It appears, therefore, that from the ordination of Rev. Mr. Martyn, in 1746, to the present time, a period of 80 years, this christian society has been destitute of a settled minister only about 14 months; a fact highly creditable to the members of this society, as an evidence of their regard for the institutions of religion, and of the union and harmony which have long subsisted among them. And it may justly be considered, that the town is indebted to the spirit of union which has hitherto so generally prevailed among us, for the respectable rank which it now maintains. It would be easy, however painful, to predict the consequences of the prevalence of an opposite spirit. Large and opulent societies can bear to be reduced by division. But in societies small as this, and whose resources are no greater than ours, union should be the watchword of all who wish well to the cause of human improvement. It is worthy of remark, that there has never been but one religious society in this town, and that only a very few families have, at any time, withdrawn themselves from the Congregational society. Four or five families of the Baptist denomination usually attend public worship in the adjoining towns. The first person of this denomination in this town, was Thomas Billings, who joined the Baptist Society, in Leicester, in 1766. The increase of wealth and population, and a regard for the institutions of religion, led the inhabitants of this town, in the spring and summer of 1808, to erect a new and more spacious house for public worship. The new Church is 56 ft. square, with a projection of 34 ft. by 15, surmounted by a tower, and cost, including the bell, $11,408 04. The cost of the bell was $510 00; its weight about 1200 lbs. The proportions of this building are much admired by persons of good taste; and its location is such, that it appears to great advantage from the main road. May it long stand; and be to this Society a bond of union, and the place whither they shall delight to bring their stated offerings of prayer and praise.* Lancaster; Rev. Mr. Packard, of Marlborough; Rev. Mr. Rockwood, of Westborough; Rev. Mr. Cotton, of Boylston; Rev. Mr. Frothingham, of Boston; Rev. Mr. Ripley, of Waltham; and Rev. Mr. Damon, of Lunenburg. Rev. J. Allen was born in Medfield, August 15, 1790, and was graduated at Harvard University, in 1811. *The committee for building the new meeting house consisted of the following persons; James Keyes, Esq. Stephen Williams, Esq. Isaac Davis, Esq. Hollon Maynard, Col. William Eager, Seth Grout, Esq. Asaph Rice, and Phineas Davis, Esq. The business was committed to a subter, com. posed of three; S. Williams, Esq. Asaph Rice, and and English; as also house was built by Col. Eames, of Buckland, e thirty nine, In the summer of 1822, a neat and handsome Town House was built, at the cost of about $1000, which is used for town meetings, singing schools, and various other purposes. This town has been peculiarly unfortunate in the destruction of buildings by fire. No fewer than ten dwelling houses, in this small town, seven of them large, two story buildings, have been burnt to the ground. Besides these, two school houses, one grist mill, one saw mill, and one shoe-makers's shop, have fallen a prey to the same devouring element. In respect to expenses incurred for the support of paupers, the town has for the most part been highly favored. Since the commencement of the present year, only two persons have been a town charge, the whole expense of maintaining whom, for a year, is less than one hundred dollars. Some additional particulars relating to the ecclesiastical and secular affairs of this town, it may be proper to include in these historical sketches. Owing to the destruction of the church records, in the year 1780, when the dwelling house of Rev. Mr. Whitney, with most of its contents, was destroyed by fire, we have no means of ascertaining the number of baptisms and of persons, who joined the church, as well as many other particulars, which it might be interesting to know, of what took place previous to that date. We learn, however, from Rev. Mr. Parkman's account of Westborough, that, in 1767, the year of the Rev. Mr. Martyn's death, that the number of communicants was forty four, 21 males, and 23 females. The whole number of persons admitted into the church, during the ministry of Mr. Whitney, as nearly as can be ascertained, was 204. Since the death of Mr. Whitney, 54 have been added to the church, exclusive of such as have been received by recommendation from other churches. Besides these, 84 persons, during the ministry of Mr. Whitney, owned the baptismal covenant. The number of persons baptised, from 1780 to the time of Mr. Whitney's decease, was 661; from that period to the present, 132. From the gathering of this church, in 1746, to the present time, seven persons only have sustained the office of deacons, two of whom yet survive. The two first deacons of this church were Jonathan Livermore and Matthias Rice. Deac. Livermore resigned, October 2d, 1782; died April 21, 1801, aged 100 years and 7 months. Deac. Rice 21764, aged 58 years. Deac. Rice was succeedMatthias Ric resigned May 8, 1795, and died May 18, lind Bab 1760, aged 71. 1797, aged 79. Deac. Livermore was succeeded by Seth Rice, who resigned April 30, 1807, and died Jan. 2, 1815, aged 77. Deac. Newton was succeeded by Isaac Davis, who resigned Nov. 18, 1825, and died April 27, 1826, aged 77. Deac. Rice was succeeded by Nahum Fay, and Deac. Davis by Jonas Bartlett. Deac. Fay came into office June 14, 1807, and Deac. Bartlett, February 26, 1826. The amount of the ages of the five deacons who have deceased, is 392 years, the average of which exceeds 78 years. In giving the history of this town, it will be proper that we subjoin a brief notice of those persons who have distinguished themselves as its benefactors. It has already been mentioned that the land on which the meeting house stands, with the adjoining common, was the donation of Capt. James Eager, of whom an account was given in a former part of these sketches. Mrs. Martyn, the mother of the Rev. John Martyn, at first, wholly supplied furniture for the communion table. Rabbi Judah Monis, formerly a Hebrew Instructer, in Harvard University, gave to this church a silver cup, also a large silver tankard, afterwards converted into two cups. Another silver cup was procured, with the joint legacies of Capt. J. Eager and Lieut. William Holloway. A silver tankard was given by Anna, relict of Deac. Matthias Rice. Another silver cup was given by Pelatiah Rice, and his son in law, Thaddeus Fay. Another by Capt. Gideon Tenny; and recently, one by the late Deac. Isaac Davis. An elegant Folio Bible, in 2 vols. for the use of the pulpit, was the generous donation of Joseph Foster, Esq. of Cambridge.* *Rabbi Judah Monis was a native of Italy, born in 1683 or 1684. Of his parentage, and of the circumstances which led him to emigrate to America, we have no account. He was employed as an instructer in the Hebrew language, in Harvard University, about the year 1720, before his conversion to Christianity. At length, he was led to receive Jesus Christ as the true Messiah; and, March 27, 1722, was publicly baptised at Cambridge; the Rev. Dr. Benjamin Colman, of Boston, preaching a discourse in the College Hall on the occasion, from John, v. 46. In the preface to this discourse, the author says, that "it was prepared in obedience to the desire of the very Rev. Mr. Leverett, the present learned Head and President of the House where it was delivered, in case of the absence of the aged and venerable Dr. Increase Mather," who, he adds, "if his years had permitted him, would have presided and served on so great a solemnity." "As to Mr. Monis himself," Dr. Colman writes, "it must be confessed that he seems a very valuable proselyte. He is truly read and learned in the Jewish Cabbala, and Rabbins, a Master and Critic in the Hebrew: He reads, speaks, writes, and interprets it with great readiness and accuracy, and is truly didaktichos, apt to teach, His diligence and industry, together with his ability, is manifest unto many who have seen his Grammar and Nomenclator, Hebrew and English; as also his Translation of the Creed and Lord's Prayer; the thirty nine articles of the APPENDIX I. Containing a list of persons who were heads of families in this place before or soon after it became a separate PreChurch of England, and the Assembly's shorter Catechism into Hebrew; and he is now translating the larger Catechism." On the same occasion, Mr. Monis also delivered a discourse from Ps. cxvi. 10, entitled "The Truth," which was printed, with a Preface written by Dr. Increase Mather. This was followed soon afterwards by two other discourses from the same text, the first entitled "The Whole Truth," the latter, "Nothing but the Truth." These three discourses, with that of Dr. Colman, were printed in Boston, for Daniel Henchman, and “sold at his shop, over against the old Erick Church, in Cornhill, 1722.” Mr. Monis continued in his office as an Instructer in Hebrew forty years, till the infirmities of age rendered him incapable of performing its duties. After the death of his wife, in 1761, he left Cambridge and removed to Northborough to reside in the family of Rev. Mr. Martyn, who had married a sister of his wife. Here he remained till the time of his death, which happened, April 25, 1764, at the age of 81 years. As he had no children, he bequeathed the principal part of his estate, which was considerable, to the family in which he resided at his death. The sum of £46 13s. 4d. was distributed among seven of the neighboring ministers; and about £126 was left as a fund, under the direction of a Board of Trustees, the interest of which was to be devoted to the relief of indigent widows of deceased clergymen. The Board of Trustees consists of the ministers of the following churches: The church in Northborough; the first church in Salem; first in Cambridge; the new north in Boston; and the first church in Hingham. The fund now amounts to $400, the interest of which is distributed annually among four widows of deceased clergymen. The following is the inscription on Mr. Monis' Grave Stone. "HERE LIE BURIED THE REMAINS OF Late Hebrew Instructer, At Harvard College, in Cambridge; April 25th, 1764, Aged eighty one years, two months, A native branch of Jacob see, Which once from off its olive broke; Regrafted from the living tree, Rom. xi. 17. 24, Isai. lxvi. 8. From teeming Zion's fertile womb, Ps. cx. 3. Lieut. Wm. Holloway, of whose family an account has been given, was for many years, one of the leading characters in this town. He died Jan. 6, 1760, aged 71. Deac. Matthias Rice was a grandson of Edward Rice, one of the origin cinct, in 1744. The second column contains the names of the persons who now live on or near the same house lots. Those to whose names this mark (†) is prefixed, have descendants of the same name now living in Northborough. None of the above, it is believed were heads of families in this town so late as 1744. The following are the names of the fifteen persons who paid the highest taxes in 1749, taken from the Town Record, Vol. I. p. 27. Lieut. Wm. Holloway, James Eager, Jun. Stephen Williams, Esq. Do. Windsor Stratton. Capt. Henry Hastings. al proprietors of Marlborough. He lived on the farm now owned by Jonah Brigham. He died without children, Feb. 3, 1764, aged 58. Peletiah Rice was a son of Peter Rice, of Marlborough, and lived on the farm now in the possession of Ephraim Barnard. He left no sons; his two daughters, Thankful and Sarah, were married respectively, to Thaddeus and Adam Fay, sons of Gershom Fay. He died April 7, 1775, aged 81. Deac. Isaac Davis was born in Rutland, in this county. His father, Simon Davis, was a son of Simon Davis, who removed from Concord to Rutland. Rev. Joseph Davis, the first minister of Holden, was another son of Simon Davis, Sen. Deac. Davis removed to Northborough during the Revolutionary war, and has been, for a long succession of years, one of our most distinguished citizens. His first wife, the mother of his children, was a daughter of the late Dr. Samuel Brigham, of Marlborough, who was married to a daughter of Dr. Benjamin Gott, whose wife was Sarah, a daughter of Rev. Robert Breck, the second minister of Marlborough. Deac. Davis died April 27, 1826, aged 77. During his last sickness, he directed his family to procure at his expense new linen for the Communion Table, a direction with which they cheerfully complied. |