Josiah Webster

Erasmus D. Eldredge

NOTES.

HAMPTON. The Indian name of this place was Winnicumet. The church here has existed more than two hundred years, and is the oldest in the State. Sometime during the year of its organization, a church was formed at Exeter, but it was soon broken up, and neither of the present churches in that town was formed till several years afterwards.

At a still earlier period, a settlement had been made at Dover, and another near the mouth of the Piscataqua; but as they were formed for the purpose of fishing and trading, some years elapsed before any church was gathered at either place. The church at Dover was formed soon after that at Hampton.

Hampton was settled under the authority of Massachusetts, and was granted by the General Court Oct. 7, 1638,* (answering to Oct. 17, 1638, N. S.) and the settlement was commenced the same year. The grant made at that time embraced much more territory than the present town of Hampton, as the towns of North Hampton, Hampton Falls, and Kensington, a large part of Seabrook and South Hampton, and a part of East Kingston, and Rye.

The exact date of the formation of the church is not known; but the tradition in regard to it is that it was organized before the settlement of the town was commenced. The same may be inferred from the record of the grant, which was made to several persons, "who were some of them united together by church government." The church is said to have been formed at Newbury, where some of the first settlers remained a short time before they removed to Hampton.

The first settlers of this town were Puritans; many of them from the county of Norfolk, in England, one of the strong-holds of Puritanism. The motives by which they were influenced in coming to this country, were similar to those which influenced the Pilgrims who came over in the Mayflower. Entertaining such views, they regarded it of the first importance to their new settlement to establish and maintain the institutions of religion.

Having an organized church, and a pastor to break to them the bread of life, they erected, without delay, a meeting-house, where they might assemble for the worship of God. The building was indeed rude in its construction, being, like the first dwelling-houses, built of logs. Still it was a sacred place ."none other but the house of God." There they were accustomed to meet for religious worship, at the ringing of the bell, "on Lord's days and other days;" for from the first they had a bell, which was presented to them by their pastor.†

Rev. Stephen Bachiler was the first pastor of the church, and was placed over it at the time when it was organized. He was born in England about the year 1561, and consequently was not far from seventy-seven years old when the church was formed. In relation to his early life we have no knowledge. He was in the ministry in his native country, where he "suffered much at the hands of the bishops." He came to this country in 1632, and arrived at Boston on the 5th of June. The next year he was settled at Lynn. Difficulties soon arose between him and a portion of his church, whereupon he asked a dismission for himself and six or seven other persons, who had come with him from England, and had formed part of the church at Lynn. His request having been granted, he and his companions renewed their former covenant, intending to form a new church in the same town; but this design having been frustrated, and a plantation which they afterwards commenced at Mattakeese, since called Yarmouth, on Cape Cod, having failed, they came to Hampton in the autumn of 1638. The next year Rev. Timothy Dalton was associated with Mr. Bachiler, in the ministerial office.

Mr. Bachiler's ministry here was very brief, and far from being satisfactory to a majority of the church. For aught that appears, he was orthodox in his sentiments, and, till he was far advanced in life, correct in his deportment; but

*In the Notes on Hampton, the dates previous to Sept., 1752, are in Old Style, and may easily be reduced to New Style by adding ten days to those prior to the year 1700, and eleven to those between 1700 and 1752.

† Hampton Records.

at length his reputation was tarnished, however fair it had previously been. At the age of fourscore, a charge of misbehavior was preferred against him, which led to his removal from the pastoral office in 1641.

Mr. Bachiler continued to reside at Hampton several years after he was removed from the pastoral office. It is not known with certainty, when he left Hampton; but he appears to have been gone from the town early in 1647, and it is said that he resided at Portsmouth from that year till 1650, and that he returned to England in 1655 or 1656, where he died five or six years afterwards, at the great age of about one hundred years.

Mr. Bachiler had several children, some of whom settled at Hampton, and his descendants there and in other parts of New Hampshire are very numerous. Rev. Timothy Dalton was associated with Mr. Bachiler in 1639, the latter being styled pastor, and the former, teacher. In the early history of New England, it was not unusual for ministers to be thus associated. Some writers have defined the respective duties of these officers, making a distinction which does not appear to have been regarded in all cases. In many respects, the two ministers seem to have been connected like colleague pastors of the present day. Though their duties were, perhaps, to some extent, different, yet each, by virtue of his office, was authorized to perform all the duties, that were usually performed by the other.

Thus in some churches the pastor preached in the forenoon of the Sabbath, and the teacher, in the afternoon. În one part of the day, the pastor offered the prayer that preceded the sermon, and the teacher, the closing prayer; and in the other part, the order was reversed. The teacher pronounced the benediction at the close of the morning service, and the pastor at the close of the evening. At the celebration of the Lord's supper, "one of the ministers performed the first part of the service, and the other the last, the order in which they officiated, being reversed at each communion." The ordinance of baptism was likewise administered either by the pastor or the teacher.f

Mr. Dalton was ordained and officiated as a minister in England. As he could not conscientiously conform to all the rites and ceremonies, and subscribe to all the articles of the Episcopal church, as required by some arbitrary civil enactments, he, like many other ministers in similar circumstances, was deprived of his living, and virtually deposed from his office as a Christian minister. Like many of his fellow-sufferers, he left his native land, and sought in the wilds of New England, an asylum, where he might be permitted to worship God agreeably to the dictates of his own conscience. Soon after arriving at Boston, he went to Dedham, from which place he removed to Hampton in 1639.

About that time there were disturbances at Dover, which the magistrates at Boston thought it necessary to quell. They accordingly sent thither for that purpose, Mr. Simon Bradstreet, afterward Governor of Massachusetts, Rev. Hugh Peters, a man well known in English history, and Rev. Mr. Dalton.‡ This fact shows that Mr. Dalton was a man of a good reputation, for it can hardly be supposed that any other would be employed for such a purpose. He was also highly esteemed by the people to whom he ministered.

Mr. Dalton's ministry terminated with his life, Dec. 28, 1661, when he was about eighty-four years of age. The appellation of teacher, which was given him at his settlement, he seems to have retained through life. The same title is appended to his name in the record of his death, where it is also stated that he was "a faithful and painful laborer in God's vineyard." §

Mr. Dalton, at his death, left no children. When he was settled, he had a son, bearing his own name, who was then, probably, an adult, as not long after a farm was granted to him by the town. He died within a few years, and the farm was then confirmed to his father. Ruth, the wife of Rev. Mr. Dalton, survived her husband, and died May 12, 1666, aged 88 years. There are now living in this vicinity several families of the name of Dalton, and it is supposed by some, that Rev. Mr. Dalton was their ancestor; but he

*Hampton Records.

↑ Bacon's Historical Discourses, pp. 45, 46.

Belknap's History of New Hampshire.
Town Records.

was not. They are descended from his brother Philemon, who died June 4,

1662.

Rev. John Whelewright was probably settled as the pastor, while Mr. Dalton remained the teacher, of the church. A contract between the church andtown, on the one part, and Mr. Whelewright, on the other part, was made April 12, 1647, accompanied by a preamble, from which the following is extracted, as showing the reason for the settlement of Mr. Whelewright.

"The church of Jesus Christ at Hampton having seriously considered the great pains and labours that the reverente and wel! beloued Mr. Tymothy Dalton haue taken among them in the worke of the ministry, euen beyond his abilitie or strenght of nater. And haueing upon sollemne seeking of God, settled ther thoughts upon the reverente and well-beloued Mr. John Whelewright of Wells as a helpe in the worke of the Lord with the sayd Mr. Dalton, our present and faithfull Teacher. And haue given the said Mr. Whelewright a call to that end with the consent of the hole towne: The which the said Mr. Whelewright doe except according unto God, &c." *

Soon after Mr. Whelewright's ministry closed he went to England, whence he wrote a letter to the church at Hampton, dated April 20, 1658. In this letter he mentions an interview with Cromwell, "with whom," he writes, "I had discourse in private about the space of an hour. All his speeches seemed to me very orthodox and gracious." On the accession of Charles II. to the throne, Mr Whelewright returned to this country, and preached at Salisbury, Ms., where he died, Nov. 15, 1679, aged about eighty-five years.

[For further information in regard to Mr. Whelewright, see p. 151.]

Rev. Seaborn Cotton was the eldest son of Rev. John Cotton of Boston, one of the most distinguished of the early New England divines. During his voyage to America, his wife gave birth to a son, Aug. 12, 1633, which was an occasion of great joy, for this child was their first-born. Sept. 6, two days after their arrival at Boston, they dedicated their infant to God in baptism, and, in view of the circumstances of his birth, gave him the name of SEABORN.

Mr. Cotton graduated at the age of eighteen. When he began to preach, is uncertain, and where he preached before going to Hampton is also uncertain.

He commenced preaching there as early as 1657, not long after Mr. Whelewright's removal. A committee was chosen, May 2, 1657, to treat with Mr. Bradstreet," the father-in-law of Mr. Cotton, "and with the elders in the Bay, to order the calling of Mr. Cotton according to former agreement." On the 24th of Nov., 1658, Mr. Cotton gave a receipt to the town for £65, for maintainance the past year. During that year, he seems to have had some connection with the church at Windsor, Ct.*

Mr. Cotton continued to perform the duties of a Christian minister till his labors were suddenly terminated by death, which occurred April 19, 1686, when he was in the fifty-third year of his age.*

Dr. Cotton Mather says of him that he was "esteemed a thorough scholar and an able preacher;" and that "none of the lately revived heresies were more abominable to him than that of his namesake Pelagius." Mather also says that he was the author of a Catechism; but what the character of the work was, or whether any copies are extant, we know not. In 1673, he preached the Artillery Election Sermon, but it was not printed. A volume of his sermons in manuscript is deposited in the library of the Massachusetts Historical Society.§ At a meeting held March 25, 1664, "The town voted and agreed yt those y are willing to have their children called forth to be catechised, shall give in their names to Mr. Cotton for that end, between this and the second day of the next month." *

In 1667, it was unanimously agreed at a church meeting, that the church should proceed with "adult church children as with other members, for scandals, or clear breaches of the moral law." By adult church children, they intended those who had been baptized, and who had arrived at the age of twenty years.||

*Town Records.
† Hutchinson's History.
Mather's Magnalia.

American Quarterly Register.
Church Records.

326

Congregational Churches and

[Oct.

There is reason to believe that Mr. Cotton and his people lived together harmoniously during the long period of his ministry. In one instance he was obliged to suspend his labors a few Sabbaths. This interruption was occasioned by a message from Cranfield, the Lieutenant-Governor of the Province, that "when he had prepared his soul, he would come and demand the sacrament of him, as he had done at Portsmouth." Mr. Cotton, being unwilling to administer the Sacrament to an unsuitable person, or according to the "liturgy of the Church of England," and wishing to avoid a controversy with the Governor, withdrew to Boston. After an absence of a few weeks, he returned and resumed his labors among his own people.*

Previous to that time, Rev. Mr. Moody of Portsmouth had been imprisoned for refusing to administer the Sacrament to Gov. Cranfield, as he had required; and in reference to that transaction, Mr. Cotton, while in Boston, preached a sermon from Acts xiii: 5. "Peter therefore was kept in prison; but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him." This sermon gave considerable offence to Cranfield and his adherents, but it does not appear that Mr. Cotton was ever molested on account of it.†

A new meeting-house was built in the summer of 1675, and placed near the old one, which was not taken down till five years afterward. All the male inhabitants, of more than twenty years of age, were required to attend and assist in raising the house, under a penalty of twelve pence for neglect. Fourteen years afterward, some of the people of the town built a fortification around this house in order "to secure themselves and their families from the violence of the heathen." In 1692, the town voted to extend the fortification so as to enclose more space, and liberty was given "to build houses in it according to custom in other forts." At the same time it was voted to build a house within the fort for the use of the minister, and, when not occupied by him, to be used as a school-house. To such straits were our forefathers driven by the hostility of the Indians.

Mr. Cotton was twice married. His first wife was Dorothy Bradstreet, daughter of Gov. Simon Bradstreet of Massachusetts and his wife Ann, who was a daughter of Gov. Thomas Dudley, and was highly esteemed for her poetical talents. This marriage took place June 14, 1654. The fruits of it were one son and eight daughters; namely,

Dorothy, b. Nov. 11, 1656, m. Col. Joseph Smith of Hampton.
b. May 8, 1658, grad. H. C. 1678, minister at Hampton.
b. Feb. 22, 1660, d. in infancy.

John,

Sarah,

Anne, b. Aug. 22, 1661, m. Mr. Johnson.

Sarah,

b. July 2, 1663, m. Richard Peirce.

Elisabeth, b. Aug. 13, 1665, m. Rev. William Williams of Hatfield. b. Nov. 3, 1666, m. Capt. Peter Tufts of Medford.

Mercy,
Abiah, b. April 5, 1669.

Mariah,

b. April 22, 1670, m. 1. Mr. Atwater-2. Samuel Partridge.

Mrs. Cotton died Feb. 26, 1672. Mr. Cotton's second wife, to whom he was married July 9, 1673, was Mrs. Prudence Crosby, widow of Dr. Anthony Crosby of Rowley, Ms., and daughter of Mr. Jonathan Wade of Ipswich. His children by this wife were two sons; namely,

Rowland, b. Aug. 29, 1674, grad. H. C. 1696, became a physician.
Wade, b. Oct. 6, 1676, d. in infancy.§

Rev. John Cotton was invited to preach at Hampton soon after the death of his father. As early as Nov. 28, 1687, a committee was chosen to treat with him in relation to a settlement as pastor of the church. For some reason, he declined becoming the pastor, both at that time and on several occasions after

Town Records. - American Quarterly Register.-MS. of Rev. Mr. Cotton.