NOTES ON BELKNAP COUNTY.

ALTON. This town was originally called New Durham Gore. It was owned by the Masonian Proprietors, and was settled in 1770, by Jacob Chamberlain and others. It was incorporated Jan. 15th, 1796, and named by one of the proprietors after Alton a Market town in Southamptonshire, Eng. A Freewill Baptist church was formed in 1805. But so far as is known no Congregational church was organized until Nov.9th,1827, when a small church was gathered under the labors of Rev. James Gouch, a Missionary of the New Hampshire Missionary Society, from Minot, Maine. This church, consisting at its formation of 8 members 3 males and five females, was increased by the addition of 1 in 1828, 3 in 1829, 2 in 1835 and 6 in 1836. On the 30th of Dec. 1836, it experienced a severe loss in the death of Dea. Joseph Chamberlain, its only church offiSince that time, not having been watered by Missionary labors, and several times visited by death, it has dwindled until it has become very small. The present number is 9.

cer.

BARNSTEAD. This town was granted by Lieut. Gov. Wentworth May 20th, 1727, to the Rev. Joseph Adams of Newington and others; but no settlements were effected until 1767, forty years afterwards. The Congregational Church was organized August 5th, 1804, about 37 years from the time settlements were first commenced. It does not appear, that any church organization was made by other denominations at a period much earlier. The neglect of religious institutions for so long a time was unfavorable to the morals of the town. But the Rev. Mr. George's Ministry of more than forty years has been instrumental of improving the state of Society. Several extensive revivals have been enjoyed, and the church greatly enlarged, especially in the years, 1831, when 31 were added, 1834 when 31 were added, and in 1838, when 77 were added, to the church. The present number (1845) is 365.

Rev. Enos George. The Rev. Enos George was born in South Hampton, and was the son of Enos George late of Hopkinton, who died July 24th, 1828, aged 81, and grandson of Micah George of Salisbury Ms. His mother, who died May 24th, 1827, aged 76, was Dorothy daughter of Barns Jewell an Englishman. Mr. George was brought up in Salisbury on the farm of his Grandfather, commenced preaching in the Methodist connexion, but becoming orthodox in his religious views received ordination by a Council of Congregational churches as Pastor of the church in Barnstead where he still remains. On the 10th of July, 1805, he was married to Sophia, daughter of Jonathan Chesley of Durham. Their children are Mary Elizabeth, Julia Ann, Dorothy Sophia Jane, George Franklin, Charles Smith and Hannah Robinson. George Franklin graduated at Dartmouth College in 1838, and is now a Physician at Shady Dale, Georgia. Charles Smith has recently been admitted to the practice of Law by the Court of Belknap County.

On Saturday, Aug. 9th, 1845, about 12 M., Rev. Mr. George's dwelling house and barn took fire and was burnt to the ground. The fire was communicated from an adjacent building which was struck by lightning, and progressed with such rapidity that much valuable property was consumed before it could be removed.

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CENTRE HARBOR. This town was set off from New Hampton, and incorporated in 1791. The first settlement was made in 1765. The town took its name from Col. Joseph Senter, who became a settler in 1767. The first Congregational church was founded, Feb. 15th, 1815. The Rev. David Smith, the first Minister, was son of Lieut. Emerson Smith late of Alstead, and grandson of Nathaniel Smith of Hudson. He was born in Augusta, Me. never graduated, but settled as a carpenter in Hollis, N. H. Jan. 1st, 1795, he married Hephzibah Worcester, daughter of Noah Worcester, Esq. of Hollis, and sister of Dr. Samuel Worcester of Salem, Ms. They were the parents of 11 children. At the age of 35 with a wife and 4 children, he began in 1804, to study Divinity with the Rev. Mr. Smith of Hollis. He was licensed by the Hollis Association, June 19th, 1806, and ordained Pastor of the Congregational church in Temple, Me. Feb. 21st, 1810, where he labored nine years, and was dismissed, March, 1819. During the same month, he was installed as Pastor of the church in Centre Harbor and Meredith, third division. His Ministry continued here a little more than 4 years, and was instrumental of establishing Christians in sound doctrine. He died Aug. 18th, 1824, aged 55.

was

The Rev. Reuben Porter's Ministry continued but little more than the Sabbath a year. Up to this time, the meeting on held alternately in Centre Harbor and Meredith. April 20th, 1831, the title of the church was changed from the Congregational church of Centre Harbor and Meredith 3rd division, to the Congregational church of Meredith Village, and the meeting was held constantly at the latter place.

May 9th, 1838, a new Congregational church was organized in connection with the labors of Mr. Robert W. Fuller of the Gilmanton Theological Seminary, consisting of 11 members, 4 males and 7 females, and the same year ten others were added. The following year, 16 were added under the labors of Rev. Samuel H. Merrill, then preaching as a stated supply. The whole number added to the church from its organization to the present time is 50, 34 by profession and 16 by letter.

The Rev. Mr. Benson, the present Pastor, was the son of Ebenezer Benson, and grandson of Joshua Benson of Cummington, Ms. He was born in Jericho, Vt. June 3rd, 1810. At the age of 21, he began to fit for college at the Academy in his native place. After being prepared and spending one year in advanced studies at the Academy in Gilmanton, he joined the Theological Seminary in the latter place in 1837, and completed his theological course in 1840. He went to Centre Harbor only as a supply for 2 or 3 Sabbaths. At the close of the third Sabbath, without his knowledge or consent, the church, assembled and unanimously voted to give him a call. He accepted this call, and was ordained accordingly.

Mr. Benson married Julietta Kingsbury of Francestown, May 11th, 1841. She died Jan. 11th, 1843. His second wife, Rhoda Amanda Roys of Landaff, he married March 13th, 1845.

GILMANTON. The town was incorporated in 1727. On account of Indian Hostilities, it was not settled until Dec. 1761. The Proprietors employed the Rev. William Parsons of South Hampton to preach to the settlers for the first ten years. He moved into town, Aug. 1st, 1763, about 1 year and 8 months from the time the first family arrived; and from this period, there has been no time when the people of the town have been destitute of a minister.

Rev. William Parsons was the son of the Rev. Joseph Parsons of Salisbury, Ms. and was born April 21st, 1716. His father's family was literally a ministerial family. Of 4 sons, 3 lived to graduate and enter the Ministry, viz. Rev. Joseph Parsons of Bradford, Ms., Rev. Samuel Parsons of Rye, and Rev. William Parsons, the subject of this notice. The only daughter, Elizabeth, married Rev. Jeremiah Fogg of Kensington, The youngest son, John, died in 1740 while a member of the Sophomore class in Harvard College, then in his 16th year. William graduated, H. C. 1735, at the age of 19, and was settled in South Hampton in 1743. After a ministry of almost 20 years, he was dismissed Oct. 6th, 1762.

On the 16th of May, 1743, he was married to Sarah Burnham a native of Durham, by whom he had six children, Sarah, William, Elizabeth, John, Joseph and Ebenezer. Having relinquished preaching, he was employed as an instructor of the youth in town for many years. So far as is known, none of his sermons were published, and none of his papers are preserved. Had his Diary, in which he entered a great variety of matters as they occurred from day to day, been preserved, it would have been a valuable historical document. But this together with his sermons have probably been destroyed. He died in Jan. 1796, aged 80 years. His widow survived him one year and one month. She died in Feb. 1797, at the age of 75. They were both buried on their own farm, a little eastward of the spot where they built their camp in 1763.

The Rev. Isaac Smith was the son of Mr. Lemuel Smith of Sterling, Ct., and was born Nov. 30th, 1744, and was the fifth son in a family of 11 children. His brother John Smith became a minister, and settled at Dighton, Ms. in 1772, where he continued until December, 1801, when he was dismissed. He died in the state of Pennsylvania some years since. Rev. Mr. Smith began to fit for college in 1766, entered 2 years in advance in 1768, and graduated at Princeton in 1770. After leaving college, he passed some time with Dr. Hart of Preston, and afterwards spent six months with Dr. Bellamy, a celebrated Divine of Bethlem, Ct. in the study of Divinity. Having taken license to preach, he supplied several destitute places in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, where his labors were favorably received, in some of which he received an invitation to settle, particularly in Ipswich Ms. and South Hampton, N. H.

The first Congregational church in Gilmanton, was formed, Nov. 30th, 1774, consisting of five members, and the same day, Rev. Mr. Smith was ordained their Pastor. Dr. McClintock of Greenland preached the sermon from 1 Cor. ii: 2. "For I determined not to know any thing among you save Jesus Christ and him crucified." Rev. Mr. Foster of Canterbury, his brother-in-law gave the Right hand of fellowship, and the Rev. Mr. Walker of Concord gave the charge. Mr. Smith's ministry continued 42 years, in which time 114 were added to the church. The number of baptisms was 312, of marriages, 396, of Deaths, 1141.

On the 23rd of Jan., 1777, Mr. Smith married Mary, daughter of Gen. Joseph Badger, sen. The ceremony was performed by the Rev. Nathaniel Porter, then of New Durham, afterwards Dr. Porter of Conway. Their children were 6, Ebenezer, Isaac Coit, Joseph Badger, Martha, Hanuah, and an infant son only a few days old. Mrs. Smith died Aug. 18th, 1788, aged about 30 years. His second wife was Sarah, the third daughter

of Dea. Joseph Eaton of Haverhill, Ms. whom he married, Nov. 10th, 1791, and by whom he had three children, Francis Peter, Lemuel, and John.

The Rev. Mr. Smith fitted several young gentlemen for college, among whom were Samuel Hidden, Nath'l Cogswell, Stephen Bean, Aaron Bean, Joshua Bean, Samuel Cartland and his son Francis P. He received the degree of A. M. at Dartmouth College 1785.

His publications are a Sermon at the Ordination of Rev. Ethan Smith, a Sermon at the Ordination of Rev. Josiah Prentice, a Sermon at the funeral of Rev. Mr. Hazeltine of Epsom, a funeral Sermon of a woman killed by lightning, a charge at the ordination of Rev. Enoch Corser, and a 4th of July Address. He died, March 25th, 1817, in the 73rd year of his age, and 43rd of his ministry. The Sermon at his funeral on the 27th was preached by the Rev. Josiah Carpenter of Chichester, the oldest minister in the Association.

A revival was enjoyed by the church soon after Mr. Smith's death, under the labors of Mr. Jesse Stratton, then recently from the Theological Seminary at Andover, and 45 were added to the church in 1818.

The Rev. Luke Ainsworth Spofford, the second Pastor, was son of Eleazar Spofford of Jaffrey. He studied Divinity with the Rev. Seth Payson D. D. of Rindge; at which place he was married to Grata Rand, sister of Rev. Asa Rand, Oct. 5th, 1816. He was licensed by the Monadnock Association, and preached as a candidate in Gilmanton early in 1819. During his ministry of about 6 years, 30 were added to the church most of whom were fruits of a revival in 1823. On leaving Gilmanton, Mr. Spofford was installed in Brentwood, Feb. 22nd, 1826, and dismissed from that church in 1829. The same year he was settled in Lancaster, and dismissed in 1831. He was settled again in Atkinson, April 18th, 1832, and afterwards in Scituate, Ms. Thence he removed to Amherst, where he remained while his sons were connected with the College. On the 2nd of Feb. 1842, he was installed in Chilmark, Martha's Vineyard, from which place he was dismissed Aug. 5th, 1845, and now resides in Newburgh, N. York. His oldest son Richard Cecil, born, Dec. 22nd, 1817, graduated at Amherst College in 1839, studied Divinity with Dr. Ide of Medway, preached only a few times and died of consumption, May 25th, 1843. His second son, Henry Martyn, born, Sept. 8th, 1821, graduated at Amherst College, 1840, was Tutor 1842-4, and is now preceptor of an Academy in Minden, La. The other children were Mary Susan, Elizabeth Jane, and Ainsworth Rand.

In 1827, about one year after the settlement of the third Pastor, the Rev. Daniel Lancaster, another revival was enjoyed, and 40 were added to the church, and in 1831, another revival which resulted in the addition of 35, to the church. In the six years of the Rev. Mr. Lancaster's Ministry, 85 were received into the church. The Baptisms were 118, and the funerals more than a hundred. The whole number which have been received into this church from its formation, is 311. Since Mr. Lancaster's dismission, the pulpit was supplied one year by Rev. Francis P. Smith, son of the first pastor, and one year by Rev. Josiah Carpenter of Chichester. For a few past years it has been supplied by students of the Theological Seminary in this place.

CENTRE CHURCH. This church was embodied, March the 8th, 1826, consisting of 25 members, 6 males and 19 females. The Rev. Heman Rood, the first pastor, was a son of Thomas D. Rood of Jericho, Vt. He

fitted for college partly at Shoreham, Vt. and partly at the Academy in Middlebury. After graduating, he was two years Preceptor of the Academy at Montpelier, and one year tutor at Middlebury College. He completed his Theological course, in the Seminary at Andover in 1825, and first preached at Gilmanton, Oct. 22nd of the same year. During his ministry, which continued about three years and a half from his ordination, 11 were received to the church, 10 by profession, and 1 by letter. Mr. Rood was installed in New Milford, Ct. April 21st, 1830, and dismissed July 28th, 1835. He was inaugurated Professor in Gilmanton Theological Seminary, Sept. 9th, 1835, which office he held a little more than 8 years, and resigned in November, 1843.

Prof. Rood was married to Frances Susan Moody, daughter of Stephen Moody, Esq. Nov. 29th, 1827. Their children are Susan Hooper, Mary Jane, Stephen Moody, Henry Edward, and Frances Gracia Merwin. Prof. Rood has published an ordination sermon, and several articles in the Biblical Journal, a periodical which he conducted two years.

Rev. Daniel Lancaster, the second Pastor, was the son of Ebenezer Lancaster of Acworth. He commenced his studies preparatory to entering college in Aug. 1814, at Chesterfield Academy, then under the instruction of Mr. Otis Hutchins, a graduate at Dartmouth College in 1804. After leaving College, he taught one term in Boscawen, West Parish, entered the Theological Seminary at Andover in Nov. of the same year, and closed his course of Theological study in the Autumn of 1824. He first preached in Gilmanton on the first sabbath in Jan. 1825, and remained as a supply with the first church 3 months. On the 11th of April, he received a call, and returned a negative answer. The call was renewed with some modifications in July, and on the 21st of Aug. he returned an affirmative answer. During his ministry, the church was considerably enlarged, but the formation of the two adjacent churches, one at the Centre, and the other at the Iron Works Village so weakened the Society that his support failed, and he was dismissed. For two years previous to this, in 1830 and 1831, he had preached to the Centre church one half of the time. In 1831, a revival was enjoyed, and 28 were added to the church. In Aug. 1832, Mr. Lancaster removed to the Centre Village, and continued as stated supply until he was installed. In 1834, there was a revival, and 36 were added to the church. In 1836, there was another season of refreshing from the Lord, and 40 were gathered into the church. In 1838, the Lord again revived his work, and 52 were added to the church. The whole number received since the church was formed is 243.

Mr. Lancaster married Anne Elizabeth, daughter of John Lemist of Dorchester, Ms. Aug. 29th, 1827. She died Aug. 27th, 1829, aged 28 years. He married Eliza G., daughter of Daniel Greely, Esq. Foxcroft, Me. Feb. 14th, 1831. His children are Mary Ellen Grant, who died, Anne Elizabeth, Frances Jane, and Daniel Greely.

IRON WORKS CHURCH. This church was gathered, Oct. 20th, 1830, comprising 13 individuals, 4 males and 9 females. The Rev. Mr. Safford, the first pastor, was graduated at the Theological Seminary, Andover, in the class of 1830. He married Mary L. Brigham, daughter of Benaiah Brigham of Boston. During his ministry of 4 years and 9 months, there were two revivals, and 56 were added to the church. He was dismissed on account of ill health, and after studying medicine, and re