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is the wife of Gen. Nathaniel Goodwin of Plymouth. He delivered the sermon at the ordination of Mr. Taft of Braintree, (now Randolph) which is in print.

The Rev. Zedekiah Sanger, D. D. his present successor, was born at Sherburne, graduated at Harvard 1771; was formerly minister of Duxbury, and afterwards installed as colleaguc at Bridgewater, Dec. 17, 1788. There is a small ministerial fund in this parish; the trustees of which were incorporated Feb. 7, 1803. It was then nearly one thousand dollars, and has been augmented since.

East Parish.

Dec. 14, 1723, the east end of the north parish, then so called, ever since called the west parish, together with nine persons of the south parish, namely, Barnabas Seabury, Thomas Latham, Charles Latham, Nicholas Wade, Nathaniel Harden, Thomas Hooper, William Conant, Isaac Lazell and Joseph Washburn, with their families and estates, were constituted a precinct, called the east parish. This was done also in pursuance of a report of a viewing committee of court, consisting of Isaac Winslow, Samuel Thaxter, Josiah Cotton, Isaac Little and John Quincy. The boundaries were a due north line from the south parish through the "centre-tree," and the old Plymouth road on the south-easterly side.

The Rev. John Angier, (son of the Rev. Samuel Angier of Rehoboth, and afterwards of Watertown,) graduated at Harvard in 1720, was their first minister, ordained October 28, 1724. He married a daughter of Ezra Bourne, Esq. of Sandwich. His mother was daughter of the Rev. Urian Oakes, formerly President of Harvard University, and her mother was daughter of the famous Dr. William Ames of England, author of "Medulla Theologiæ." He died April 14, 1787, in the 86th year of his age, and in the 63d of his ministry.

His son, the Rev. Samuel Angier, graduated at Harvard in 1763, was ordained colleague with him Dec. 23, 1767, and died Jan. 18, 1805, in the 62d year of his age. His other son, Oakes Angier, was an attorney, settled at Bridgewater, and a man of some distinction and emi

nence in his profession. He had a daughter also, who married the Rev. Ephraim Hyde of Rehoboth. Samuel left no children. Oakes left a family, one of whom, John, is settled in Belfast. Dr. Eliot, in his Biographical Dictionary, supposed the late Hon. Fisher Ames to have been descended from the above named Dr. William Ames, and the same is repeated in the preface to Fisher Ames' works; but the account here given of the family of Ames, (page 153) drawn from authentic sources, renders this supposition altogether improbable.

The present successor of the Rev. Samuel Angier is the Rev. James Flint, who is a native of Reading in the county of Middlesex, was graduated at Harvard in 1802, and ordained Oct. 29, 1806.

North Parish.

January 3, 1738, the north part of the west parish and a small part of the north-west corner of the east parish were incorporated into a precinct, and called the north parish. The boundaries are a due east line from Easton, a half a mile north of "the white oak tree at Jonathan Packard's corner" to the east parish line; and thence north easterly to Beaver Brook, together with three families and their estates, on the east side of the river.

year He had four One of them, The Rev. Eli

The Rev. John Porter was their first pastor, a native of Abington, was graduated at Cambridge in 1736, ordained Oct. 15, 1740, and died March 12, 1802, in the 87th of his age, and the 62d of his ministry. sons, who received a publick education. Huntington, is a minister at Rye, N. H. phalet Porter, D. D. of Roxbury, is also One of his daughters also married the Rev. Thomas Crafts of Middleborough.

one of them.

The Rev. Asa Meech, his successor, was ordained Oct. 15, 1800, and was dismissed by a mutual council in 1811, and was afterwards installed, and still continues, minister of Canterbury, Connecticut. He is a native of that state.

His successor, the present Rev. Daniel Huntington, was born in Norwich, Conn. and ordained Oct. 28, 1812. He received a degree at Yale College in 1816. He is

brother of the Rev. Mr. Huntington of Boston, and son of Gen. Jedediah Huntington of New London. His salary is $700, the highest in the town.

Feb. 4, 1743. The south-west part of the south parish with a part of Middleborough, was incorporated into a precinct commonly called Titicut parish. It lies south of the old four mile line so called. The Rev. Solomon Reed before mentioned, a native of Abington, and graduated at Cambridge in 1739, was their first minister; the late Rev. David Gurney a native of Bridgewater, and graduated at Cambridge in 1785, was their second; and the present Rev. Philip Colby is now their pastor. The meeting house is in Middleborough, and all their ministers have resided there, the largest part of the parish belonging to that town.

Besides these territorial precincts there is a small Episcopal church in the south parish, consisting of about thirty or forty members, who, with their families and estates, were incorporated June 14, 1815, by the name of "Trinity church." It is of much longer standing, being nearly sixty-eight years old, and originated in a grant of about fourteen acres of land made 23 Jan. 1747, by one Samuel Edson to the society in England for the propagation of the gospel in foreign parts, on condition that the income be applied to the support of publick worship according to the usage of the church of England. The present house was erected in 1748 by individual subscription. They formerly became much reduced in numbers, but have lately revived and increased. In April, 1812, they conveyed the glebe to the Trustees of donations at Boston, and it is leased for nine hundred and ninety-nine years to John Edson, one of the members, for 21 dollars a year. June 12, 1816, having expended about 80 dollars in repairing their house, and voted 30 dollars to be assessed for the support of public worship, it was solemnly consecrated by Bishop Griswold and the Rev. Messrs. Blake and Crocker.

There is also a Baptist meeting house in the west part of the west parish. The society consists of members.

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partly from Easton and partly from Bridgewater. It was formed about the time that Dr. Reed was ordained, and has been lately incorporated. Their ministers have been Mr. Robertson, Mr. Rathburn, Mr. Smith, and the present, Mr. Shurtliff.

It is very remarkable that each of the Congregational parishes are now enjoying the labors of their third minister. The general longevity of their pastors is also worthy of notice. Four of them, Mr. Perkins, Mr. J. Angier, Mr. Shaw, and Mr. Porter, who were cotemporaries, lived to the great ages respectively of 86, 86, 83, 87, and died in the 62d, 63d, 60th, and 62d year of their ministry. These, with Mr. Keith, who was 76, and Mr. Samuel Angier, who was 62 years of age, are the only ministers that ever died in the town.

The census of the several parishes, taken Sept. 24, 1764, is as follows:

West parish 106 dwel'g houses, 121 families, 880 persons.

South

East

162 142

66

173 66

1056 66

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North

120

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833 66

Titicut

41

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571

3990

630

This, compared with the census of 1810, (page 155,) will show the comparative increase in the population, which has been greatest in the aggregate in the north, that being the youngest and largest parish; but for a few years past it has been equally great, if not greater, in the east.

Schools and Education.

This town has been remarkable for its attention to education both public and private. Mr. Keith and Elder Brett, in the infancy of the town, procured a subscription of about 127. to be paid in Indian corn for the use of the College at Cambridge, "according to the order given by the court." Assessments were also formerly made very liberally both in town and parishes for the maintenance of

schools. Latterly the town assessments have been increased, and those of the parishes consequently discontinued. There are in the town upwards of thirty school houses, and as many districts, in which from two to three thousand dollars are annually expended.

There is also in the south parish an academy, which was established and the trustees thereof incorporated on the 28th February, 1799. The half township of land, granted by the General Court in the act of incorporation, was sold by the trustees for 5000 dollars. The building was erected by individuals, who subscribed the sum of 3000 dollars for that purpose. It has had the reputation of a good seminary of instruction, and is still in a flourishing condition.

The following are the names of those, who have received collegiate education and degrees, arranged under the parishes, to which they respectively belonged, with the years and colleges annexed, in which they received

them.

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