196 HISTORY OF C OH ASSET. 



precinct assessors was the price of their independence 

 and of their convenience in worship. 



It is not a surprise, therefore, to note that the Beal 

 families who lived near Turkey Hill, no farther from the 

 Hingham meeting-house than from the Cohasset one, 

 should be a little uneasy under the heavy parish burden. 



Daniel Lincoln and John Jacob and Ibrook Tower and 

 Aaron Pratt had greater reasan to be proud of their pre- 

 cinct than the Beals, who lived just within the edge of 

 the precinct. Some of these latter* were set back into 

 the Hingham government at a subsequent time, but the 

 Cohasset precinct was a success from the start. 



The second minister to be called to the pastorate of 

 their church was Samuel Spear, who had formerly received 

 one vote; but now, December 2, 1720, they gave him 

 thirteen votes. A committee was appointed to draft an 

 instrument concerning their principles of religion, and 

 to present it to the minister chosen for his compliance. 

 But Mr. Spear did not become their minister. It was 

 reserved to Nehemiah Hobart, a grandson of the Rev. 

 Peter Hobart, the first minister of Hingham, to be the 

 first minister settled at Cohasset. 



* The following petition was made to the Council at Boston, Friday, November 

 27, 1719, but it was dismissed : — 



" A Petition of John Beal, Lazarus Beal, Purdy McFarlow and Lazarus Beal 

 jr. Inhabitants of the town of Hingham, Setting forth that the Petitioners with their 

 Families were lately set off from the old Meeting house in Hingham to the new 

 Precinct at Cohasset. That if they are obliged thereby to attend the public worship 

 of God at Cohasset, and pay towards the support of it there, it will be such a bur- 

 den & hardship upon them that they cannot be able to comply therewith, by 

 reason of the Length and Badness of the Way to the said Precinct Meeting 

 House, which was the greatest Motive as urged by the Persons petitioning for the 

 said Precinct to this Honorable Court in setting off Cohasset as aforesaid. 



"Some of the Petitioners are two miles and a half and others three miles distant 

 from the (new) Precinct Meeting House and the Way is vacant of Inhabitants which 

 makes it very inconvenient to travel, especially in the winter season. Therefore 

 most humbly praying this Honorable Court would please so to continue them to 

 the old Meeting House at Hingham as formerly or otherwise that they may pay no 

 greater tax to the ministry at the new Precinct than their proportion would be at 

 the old." 



