Those whose names follow, at first constituted the church in Linebrook, viz. George Lesslie, Joseph Metcalf, James Davis, George Hibbert, Thomas Potter, Jonathan Burpee, John Abbot, Ebenezer Tenney, David Perley, Mark Fisk, John Chaplin, Jr., Amos Jewett, Jeremiah Smith, Nehemiah Abbot, Ezekiel Potter, and one whose name cannot be ascertained. Being organized as a church November 30, 1749, December 13, they met and made choice of John Abbot and Jonathan Burpee, as deacons. At this meeting the church voted to have the sacrament of the Lord's Supper administered once in two months, and that there be a preparatory lecture on the Thursday next before the sacrament.

December 19. The church made choice of James Davis and George Hibbert to the office of ruling elders, but they were not ordained.

1759, December 18. Deacon John Abbot died, - Susannah, his wife, died December 14, four days before her husband.

1757, February 21. Amos Jewett and Jeremiah Burpee were chosen to the office of ruling elders, and were ordained April 19, 1758. A church in Gloucester was invited to assist in the ordination.

1760, May 22. Mark How was chosen deacon; he died February 17, 1770.

1765, October 31.

Moses Chaplin was chosen deacon ; he died October 18, 1811.

1778, July 2. Mr. Lesslie attends Ezra Ross, (one of his parishioners,) to the gallows, who was executed at Worcester, with William Brooks, James Buchannan, and Bathsheba Spooner, for the murder of Joshua Spooner, of Brookfield, (Bathsheba was wife of the murdered man). The day was kept as a season of fasting and prayer in this parish, on account of the untimely end of said Ezra Ross.

1765, January 31. The Rev. Mr. Lesslie preached at the ordination of Mr. Samuel Perley, at Northampton, New Hampshire, which sermon was printed.

Mr. Lesslie had a settlement of £ 700, old tenor, equal to $311.08, and £100, lawful money, and twelve cords of wood, salary.

He was induced to ask a dismission, because the parish declined making up the loss he sustained by the depreciation. of paper money. He was dismissed by advice of council, convened November 4, 1769. He lived near the meetinghouse in Rowley.

D. 2.

The Rev. Gilbert Tennent Williams was born October 8, 1761, studied divinity under the Rev. Mr. Murray, of Newburyport, commenced preaching in Linebrook, December, 1788, was ordained there August 5th, 1789. He married Martha Morrison, of Windham, New Hampshire; their children were four sons and one daughter, viz. 1. Simon Tennent, baptized June 20, 1790; 2. Martha, baptized September, 1790; 3. Samuel Morrison, baptized December 28, 1794; 4. John Adams, baptized November 28, 1799; 5. Constant Floyd, baptized December 12, 1802.

Mr. Williams was settled on a salary of £100, lawful money.

April 19, 1813. The church vote to dismiss him from his pastoral and brotherly relation, and recommend him, &c.

His people being few, and considering themselves unable to support him, was the occasion of his asking a dismission. He preached (May 6, 1813,) a farewell sermon, which was printed.

He was installed at Newbury, (now West Newbury,) June 1, 1814, when he continued to labor till having a shock of the palsy, which caused him to leave that people in September, 1821. He died at Framingham, September 24, 1824 aged sixty-three years.

The church at Linebrook, at the time of Mr. Williams's ordination, consisted of twenty-four members, nine males and fifteen females.

Deacon Moses Chaplin was then in office.

Mr. Williams lived in the same house formerly owned and occupied by Mr. Lesslie.

The church now (1840) consists of twenty-eight males and thirty-two females.

E. 1.

Those who first withdrew from the second church, in or about the year 1754, with others who joined them, worshipped by themselves as they could obtain preachers to their liking; their meetings were held for several years in a schoolhouse which stood near the mills, now owned by Major Paul Dole. When they purchased the old meeting-house of the second parish in Rowley, (in 1769,) it was taken down and rebuilt at the four corners near the house of the present Jonathan Hale, in Bradford, where public worship was supported a part of each year, for several successive years. They had no settled minister. Mr. Eliphaz Chapman, a congregationalist, who afterwards settled in Bethel, Maine, preached for them more than any other. This society was composed of persons principally belonging to the towns of Rowley, Bradford, and Newbury; they styled themselves, "separatists."

On the 4th of May, 1781, by mutual agreement, a number of persons in Rowley, and adjacent towns, who had been baptized upon profession of faith, but who had not joined any Baptist church, met and after prayers to the head of the church for direction, unanimously agreed to become a branch of the church at Haverhill, of the Baptist order, with

certain privileges as specified in the following address to said church.

1st. We should choose to have the liberty of having church officers among us, chosen by ourselves.

2d. We desire the privilege of having special ordinances administered among us.

3d. We should think it proper to examine persons for baptism, and join them as members of the branch of the church.

4th. We should desire to have the privilege of church meetings among ourselves, and to discipline the members of the branch, without troubling the whole church with any of our difficulties, unless they should be of such a nature as we could not settle among ourselves; then to lay such before the whole church, for their assistance.

5th. We should not choose to be under obligation to attend your church meetings.

6th. We are, and shall be willing to assist in supporting your pastor, so long as we continue a branch of your church, and he shall continue his labors among us, as in months past.

7th. As it is not improbable, according to present appearances, but in process of time, we may think it expedient to be a distinct church, and if that should be the case, we shall expect you to give us a brotherly dismission from you when the cause of the Redeemer may be promoted thereby.

8th. We shall expect to employ such teacher or teachers in Mr. Smith's absence, as we think best calculated to advance the Redeemer's kingdom among us.

The foregoing address was signed by

John Smith,

Nathaniel Perley,

Timothy Jackman, 3d.

John S. Blasdel

John Smith Jr.

Moses Wood,

William Jewett,

and Moses Hazen.

Their petition was granted; and they were received into said church, agreeably to their request.

This branch was then organized by choosing Nathaniel Perley, clerk, and Timothy Jackman 3d, deacon. Elder Samuel Harriman, who had previously become a member of the Haverhill Baptist church, (at its organization, May 9, 1765,) was appointed elder of this branch. He was probably the first person belonging to Rowley, who united with any Baptist church.

They agreed to have the Lord's Supper administered the first Lord's day in July, October, January, and April, in each year, and to have a preparatory service on the Friday next preceding each communion season. Soon after this,

thirteen females were added to their branch.

In 1782, their meeting-house was again taken down, and rebuilt in Rowley, near the aforesaid mills.

August 19, 1785. The branch petitioned the mother church to be set off from them, and established as a distinct church, which was consented to. They were set off and became a separate and distinct church. The Rev. Hezekiah Smith preached on the occasion. The church at this time consisted of twenty-eight members.

November 25. Eight persons more were dismissed from the Haverhill church to this.

On the 17th of May, 1785, the branch church, and the society worshipping with them, by a unanimous vote of each, gave Elder William Ewing an invitation to become their pastor, with a salary of £ 60, lawful money, per annum. May 21st, he gave an affirmative answer to the call. May 28th, having been dismissed from the church at Shutesbury, he was received to this. After preaching to this society between three and four years, soine difficulty arising between him and another member of the church, he took a dismission from them in March, 1789. On the 21st of May, Elder