. Cheever 
NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
A WEEKLY JOURNAL DEVOTED-T0-THE-BEST: INTERESTS:OFTHENORTHSHORE: 
Vol. I. No. 35 
BEVERLY, MASS., SATURDAY, JANUARY 14, £904 
Three Cents 
EARLY CHURCH HISTORY. 
A Synopsis of the History of the Congregational Church, Manchester, Mass., 
from 1645 to the Death of Rev. Oliver Taylor, 1851. 
BYe Re. ts 
GLENDENNING. 
CONTINUED FROM LAST WEEK. 
In 1719 the town “voted and 
agreed to build a new meeting- 
house as fast as it can be done. 
Voted that the meeting-house shall 
be built 49 ft. long and 35 ft. wide 
with 20 ft. stud and also that ye 
house shall be planked and not 
studded.” The next year the old 
meeting-house was sold for 12 
pounds and a committee was ap- 
pointed to take subscriptions “for 
his work or stuff which he will offer 
to build the new one.” 
At a town meeting in 1731 it was 
voted “That the valuable gift of Mr. 
Baxter’s practical works from Mr. 
Holden, Esq., by the Rev. Mr. Col- 
man to the town and church of 
Manchester are thankfully accepted 
and that 8 pounds as in full for the 
binding of said books be forthwith 
paid by the town treasurer to the 
mney. Mr. Ameés. Cheever.” 
in Oct. 2051727, the people were 
very much alarmed by an_ earth- 
quake. In those times the people 
regarded such mysterious convul- 
sions of nature as an evidence of 
the divine displeasure. In this case 
a lengthy revival followed and forty 
people joined the church. 
The church records kept by Mr. 
during his stay in Man- 
chester were lost for over 100 years, 
when they were found among some 
old family papers of his son-in-law, 
Rev. Mr. Harris of Danvers, and 
returned to the church. I quote the 
following extracts:—“g males 
have signed the church covenant 
and 10 females with us, being in full 
communion with other churches. 
The holy ordinance of the Lord’s 
Supper was first administered in 
Manchester Jan. 6, 1716-17; mem- 
bers admitted from Jan. 6, 1716 to 
Nov. 26, 1727, forty-five; recom- 
mended to communion before Nov. 
26, 1727, eleven; new members ad- 
mitted in 12 months after the great 
earthquake, forty; whole number 
admitted in full communion from 
Jat eb 210, 1025 ple 3, 7A 320 LON, 
the number of marriages from Dec. 
6, 1716, to Dec. 16, 1743, 106; bap- 
tism of adults and infants from Jan. 
6.17106, to Keb. 12, 1743, 667.’ - He 
kept a list of births and deaths oc- 
curring in the town and for the 9 
years from 1717 to 1725 inclusive, 
there were 158 births and only 97 
deaths, so there was no danger of 
race suicide at that time. 
The first deacon was Benj. Allen, 
who was succeeded by Benj. Lee in 
1737. 
The Rev. Benjamin Tappan suc- 
ceeded Mr. Cheever and _ was or- 
dained Dec., 1745. It was in that 
year that the third parsonage was 
bought. It was located on School 
street, nearly opposite the first par- 
sonage on land now occupied by the 
house of Miss Charlotte E. Brown. 
In 1750 it was voted to repair the 
meeting-house, and in 1752 it was 
voted to build a steeple; but in 1754 
it was built from the ground  up- 
ward. In the same year a weather 
cock was provided by the town. 
This is the same one that is on the 
church today. Its cost was 7 pounds 
to shillings 8 pence. The church or- 
dered in 1761 “that the volumes of 
Baxter’s works should be put into 
Mr. Tappan’s hands to be lent by 
him subject to be returned to him 
at the expiration of four months.” 
In 1785 a bell was bought for. 58 
pounds 3 shillings 7 pence. This 
bell weighed 300 lbs. and was in 
use till 1845 when, through the gen- 
erosity of a citizen, a much larger 
one was given to the church. 
It was a troublesome period in the 
history of the colony during Mr. 
Tappan’s stay in Manchester, and 
the people were very poor, and at 
times were not able to pay his sal- 
ary. Through it all he was their 
faithful pastor and was much loved 
by his people. He died in 1790 in 
the 46th year of his ministry. 
The next regular pastor of the 
church was Rev. Ariel Parish. He 
came in 1792 and died in May, 1794, 
of an epidemic fever contracted 
while waiting on the sick. For 7 
years after the death of Mr. Parish 
till 1801 the church was supplied by 
different ministers. The names of 
17 of these have been preserved and 
may be found in the town history. 
In May, 1801, Abraham Randall,. 
the ““4oth candidate,” was called and 
ordained in Sept. of the same year. 
He remained 7 years, being dis- 
missed in 1808 at his own request. 
Thirty-one were added to the 
church during his ministry. In 1803 
the 4th parsonage was built. It was 
located on Union street and is still 
standing, though in a much altered 
condition. 
Rev. J. Thurston became pastor 
of the church in 1809 at a salary of 
$550. The same year they decided 
to build a new meeting-house. Its 
cost was $8500. It still remains—a 
credit to those who built it. The 
following extract from Mr. Thurs- 
ton’s diary is  interesting:—“We 
met to worship in the new house for 
the first time on Thanksgiving Day 
1809 and the pastor preached from 
Ezekiel 36: 26, 27 & 28th verses, and 
a great revival followed. On Feb. 
14th the meeting-house was dedi- 
cated to the worship of God—ser- 
mon from Psalms 27: 4th verse.” 
The 5th parsonage was built for 
Mr. Thurston in 1811-12. The house 
is still standing and at present is 
