30 History of Hingham. 



" The Rev d Mr. Gay, the third pastor of the town, gave us an excel- 

 lent sermon, Sept. 17th, 1735, on the conclusion of the first century, from 

 1 Chron. xxix. 15." 



It was during the ministry of Dr. Gay that the East, or Second, 

 Precinct was formed and a church established at Conohasset (now 

 Cohasset). 



In 1713 the proprietors of the undivided lands of Hingham 

 gave their consent to the erection of a meeting-house by the in- 

 habitants of Conohasset " on that land called the Plain." 



At a town-meeting, March 7, 1714-15, the inhabitants of Cono- 

 hasset " desired the town that they would be pleased to give their 

 consent that they might be made a precinct, or that they might 

 be allowed something out of the town treasury to help to main- 

 tain the worship of God amongst them, or that they might be 

 abated that which they pay to the minister to maintain the wor- 

 ship of God at the Town ; and the vote of the town passed in the 

 negative concerning all the forementioned particulars." 



This petition having been rejected, the inhabitants of Cono- 

 hasset presented their case to the General Court, but the inhabit- 

 ants of Hingham opposed their petition and a committee was 

 chosen " to give answer to it " at the General Court in June, 

 1715. 



In July, 1715, the town voted to remit to the inhabitants of 

 Conohasset their ministerial taxes, on condition " that they pro- 

 vide an orthodox minister among themselves, provided they cheer- 

 fully accept of the same ; " but the reply was made " that they 

 could not cheerfully accept thereof." 



In September, 1715, the town voted to reimburse to the inhab- 

 itants of Conohasset, or to those who should afterwards inhabit 

 the first and second divisions of Conohasset uplands and the sec- 

 ond part of the Third Division, all their ministerial and school 

 taxes so long as they should maintain an orthodox minister among 

 themselves, but this did not give satisfaction ; and in March, 

 1715-16, the town voted to remit to them their ministerial and 

 school taxes for that year, but even this was not satisfactory. 



In November, 1716, a committee was chosen by the town to 

 oppose the petition of the inhabitants of Conohasset before the 

 General Court, and again in 1716-17 the town defeated a motion 

 looking to an agreement with the inhabitants of Conohasset about 

 a precinct. 



In May, 1717, a committee was appointed by the town to meet 

 the committee of the General Court appointed to view the " lands 

 and dwellings of the inhabitants of Conohasset [or Little Hing- 

 ham, as it was also called], to see if it be convenient to make 

 them a precinct;" and about this time the desired privileges of a 

 separate parish, for which so long an effort had been made, were 

 obtained, a house of worship was erected, and soon after a minis- 

 ter was settled. 



