Notes,

SUPPLEMENTARY TO STATISTICS OF CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHES AND MINISTERS IN MIDDLESEX, AND CHELSEA IN SUFFOLK.

2

WAYLAND.

First Church.

WAYLAND, recently East Sudbury, was originally the Eastern part of Sudbury. Here the settlement of that ancient town appears to have commenced in 1639.1 And here too, probably at the distance of about a mile west of the present spot, (A) stood the first meeting-house. Hence the church in this place is styled by Rev. Mr. Clark of Lexington, in his sermon at the ordination of its second pastor, Rev. Mr. Bridge, The First Church of Sudbury. In 1722, the town was divided by the Legislature into two parishes, the East, and the West. This division of the town was soon followed by a corresponding one of the church. At the request of the brethren dwelling in the East parish, the church was divided by a vote of the majority, February 11, 1723, into two distinct churches, the East, and the West. Of the West church, the pastoral care was retained by Rev. Mr. Loring, settled originally over the whole town, and now minister of the West parish. In the East parish, Rev. Mr. Cooke was ordained the pastor of the East church, March 20, 1723.2 This parish was incorporated April 11, 1780, as a town by the name of East Sudbury; which name has recently been altered by the Legislature to that of Wayland. [Winthrop's Hist. by Savage, vol. i. p. 306, and vol. ii. p. 30, note. Mc Kean's Serm. at Ordination of Rev. Mr. Wight, Appendix. Rev. Mr. Hurlbut, Sudbury, from Church Records. Spofford's Gazetteer.]

COOKE. Mr. Cooke was a brother, it is said, of Rev. Samuel Cooke of West Cambridge. He published a sermon at the ordination of Rev. Elisha Marsh, at Narragansett, No. - (Westminster) 1742; and of Rev. Samuel Baldwin, Hanover, 1756.1 ['Dr. Thomas Stearns, Sudbury.]

BRIDGE. Mr. Bridge's birth is recorded as follows in the Town Book of Lexington. "Josiah Bridge, son to John & Sarah Bridge, was born Dec 28. 1739." He preached the Election Sermon in 1789, the Convention Sermon in 1792, and the Dudleian Lecture in 1797. His sermon at the Election, and another at the ordination of Jude Damon, Truro, 1787, were published. ['Charles Tidd, Esq., Town Clerk. Dr. Thomas Stearns, Sudbury.]

FOSTER. Mr. Foster was a native of Western, now Warren; and a brother of the late Rev. Dr. Foster of Brighton. Before coming to East Sudbury, he was the minister of New Salem, where he was ordained June 9, 1779, and dismissed" for the want of an adequate support," June 21, 1802; 2 or, according to another authority, January 21, 1802.3 He published a discourse at the ordination of Rev. Ezekiel L. Bascom, Gerry (now Phillipston) 1800.4 [Rev. Dr. Pierce, Brookline. List of Min. &c. in Hampshire County, in Am. Qu. Reg. May, 1838. 3McKean's Serm. at Ord. of Wight, Appendix. Thomas Stearns, Sudbury.]

Dr.

WIGHT. Mr. Wight is son of late Rev. Henry Wight, D. D. of Bristol, R. I. He studied divinity with Rev. Dr. Emmons of Franklin; and since his dismission from Wayland, has been resettled at Castine, Me.2 ['Rev. Mr. Wight. Rev. Mr. Austin.]

AUSTIN. Mr. Austin studied divinity at the Theological School, Cambridge.1 ['Rev. Mr. Austin.]

Trinitarian Church.

1

SMITH. Mr. Smith studied divinity at New Haven; and since his dismission from Wayland, has been resettled in the ministry at Kennebunk, Me. ['Dr. Ebenezer Ames, Wayland. Rev. Mr. Hyde.]

of 1816.

HYDE. Mr. Hyde studied divinity at the Theological Seminary, Andover, in the class He was ordained at Salisbury, Ct., March, 1818; dismissed, 1822; installed at Bolton, Ct., 1824, and dismissed 1830.2 ['Rev. Mr. Hyde. List of Min. &c. in Connecticut in Am. Qu. Reg., May, 1832.]

HOPKINTON.
Church of.

Hopkinton was called by the Indians Magunkaquog or Maguncook; * and consists principally of lands purchased of the Indians at Natick, under authority of an Act of the Province, with money given by will for pious and benevolent purposes by Edward Hopkins, Esq., sometime governor of the Colony of Connecticut.' The bargain for these lands was completed by the Trustees to whom the legacy was committed, Oct. 11, 1715; 2 and they were incorporated by the Legislature as a township, Dec. 13, 1715 (Dec. 24, N. S.3) by the name of Hopkinton (or Hopkinston, as it was formerly called) in honor of the above named distinguished benefactor of New England. (A) A Congregational church was gathered there Sept. 2, 1724, consisting of Rev. Samuel Barrett and fourteen others; and Mr. Barrett was ordained its pastor the same day. [Winthrop's Hist. by Savage, vol. i. p. 228, note. 2Sewall's Journal. Cent. Discourse, by Rev. Nathanael Howe.]

BARRETT. Mr. Barrett had commenced preaching at Hopkinton May 20, 1724; on which day the town voted to give him £60 in labor, materials or money for building him a house; and an annual salary of £35 for three years, and of £70 afterwards for life, in addition to the cutting and carting of his firewood. His ministry was protracted to the forty-ninth year.' 'Howe's Cent. Serm. pp. 6, 12.]

FITCH. Mr. Fitch was ordained as colleague with Rev. Mr. Barrett. He published a sermon on occasion of the British leaving Boston, 1776.2 A poem likewise of his, entitled The Beauties of Religion," addressed to the young, was published after his death, 1789.2 [Howe's Cent. Serm. Rev. Mr. Hall.]

HOWE. Mr. Howe was a native of Linebrook Parish, Ipswich. He studied divinity with Rev. Mr. Bradford, of Rowley, and Rev. Dr. Emmons, of Franklin. His publications were, a sermon on the death of three persons, 1808; a Century Sermon, delivered Dec. 24, 1815 (of which a third edition was printed in 1825); a sermon on John's Baptism, preached before the Mendon Association, and published at their request, 1819; a Defence of the same, in reply to Rev. Dr. Baldwin, 1820; and a Catechism for the children under his pastoral care, 1834.3 [Howe's Cent. Serm. 2Rev. Mr. Howe. 3 Rev. Mr. Hall.]

1

PHELPS. Mr. Phelps studied divinity at the Theological Seminary, New Haven ; and was ordained as colleague with Rev. Mr. Howe; dismissed from Hopkinton, he was installed Sept. 13, 1832, as the pastor of Pine Street church, Boston; and dismissed March 26, 1834. He has since been employed, as an Agent of the American Antislavery Society. [Rev. Mr. Howe. List of Churches and Ministers in Suffolk County, in Am. Qu. Reg., Aug. 1834.]

HALL. Mr. Hall studied divinity at the Theological Seminary, Andover, in the class of 1832. He was ordained as colleague with Rev. Mr. Howe; and has recently been dismissed.

WEBSTER. Mr. Webster is the third son of late Rev. Josiah Webster of Hampton, N. H. He studied divinity at the Theological Seminary, Andover, in the class of 1835; and was ordained at Newburyport, March 17, 1837, to go as Seamen's Chaplain at Cronstadt, near St. Petersburg, Russia; but not finding a suitable opening for his labors there, he soon returned to this country. [1Rev. William Cogswell, D. D.]

1

Unionville Church.

Unionville is a manufacturing village recently sprung up, within the bounds of Hopkinton, on the borders of Holliston and Framingham. Its church was gathered Jan. 22, 1834. (1835) [Rev. Mr. McIntire.]

MCINTIRE. Mr. McIntire studied divinity at the Theological Seminary, Andover, a member of the class of 1834. Since his dismission from Unionville, Sept. 11, 1838, he has been re-settled in the ministry in Pennsylvania, his native State. ['Rev. Mr. Brigham, Framingham.]

WESTFORD.
First Church.

Westford was formerly the West Precinct of Chelmsford. It was incorporated by the General Court, as a precinct, in May, 1724; and as a town, Sept. 23, 1729. A church

was gathered in the precinct, Nov. 15, 1727; and a pastor ordained over it the same day. Its records, kept by Mr. Scribner, are in a distinct volume (designated as vol. ii.) from that appropriated to this use by Mr. Hall, and continued by Mr. Scribner's suc

cessors.

An important secession from this church took place in 1828, after the resignation of Mr. Blake, in consequence of an unhappy difference with respect to religious sentiments between a majority of the church on the one hand, and a minority of its members and a majority of the Society on the other, which rendered union hopeless in the choice of a successor. At a meeting of the church, Dec. 25, 1828, it was voted, "that any member of the church who may wish to, be dismissed from this church, with a view to unite with the Union Church about to be organized in connection with the Union Society; and that when they shall be organized into a church, they cease to be members of this church." Accordingly a majority of the church, it is understood, using the liberty granted by this vote, immediately withdrew, and united that day in forming the Union Church.

The First Church now agreeing in sentiment with the majority of the First Society, voted a call, Jan. 26, 1829, to Rev. Ephraim Randall to become their pastor. This call was accepted, and Mr. Randall was shortly after installed. After the dismission of Mr.. Randall, the church voted at a meeting April 5, 1832, that Rev. Ephraim Abbot (whom the parish had chosen, April 2, to be their minister for one year) "have the care and oversight of said church, and perform for the same all religious services during the said term." Agreeably to this and subsequent votes of the church, Mr. Abbot officiated as its pastor, but without installation, from the above date till April 3, 1834, when he "closed his ministry to them." Mr. Abbot was born at Newcastle, Me.;3 graduated at Harvard University, 1805; studied divinity at the Theological Seminary, Andover, a member of the class of 1810; and was ordained as pastor of the church at Greenland, N. H., Oct. 27, 1813.4 After dismission from Greenland, he was appointed preceptor of Westford Academy, which office he retained, while ministering as pastor of this church. Allen's Hist. of Chelmsford, pp. 36, 37. 2 Church Records, vol. i. Rev. Mr. Abbot. Ord. Serm. by Rev. Eliphalet Pearson, LL. D.]

HALL. Mr. Hall was born at Medford, where "the Halls" have been a distinguished family, apparently from the beginning, and are still well known and respected there. The name seems to have been originally spelt Haule. John and Bethiah Haule were among the thirty-five persons, who were dismissed from Boston church Oct. 14, 1632, and embodied into the present First Church of Charlestown (where this family probably worshipped, till a church was gathered at Medford, 1713), Nov. 2, 1632.1 In noticing his ordination at Westford, Mr. Hall states, in his Church Records, that he was "aged twenty-four years and upwards from March 11th to this time;" viz. Nov. 15, 1727. [Rec. of First Church, Charlestown.]

SCRIBNER. Mr. Scribner was probably ordained on the "last Wednesday in September," 1779 (Sept. 29th) the day appointed by the church for this purpose, if the town would agree to the same." He died at Tyngsborough, (where he seems to have resided, after his dismission,) but was buried at Westford.2 [Church Records, vol. ii. 2Rev. Mr. Blake.]

BLAKE. Mr. Blake studied theology with Rev. Mr. Judson of Taunton. About the time of his resignation of his pastoral charge, he moved to a farm in Bedford; and having continued there a year or two, he returned to Westford, where he still resides. ['Rev. Mr. Blake.]

RANDALL. Mr. Randall studied divinity with Rev. Dr. Harris of Dorchester. He was ordained at New Bedford Oct. 26, 1814; installed at Saugus Oct. 3, 1826, and dismissed Aug. 7, 1827.2 Dismissed from Westford, he went to Dorchester to reside. [Christian Disciple, Dec. 1814. List of Min. &c. in Essex County, in Am. Qu. Reg. Feb. 1835.]

Union Church.

The origin of this church has been stated under First Church. At the time it was gathered, viz. Dec. 25, 1828, it consisted of fifty-nine members.1 A pastor was ordained over it, and over the Union Society with which it associated in public worship, April 8, 1829; and a meeting-house, erected for their accommodation, was dedicated Sept. 14, following. [Boston Recorder, Feb. 5, April 16, Nov. 4, 1829.]

LUCE. Mr. Luce studied divinity at the Theological Seminary, Andover, in the class of 1828.