the income of $1,000 to be annually expended in the increase of the library and the income of $3,000 to be annually expended in repairs on the parsonage or for the support of the pastor.
The following persons have been licensed to preach: Elisha Andrews, Addison Parker, Joseph Parker, Benjamin Pierce, Arte- mas Arnold, Stephen Pierce, Horace Fletcher, Hervey Parker, Lucius Baker and J. C. Allen.
Since 1875 there have been eight pastorates: L. B. Hibbard, 1877-1879; Foster Henry, 1880-1884; George B. Wheeler, 1887- 1892; A. H. Murray, 1894-1896; D. W. Lyman, 1897-1900; F. L, Foster, 1901-1902; George Pomfrey, 1904-1907; W. E. Baker, 1908-1912.
Membership in 1911, seventy-eight.
MOUNT HOLLY
The nucleus of the Mount Holly church consisted of twenty- three members of the church in Wallingford, who were set off as a distinct church, September 6, 1804. Six other persons, who had been recently baptized at Mount Holly, immediately joined these as constituent members of the new church. For about eight years the church had no settled pastor. It held its monthly meetings with regularity and spent considerable labor upon delin- quent members. Edmund Bryant was deacon, and Lyman Dick- erson and Goodyear Clark were a sort of advisory committee, appointed "to advise with the deacons respecting any matter to be attended to." An addition was built upon Brother Jacob White's house by the church for the accommodation of its meet- ings. A new era began when Daniel Packer came to work with this church. He was first appointed moderator, May 11, 1811,
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and was not ordained till something more than a year later, but meanwhile, under his evangelistic ministry, upward of fifty per- sons were added to the church by baptism and others by letter. He was ordained June 6, 1812. From that time for many years a success almost unparalleled attended his ministry, few monthly meetings passing without the accession of some new members. The church increased, till from the original number of thirty it became one of the largest if not the largest church of any denomina- tion in the State. In 1842, it reported four hundred and sixty-six members, and this, too, after forty-two members had been dis- missed to form the church in East Wallingford, in 1830, and about an equal number to form churches in Plymouth and Shrewsbury in 1833.
Elder Packard was succeeded by Joshua Clement, 1846-1848; R. M. Ely, 1848-1852; S. Gustin, 1853-1855. This was a period of great trial to the church, disciplinary action being almost inces- sant, and accessions being few.
The tide turned with the beginning of the pastorate of Charles Coon, November, 1855. Within three years thirty-eight were baptized and several received by letter. Rev. T. H. Archibald followed with a pastorate of seven years of instructive and edifying service. S. Pillsbury served from March, 1866, till August 7. 1869; Silas Dean, 1870-1872. In January, 1873, Joshua Clement commenced a second season of labor, continuing eighteen months. He was assisted in a three days' meeting by Rev. A. B. Earle, and their combined efforts resulted in the accession of twenty-one members by baptism.
The list of later pastors is as follows: S. S. White, 1875; W. H. Lawton, 1876-1878; O. J. Taylor, 1878-1880; L. W. King, 1883- 1888; Benjamin Harris, 1890-1892; G. W. Clough, 1893-1898; F. J. Franklyn, 1899-1901; C. D. Hazelton, 1902-1903; Thomas Davison, 1905-1906; H. S. McHale, 1907-1908; F. C. Twiss, 1911.
In 1884, the church erected a meeting-house at Mechanicsville, which was dedicated the next year, costing about $6,000. Since that the church has maintained Sunday school and preaching services in both places, the pastor preaching in one meeting-house in the forenoon and driving to the other for the afternoon ser-
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vice. The congregation is thus divided, but better accommo- dated than before the second edifice was built. The field occupies a farming district of wide area. Membership, one hundred.
SAXTONS RIVER
The first record we have of any effort to establish religious worship in Saxtons River bears date of November 26, 1807. At that time a number of citizens met by verbal request at Isaac Willard's tavern to consider the subject of building a meeting- house. Soon after this the meeting-house was built on the ground offered by Mr. Simeon Aldrich, twenty-seven persons having agreed to buy pews. The house was dedicated on the 23rd of August, 1810, Aaron Leland, of Chester, preaching the sermon. Captain Jonathan Barron was marshal of the day. On the eighteenth of June, 1812, a church was organized, consisting of sixteen members, ten men and six women, and to the church was given the name of "The Baptist Church of Christ in Westminster and Rockingham." The church lived the first thirty-two years of its life under a name that did not give any indication that it was in the village of Saxtons River, namely, "The Baptist Church of Christ in Westminster and Rockingham," Rockingham being the name of the town of which Saxtons River is a village. And further, the council to form the church did not meet at Saxtons River, but in another village in another town, the town of Westminster. The moderator was Rev. Aaron Leland, of Chester, and the clerk, Rev. Joseph Elliott, then of Chesterfield and Hinsdale.
Eight of the original members were received by letter from the church in Westminster, two from Chester, and six by experience. The records of the Council that recognized the Baptist church in Westminster and Rockingham, makes it certain that there was once a Baptist church in Westminster. The first deacons were Ben- jamin Smith, Samuel Mason and Daniel Mason, all men of God, held in good repute. First clerk, John Tuthill. Seventeen mem- bers were received into the church before it had a pastor. On the nineteenth of January, 1814, Rev. Joseph Elliott was installed pastor of the church and continued in that relation till February,
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1822. During that time there were added by baptism one hundred and nineteen; by letter, twenty-four. The church mourned the loss of this excellent and dearly beloved pastor, and the harmony, which had long existed, was somewhat marred by his leaving. For five years the church was pastorless, though supplied by differ- ent ministers, among them Rev. Willard Kimball, and Joseph Freeman, then a young man, and afterward an efficient pastor of the church. Rev. Sereno Taylor also preached a year during this period. After he was hired he began industriously to circulate open communion views, created a division, and withdrew with some of the members and formed an open communion church. For a year or two he remained pastor of this new church and then left town. After his departure the open communion church changed its articles of faith, and became the Congregational church.
On the nineteenth of January, 1827, the church recalled Mr. Elliott and he served another pastorate of five years. From the tenth of June, 1822, till the close of the same month, in 1833, eight young men were licensed to preach the gospel, viz., Bela Wilcox, Joseph Gambol, Benjamin Dean, Jr., Abner Goodell, Erastus Willard, Charles Peabody, Orlando Cunningham and Charles Rolles. Rev. Richard Ely was the second pastor, August 14, 1830, till December, 1835. Additions: seventy-six by baptism, nine by letter. The church at this time worshipped part of the time in the meeting-house, and a part of the time in the old brick school house. Rev. Joseph Freeman's pastorate commenced in 1836, and continued till December 8, 1839. Sixty-six were bap- tized, and twenty-four received by letter in this pastorate. Rev. William M. Guilford then served two years. A new meeting- house was built in 1840, and a parsonage in 1844. The name of the church was changed on the eleventh of September, 1844, to that of the "First Baptist Church in Saxtons River Village." Rev. Lucien Hayden became pastor in March, 1843, and continued in office till the third of July, 1857, a long and fruitful pastorate, during which seventy-three were received to membership, thirty- nine of them by baptism.
Rev. W. N. Wilbour was ordained pastor January 25, 1858, and served sixteen years, welcoming to the church one hundred by
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baptism and thirty-four by letter. During this time the church edifice was repaired at a cost of $6,000, and the parsonage at a cost of $600.
Rev. Stephen H. Stackpole served as pastor, 1876-1881; W. H. Randall, 1883-1888; J. H. Robbins, 1889-1890; W. R. Baldwin, 1891-1896; F. T. Boughton, 1897-1899; A. E. Foote, 1901-1904; C. H. Brown, 1906-1907; Mr. Brown's work ended suddenly with his death, July 23, 1908. He was an able leader and faithful minister and his death was a keen affliction to the church. Ed- ward S. Mason has been pastor since 1909. This church has been ably served, and has held a position of peculiar importance since the founding of Vermont Academy in the village. And it may well be recorded that since the Academy was started more than one hundred and sixty teachers and students have been members of the church, not a few of them having joined by baptism. While there have been additions in all the later pastorates, there have been heavy losses, so that the church is weaker now, numerically, than it was in earlier years.
In 1895, it enrolled one hundred and sixty-four members. Present membership, ninety-four.
LONDONDERRY
The Baptist church in Londonderry had its origin in the town of Peru, where on the twenty-seventh of October, 1809, by advice of a council, the following persons were constituted a Baptist church: Asahel Graves, Lucy Graves, William Cooledge, Anna Cooledge, Rufus Butler, Isabel Butler, Cyrus Staples, Orpah Staples. Within fourteen months from the organization of the church, thirty-one were received by baptism. Lord's Day, November 11, 1810, Elder Gershom Lane was received by letter from the Baptist church in Newport (probably New Hampshire). February 20, 1811, this church in Peru, with thirteen members of the church in Windham, by advice of a council, became the First Baptist church in Londonderry. Elder Lane was engaged to preach three-fourths of the time for fifty-two dollars a year, the sum to be paid in produce or wearing apparel. Levi Baldwin was chosen clerk, and Jesse Baldwin and Abiel Richardson, deacons.
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November 28, 1815, the Baptist church in Weston was con- stituted, to which Elder Lane and five other members were dis- missed. September 23, 1817, Seth Ewer was received by letter from the church in Windsor, and shortly afterward was licensed to preach. March 28, 1818, he was called to ordination as pastor upon a salary of one hundred dollars. In 1819, David Sweet be- came pastor, and after serving a little more than three years, the church voted to draw up a subscription paper to seeure his ser- viees for eight years from date. They were not successful, however, in retaining him so long, as he was dismissed by letter two years later.
About 1825, there arose a sentiment as to where the meetings should be held, and January 27, a council was called to advise regarding the matter, but the members of the church were not all willing to abide by the advice of the council, and a proposition was made for the division of the church, but did not become effective.
The following reminiseence of this period was furnished by an aged lady. In the fall of 1827, the church, not having had a com- munion season for some time, on account of differences of opinion as to the best place for holding meetings, one of the deaeons visited another, the father of the sister above mentioned, to see if some plan could not be devised which would harmonize the feelings of the brethren so that they could unite in the observance of the Lord's supper. It was proposed to call a meeting at the Thompson- burg schoolhouse, on the following Sabbath. The deacons were busy with the harvest work, and could not well spend the time to extend the notice. This, however, the daughter, not a professing christian, volunteered to do. The brethren came together as in- vited, the meeting was opened as usual, a brother rose and made confession, then another and another, until the place became a Bochim, and all hearts seemed to be brought into unison. The deacon's daughter publicly expressed her interest in religion, and her soul was at once set free in the Gospel. A precious revival followed, and within twelve months from the first baptism thirty- three were baptized into the church. The families of the deacons shared richly in the blessing, two, who were baptized, Bradley S. Thompson, and David A. Richardson, became preachers of the
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Gospel, and also in the same period, a pastor, Rev. Sem Pierce, was ordained. In 1836, another revival was enjoyed when thirty- three were received by baptism within a year.
In 1848, d fficulties, which had long existed, rent the church into two parties, and a formal separation took place between the northern and the southern brethren. The southern brethren occupied the brick meeting-house, under Sem Pierce, as pastor; the northern brethren met for a time in the schoolhouses at the south village and the Center, and the Congregational meeting- house at the Center. In 1847, they built a small meeting-house at the lower end of the south village, which was dedicated in October. While worshipping in this house they were served by Rev. Luke Sherwin two years. After a separation of nine years, a reunion was effected, and a revival soon followed, which resulted in the baptism of twenty-two within two months. In the midst of harvesting this revival work occurred, without any extra meetings except an inquiry meeting at the pastor's house.
In the dark days of the Civil war this church sent forth her loyal sons to fight for the Union. To quote from a letter to the Association of 1864, "nine church members have been, or now are, on the field of strife, with the exception of one who fell in the de- fense of his country, and eleven who attend church with us, two of whom have fallen a sacrifice to their country. Our united prayer is that this unprovoked and unholy Rebellion may be suppressed, and liberty and justice in righteousness be established all over our land."
The next thirty years were marked by growth and stability. This was the prosperous period of the church's life, and during this time the largest membership was reached, one hundred and eighty-two in 1871.
Rev. O. P. Fuller died in 1893, the only pastor who has died in office. September 5, 1891, three members were excluded, nine- teen dropped and three dismissed, since which time the member- ship has slowly decreased, until on the day of its centennial the church numbered fifty-two, two less than when the church was constituted.
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The total number baptized during the century is four hundred and twenty-four. The present meeting-house was built in 1844, repaired in 1855, again in 1880, and again in 1907, and now the church has a beautiful and comfortable meeting-house and a good parsonage, free from debt.
The church has had nineteen pastors in the following order: Gershom Lane, Seth Ewer, David Sweet, Sem Pierce, Rufus Smith, Jr., Luke Sherwin, Russel Wheeler, I. C. Carpenter, J. P. Huntington, Charles Coon, John S. Goodall, Richard Nott, John S. Goodall, L. W. Wheeler, H. C. Leavitt, O. P. Fuller, N. W. Wood, W. T. Rice, F. E. Coburn and R. H. Tibbals. The church has had twenty deacons and thirteen clerks; the present clerk, Elijah F. Rugg, having served forty-two years. It has licensed eight persons to preach, among whom is John S. Lyon, D. D., of Holyoke, Mass.
LUDLOW
The Baptist church in Ludlow, dates no farther back than 1835, but to give a consecutive history of Baptist interests, in this town, one must go back to an earlier date. The first settlement of Lud- low was commenced in 1784-1785, by a few individuals, one of whom was Simeon Read, whose wife was the first person to be baptized in Ludlow. This was about 1800. Orlando Whitney and wife were, however, the first Baptists in Ludlow. Andrew Pettigrew was the first man to be baptized in town. That was in the year, 1803, by Rev. Henry Green, of Wallingford. As early as 1806, there were thirteen Baptists in town, three of whom were added that year by baptism. Meetings were held in private houses. Elder Aaron Leland or Elder Manning, of Andover. administered the ordinances. When no minister was present, Andrew Pettigrew, who was a very prominent member of the early Baptists and distinguished for his piety, usually appointed and conducted the meetings. He first united with the church in Chester, and subsequently removed his connection to Cavendish.
In 1819, a large brick building was erected, called the Union Meeting-house, which the Baptists occupied nearly half the time.
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On the eighteenth of April, 1825, a council, of which Aaron Leland was moderator, and Ariel Kendrick, of Cornish, scribe, met in Ludlow. At that time some of the Baptists in Ludlow were meni- bers of the Chester church, and some of the Andover church, but the great majority belonged to the Cavendish church, and were regarded as a branch of that church. With the consent of the parent church, the council recognized a new Baptist church in Lud- low, of forty members. Moses Mayo and Andrew Pettigrew were chosen deacons.
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