Come, let's return, go home, and this lament, Ita Luget ab imo corde Affectus. EDWARD PAYSON. It was during Mr. Payson's ministry, the following orders were adopted, viz. 1697. A new meeting-house having been built, a committee of seven was appointed by the town, to seat the people therein. The rule for seating was age, office, and amount paid towards building said house. 1708. Leave was granted to Samuel Prime, Mark Prime, Samuel Lancaster, and Robert Greenough, to build themselves a pew in the north corner of the meeting-house, in the gallery, and another for their wives in the easterly corner, in the gallery. These were the first pews, except the minister's, that were built in this house. 1715. Ordered, That people be seated in the meeting house according to age, and amount paid to the two last minister rates. 1703. The meeting-house bell was sent to England and recast with addition. In 1742, the bell was once more sent to England, to be recast with addition, and again received the next year; this bell weighed 334 pounds, in 1808, it was exchanged in Boston for another weighing about 900 pounds. 1707. Ordered, That Goodman Thomas Palmer ring the bell on Sabbath days, and at nine o'clock every night, and on other occasions, and sweep the meeting-house clean once every week, and to have £ 5. 10. 0. A. 6. The Rev. Jedediah Jewett, and Elizabeth, his first wife, had two children, viz. 1. Dummer, born April 25, 1732, graduated at Harvard College, 1752, was a merchant in Ipswich. In a fit of insanity, he destroyed his own life, by a leap from the garret window of his own house, October, 1788, aged fifty-six years. 2. Dorothy, born May 2, 1735. She married, January 18, 1753, Dr. John Calef, of Ipswich. Two grandsons of Dummer Jewett are now living, one a preacher of the Methodist denomination. 1754. The parish voted, that Mr. Jewett have the use and improvement of all the upland and marsh at Sandy Bridge, four rights in the east end ox-pasture, and two rights in the mill swamp pasture, for and during the term of his ministry, he allowing £6, lawful money, per annum for rent. In December, 1774, the first parish purchased of Dummer Jewett, for a parsonage, the homestead and buildings that were his father's, for which they paid £ 300, or $ 1000. These buildings were erected by Mr. Jewett, soon after his ordination, being the same now owned and occupied by Joseph Smith. A. 7. Mr. John Blydenburgh was the occasion of much trouble in the first church and parish of Rowley. He commenced preaching in the parish, in the latter part of the year 1774. Up to September 28, 1775, he had preached more than twenty Sabbaths. On that day the parish voted, to give him a call to settle in the ministry, with a salary of £ 75, and the use of the parsonage (lately owned by the Rev. Mr. Jewett). To this vote, twenty men entered their dissent upon the record, viz. Thomas Gage, Thomas Lancaster, Moses Hobson, James Barker, Edward Saunders, Joseph Kilborn, Ebehezer Kilborn, Nathaniel Gage, Stephen Palmer, Asa Todd, Nathaniel Barker, Jeremiah Mighill, Paul Jewett, Humphrey Saunders, Nehemiah Jewett, Jacob Pickard, Moses P. Payson, William Gage, Moses Palmer, and Samuel N. Gage. The opposition being so great, Mr. Blydenburgh did not accept the call. January 25, 1776. The parish again voted to give him a call, when about the same number entered their dissent upon record. The parish having become nearly equally divided upon the question of employing Mr. Blydenburgh to preach, each party seem to watch every opportunity for taking advantage of their opponents. Parish meetings were frequently held in the most busy season. Three times, within the space of three months in this year, they dismissed their committee for supplying the pulpit, and appointed others in their place. June 5, 1777. The Blydenburgh party prevailed, and instructed their committee, appointed at a parish meeting this day holden, to engage Mr. Blydenburgh to preach six months, if they could obtain him for so long a time, Twenty-one voters entered their dissent. Captain Joseph Scott, Deacon Jeremiah Jewett, and Captain Moses Jewett, were the committee to hire. Mr. Blydenburgh was not obtained, as above directed; but Mr. Paul Litchfield (afterward settled in Carlisle), before the close of November, had preached eighteen Sabbaths. February 2, 1778. The parish instructed their committee to engage Mr. Blydenburgh to supply the pulpit twelve months. Twenty-six voters entered their dissent. The name of Deacon Thomas Mighill appears for the first time among the dissenters. In May, the parish are informed that Mr. Blydenburgh declines an engagement to preach for them. March 10, 1779 The parish again instruct their com mittee to employ Mr. Blydenburgh to preach three months. From this vote forty-two entered their dissent. It is believed, that Mr. Blydenburgh again declines an engagement. December 1. The parish again instruct their committee to employ Mr. Blydenburgh for six Sabbaths. He engaged for that time. February 1, 1780. The parish vote to employ Mr. Blydenburgh four Sabbaths more. At this meeting the parish. propose leaving all matters in dispute relative to Mr. Blydenburgh to the determination of three disinterested men ; the parish, as such, to choose one; Mr. Blydenburgh one; and those disaffected with Mr. Blydenburgh to choose the third man. The parish, on their part, appointed Colonel Jacob Gerrish of Newbury; none were appointed by the other parties. February 12 and March 8. Other parish meetings are called, in which it was proposed to submit all matters in dispute, relative to Mr. Blydenburgh, to the determination of referees, or to the association of ministers in this vicinity, when the parish negative every proposition brought before them. From this time Mr. Blydenburgh's name does not again. appear on the record. After a period of more than five years of almost incessant turmoil and strife, the contending parties seem to grow weary of contention. In May, the parish invite Mr. Jonathan Allen (afterward of Bradford) to preach three months. In July, the church and parish both invite him to preach on probation. In September, the church and parish concur in giving him a call to settle, and invite him to preach seven Sabbaths. Twenty-two persons entered their dissent from the call of the parish. He preached the seven Sabbaths, but negatived the call. A. 8. The Rev. Ebenezer Bradford had nine children, seven sons and two daughters, viz. 1. Ebenezer Green, born February 19, 1777; 2. William, born June 8, 1779; 3. John Melancthon, born May 15, 1781; 4. Jacob Pierson, born January 18, 1783; 5. Elizabeth Green, born December 22, 1784; 6. James, born September 11, 1786; 7. Moses, born October 11, 1788; 8. Henry, born July 1, 1790; 9. Mary Cleaveland, born March 25, 1792. The three first were born at Danbury, Connecticut. 1784. The parish voted, that Mr. Bradford, during his ministry, have the use of all their lands, in the homestead, formerly the Rev. Mr. Jewett's, he allowing £5 10s. per annum, as rent. His salary, at this time, was paid in the following manner, viz. silver at 6s. 8d. per ounce; Spanish milled dollars at 6s. each, for paying Indian corn at 3s. per bushel, on the 25th of December, for paying Good merchantable flour at 18s. per hundred, on the 25th of December, for paying Good beef, December 1st, at 21d. per pound, £58 0 0 13 10 0 500 for paying 9 0 0 Good pork, December 1st, at 3ąd. per pound, for paying The rent of the land in Jewett place, for paying Besides twelve cords of wood. £100 0 0 1795, August 6th. Pomp, a colored man, was hung on Pingree's plain, in the road between Rowley and Ipswich, for killing his master, Captain Charles Furbush, of Andover. The Rev. Mr. Bradford prayed with him at the gallows. |