About 1790, the lining out the psalm or hymn, by the deacons, was wholly discontinued.

The Rev. Mr. Chandler left but little property. His whole estate was appraised at £ 482. 2. 0. By his will, bearing date May 23, 1787, and approved May 5, 1789, he gives his negro servant, Sabina, to his wife, ordering, that she be not sold to go out of the house, and if she live to become burdensome, he ordered his executor (John Tenney, Jr.) to assist in supporting her.

B. 2.

The Rev. Isaac Braman's children are, 1. Harriet, born July 17, 1798, married the Rev. John Boardman of Douglas, Massachusetts; 2. Milton Palmer, born August 6, 1799, now pastor of the first church in Danvers; 3. James Chandler, born September 29, 1801, died (on his passage home from Calcutta, seventy-five days out,) December 5, 1820; 4. Adeline, born July 10, 1805, died September 10, 1830; 5. Isaac Gordon, born March 12, 1813, physician at Georgetown.

At the ordination of Mr. Braman, (June 7, 1797,) the Rev. Mr. Clark, of Norton, offered the introductory prayer; the Rev. Mr. Palmer, of Needham, preached from Luke xiv. 23 ; the Rev. Mr. Cleaveland, of Chebacco, now Essex, made the consecrating prayer; the Rev. Mr. afterwards Dr. Dana, of Ipswich, gave the charge, the Rev. Mr. Bradford, of Rowley, gave the right hand of fellowship; the concluding prayer was offered by the Rev. Mr. Adams of West Haverhill. The blessing was pronounced by the person who had just received ordination.

As the fruits of the revival of 1831, including some who had a hope before, about seventy were added to the church;

Various other revivals have been experienced by this people, since the settlement of their present pastor.

The inhabitants of Newbury and Rowley living at the Falls, so called, having, in 1702, voluntarily erected themselves a meeting-house, proceeded to take measures for having the gospel preached among them; their first step was to apply to the towns to which they respectively belonged, to be exempted from paying minister rates to said towns. On the 16th of March, 1702 -3, the town of Rowley voted, "That those inhabitants of Rowley, living on the northwest side of Rye plain bridge, and northwest side of Long-hill, and have joined with the people of Newbury in building a new meeting-house, shall be abated their minister rate in Rowley, if they do ordain an orthodox minister to teach in

said meeting-house. The names of those abated are Samuel Brocklebank, Jonathan Wheeler, Richard Boynton, Benjamin Plumer, Henry Poor, John Plumer, Duncan Stewart, Ebenezer Stewart, Josiah Wood, John Lull, Jonathan Look, John Brown, Nathaniel Brown, Ebenezer Brown, James Chute, Lionell Chute, Andrew Stickney, and James Tenney. About this time, Mr. Moses Hale was invited to become their teacher.

"October 13, 1706, Samuel Brocklebank, Jonathan Wheeler, Benjamin Plumer, Nathan Wheeler, John Brown, Andrew Stickney, these with their wives, also Mary Chute, and Elizabeth Look, were dismissed from the Rowley church, in order to their imbodying in church order by themselves at Rowlbery alias Byfield. November 10, Collin Frazer and his wife were dismissed on the same account. "

November 17. The parish was incorporated by the name of "The Falls." Mr. Moses Hale was ordained the same day, and the church was probably organized at the same time. Jonathan Look, and probably others of Rowley, were soon after received to this new church; who, or what number of persons belonging to Newbury, were at first'imbodied into this church, has not been ascertained.

The town of Rowley, at a meeting holden on the 13th of May, 1707, established a line between those who belonged to the new meeting-house (now Byfield), and those who belonged to the old meeting-house, for paying minister rates. Said line began "at the great rock in Newbury line, at the head of the great swamp lots, and so along by the northwest end of those lots, to Thomas Jewett's land, and so on between said Jewett's land and Rye plain land, to the bridge called Rye plain bridge, [near the alms-house,] and so [on] the way that runs to Long-hill, being at the path this side of Francis Nelson's house, and so to Long-hill, and so along to the road at the elders plain, [by Deacon Thomas Merrill's,] that

goeth to Samuel Brocklebank's farm, [Major Paul Nelson's in 1839,] and following on [by the road] to the farm laid out as the right of Thomas Barker, [on south side of Pentucket pond,] and so to Bradford line, [at the great rock by N. Holmes's house,] and along as Bradford line runs to Newbury line."

The first entry made in the Byfield Parish Records, is as follows. "October 29, 1706. At a meeting of the inhabitants of The Falls,' and the neighbourhood, united together there, for the setting up and maintaining the ministry of the gospel there. It was then confirmed by a legal unanimous vote upon the affirmative, that we do and shall freely unite as one people, for the setting up and constantly maintaining the ministry of the gospel among us in this place, being orderly dismissed from both towns and churches to which we did belong, namely, Newbury and Rowley."

In 1710, the name of the parish was changed to that of Byfield.

1710-11, March 13. John Spofford, (who lived upon the town's farm on the three thousand acres, so called,) was, by vote of the town of Rowley, allowed to pay his minister rate to Mr. Hale at Byfield.

The Rev. Moses Hale, born July 10, 1678, was the son of John Hale, and grandson of Thomas Hale, one of the first settlers of Newbury. He died January 16, 1743-4. His first wife died January 15, 1703-4. His second wife died July 17, 1757. He had by his second wife, two sons and four daughters; they all survived their parents. The Rev. Mr. Hale had five brothers older than himself, viz. John, born 1661; Samuel, born 1664; Thomas, born 1668; Joseph, born 1674; Benjamin. The parish paid the expense of his funeral, and the 23d day of February was observed as a day of humiliation and prayer to God for direction in seeking a gospel minister to settle over them. The minis

ters of Newbury and Rowley were invited to lead in the services of the day.

April 13, 1744. The church and parish gave Mr. Moses Parsons a call to settle in the ministry with them, which he accepted, and was ordained soon after.

DEACONS IN THE BYFIELD CHURCH.

In the absence of church records, their deacons from 1706 to 1744, a period of thirty-eight years, cannot be

The Rev. George Lesslie and Hephzibah Burpee, were married October 26, 1756. Their children were, 1. George, born January 12, 1758; 2. David, born December 17, 1758; 3. James, born March 10, 1761; 4. Jonathan, born June 5, 1763, died November 5, 1771; 5. William, born August 4, 1766; 6. Hephzibah, born March 19, 1770; 7. Joseph, born February 28, 1774; 8. Mehitable, born September 5, 1778.

A grandson of the Rev. Mr. Lesslie is employed as a Missionary by the Methodist Missionary board, and is now with his family stationed in the Oregon Territory.