Beth, Welcome back, This is great reading! I got parts one and four. Did you
post parts two and three? If so for some reason I haven't reeived them.
Could someone repost to the list?
Thanks, Don Taylor
From: Beth Hurd <beth(a)the-hurds.com>
Reply-To: RIGENWEB-L(a)rootsweb.com
To: RIGENWEB-L(a)rootsweb.com
Subject: [RIGENWEB] Historical Sketch of Scituate (part 1)
Date: Wed, 30 Oct 2002 13:58:55 -0500
Hi, all -
Sorry, I've been away for various reasons.... here's something different.
Beth Hurd
from
An Historical Address delivered in Scituate, R. I., July 4, 1876, at the
request of the Town Authorities, by C. C. Beaman
Phenix: Capron & Campbell, Steam Book & Job Printers, 1877.
pp. 45 - 47.
"Churches, Schools, Ministers and Physicians.
In the history of a place there are some things more important than its
size or wealth. Its farms, manufactures, trade, are indeed to be
considered. The services performed in war, when they have reference to the
establishment of freedom, or its preservation, ought to hold our attention:
'By fairy hands their knell is rung,
By forms unseen their dirge is sung;
There Honor comes, a pilgrim grey,
To bless the turn that wraps their clay;
And Freedom shall awhile repair,
To dwell, a weeping hermit, there.'
Improvements in the laying out of roads, the introduction of steam travel,
the erection of public and private buildings, are not to be forgotten, but
remembered, also should be first and foremost, Religion, as seen in the
churches and families, social and business intercourse, and political
institutions, and pervading the community.
The schools and higher seminaries of instruction are, with religion, to be
examined as institutions lying at the foundation of a respectable, orderly,
intelligent town, and household behavior, and teaching by precept and
example on the part of parents, tend much to refine and elevate society.
Physicians and ministers are so placed as to healing power in body and
soul, to their giving a healthy tone to society and encouraging all
goodness, that their character and abilities may properly come under
scrutiny. School teachers, out of school as well as in, may encourage and
sustain all good works.
Religion came and followed our original settlers in this town, but they
were opposed to taxation, and their ministers probably received at first
only such recompense as private individuals might occasionally give them.
The Friends were of this kind, and the Baptists also, and these
denominations were the two earliest in the field, and probably established
their religious meetings at about the same time.
Rhode Island was from the start tolerant of all protestant religious faith,
allowing the freest utterance of doctrine, from which cause she attracted
settlers of various creeds. Quakers and Baptists were the most numerous.
The Friends, or Quakers, had a church burnt in Scituate before the
Revolutionary war, showing how early they began to erect church edifices.
December 14, 1811, their last meeting house was erected, and William Almy
and Moses Brown attended from Providence. Mr. Elihu Bowen, one of their
preachers living in Scituate, wrote in his record book of the church, of
the proceedings: ' William being livingly opened in Gospel love to the
edification of the auditory, and concluded in prayer and supplication to
the Father of our mercies.' Of late, owing to decline in membership of
Friends, few or none are the gatherings in the town.
They, at one time, numbered in their ranks many of the most important
citizens of the town. The Wilkinsons of the first generation, James
Aldrich, Daniel Fiske, Isaac Fiske, Ezra Potter, John Potter, Mr. Mial
Smith, Hon. Elisha Mathewson, and Gideon Harris attended the meetings.
Their first church was built on land given by Gideon Harris, a mile west of
the present church building, near the old bank, and was supposed to have
been accidentally consumed. Meetings were subsequently held in private
houses, sometimes with Elizabeth Aldrich, Mr. Mial Smith and Elihu Bowen,
until a new house was built.
The Six Principle Baptist Church, according to a sermon of Richard Knight,
one of their elders, preached in 1727, was constituted in 1725, received a
grant of an acre of land and built a meeting house upon it, reserving a
part of the land for a burial place. This was about the centre of town.
In August, 1827, Samuel Fiske was ordained pastor, and Benjamin Fiske,
deacon of the society. The services were performed by Elders Brown, Morse
and Martin. James Colvin was ordained colleague with Elder Fiske about
1738. Elder Colvin died in 1755, and the church was without a pastor until
July 8, 1762, when Reuben Hopkins was ordained elder, and the church
prospered under the able and useful ministry of their 'nourishing pastor'.
A reformation commenced and continued several years, and numbers were added
to the church. In 1821 they built a new and larger meeting-house on the
same spot, which is still standing and in use. Elder Jacques is the
present preacher and the meetings are regularly held. This church and
ministry has doubtless exerted a very great and beneficial influence upon
the town.
An Episcopal Church was established at Richmond village, South Scituate,
several years since, having quite an extensive membership."
continued in part 2.
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