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]i >ltOT3>E<D.4.Tr'EO'I^ 
 
 OF 
 
 TOWN HALL IN RYE, N. H. 
 
 Nov. 19, 1878. 
 
 

THE TOWN OF RYE. 
 
 The following inloresling aketcli was prepared and read at tbf dedication of 
 the new Town Hall at Kye, Nov. 19ib, 1873, by Rev. J. K. Aldkicii, of that town: 
 
 History is made up of leading inci 
 denls. rboiigh being made contnuaHy, 
 it is marked byeias. Prominent events 
 stand loiib as waynnrks, linking us with 
 past generations, enabling us to trace the 
 cciniicction lietwein us and that wbich 
 h;is gone before. The town of Rye has 
 an bunorable record. Within its present 
 limits in all proliability was made ihe first 
 settlement in New Ilainnshire. New 
 llanipsbire was first visited by Martin 
 ring in 1603, with two ships, the Speed- 
 well and the Discoverer. "The exi'odi- 
 tioii was Titled out und:-:f the palr^nage 
 of the mayor, :ildermen and met chants of 
 the litv of Bristol in England, to prose- 
 cute the discoveiy of the nordiern parts 
 of Virginia '' He with his followers as 
 cended the Piscataq^a as far as the Great 
 Bay wliicb is formed by the union of Bel- 
 lamy liank. Oyster, Lasnprey, Squam- 
 scott and VVinnicut river-*, andlies be- 
 tween Di;ih;im and Grt enland They e.\- 
 plored the forests in search of sas.-fras, 
 which was highly valued at that tiine ior 
 it> medicinal properties, and it is altogeth- 
 er probable tiiat part of the town of Kye 
 which bord' rs on the Piscataqua was 
 pressed by their foot-teps. in iGOo a 
 Fret'C'b ve.<isel is said to have touched at 
 Odiorne's Point, wheie Champlain met a 
 small company of Indians, to whom he 
 made presens of knives. &c., and from 
 thi-m obtained information of the coast. 
 It wj'S ne.Kt visited by (.'apt. John Smith 
 in 1614, who ascertained the I'iver Piscat- 
 aqua to be a s;ife harbor with ii rock\ 
 shore. On his return to England he pre- 
 sented to the Prince of Wales, afterwards 
 Charles I, a map of the set coast aling 
 which he had s.iiled, si;c miles of which, 
 one-third of t!.e coast line of the State, is 
 included in the town of Kye. In the 
 year 1606 King James granted a charter of 
 Virginia, as tlie whole territory was then 
 called, between the 34tb iincl 45tli de- 
 grees of north latitude, to two companies, 
 assigning the southern part to the Lo.'i- 
 
 don Company, and the northern, including 
 the present town of Kye, to the Plymouth, 
 composed of personj residing in Bristol, 
 E.xeter, and Plymouth. Ihe Plymouth 
 Company finding lliemselves liable to be 
 encroached upon, petitioned for a new 
 charier and obtained it in 1620. Two 
 of the most enterprising m' mbers of this 
 company were Sir Feidinando Gorges 
 and Capt. John Mason. In 1621 Capt. 
 John Mason procured I'loni the company 
 a grant of the land between river Naum- 
 keag, now taleui, and the Meriimac, 
 and extending back to the bead waters 
 of e:u h. The next year, 1622, he and 
 Gorges conjointly obtained a grant ot 
 the territory extending from the Merri- 
 mac to the Saga'tahock, (ihe Kennebec 
 according to one authority, and the An- 
 droscoggin according to others.) and 
 back to the great Lakes and the river of 
 Canada, the St. La^Mence. This territo- 
 ry they called Laconia, and the same year 
 lU22. formed the company of Laconia, and 
 in the Spring of 16"23 they sent over Da- 
 vid Thompson, a Scotchman, Edward and 
 Wi Ham Hilton and others. Thompson 
 with one division settled at Odiorne's' 
 Point, or Little Harbor iis it was then 
 called, and the Ililtons went eight miles 
 further up the river and formed a settle- 
 ment to which they gave the name of 
 Northam, now Dover. It v\ill be seen 
 fro -i this that the two settlements were 
 formed ut about the same time, but in 
 pdnt of priority the preference must be 
 given to that at Little Harbor, as they 
 all came over together and it was eight 
 miles nearer the.r I'oint of embarkation. 
 To the Town of li\e therefore belongs 
 unquestionably the. hono-r ot the first set- 
 tlement in New Hampshire. 'Ibese first 
 settlers were sent from England bv the 
 Company "To found a p'antation on 
 Piscataqua river, to cultivate the vine ; 
 discover mines ; carry on the fisheries, 
 and trad J with the naiives". They are 
 believed to have arrived in the month o 
 
May. The first house erected was called 
 Mason Hall. Soon after they erected a 
 Garrison House or Fort, ;ind salt works, 
 and established a fishery. The site of the 
 Manor House or Mason Hall does not 
 appear to be positively known, but is 
 'oelieved to have been erected on the 
 iiighest point of laml on the north side 
 of the iane whicli leads nearly to the 
 iieach, from the opposite side of the road 
 just before reai'hing the house of Mr. 
 Charles S. Odiorne. The ;^arrison house 
 was probably erected ab ut 20 or 30 rods 
 from this house in a southeasterly direc- 
 tion. A few rods to the west is the an 
 eient burial ground, containing about 40 
 graves. There each in his narrow cell 
 forever laid, the rude forefathers of the 
 hamlet sleep. The tradition is that they 
 thought at first that Little Harbor, lying 
 between Odiornt;\s Point and Newcastle, 
 originally Great Island, was the main har- 
 bor or mouth of t!ie Piscatiqui, and 
 consequeritly formed the sett ement there, 
 and that afterwards one <if the early set- 
 tlers in chasing a wounded goosn which 
 he had shot, ran round to the north side 
 of Great Island, and discovered Great 
 Harbor. The cackling of a flock of 
 geese anciently, it is said, saved Home, 
 and the pursuit of this one it seems if sve 
 are to credit the tradition, led to an im- 
 portant discovery. The inference is, 
 that though not desirable to he a goose, 
 it may be well to follow one. Thompson 
 left the colony about one year after his 
 arrival and removed to an island in Mas- 
 sachusetts Bay. afterwards called by his 
 own name. Alason received a new grant 
 IVom the Plymouth comp:;ny to the mid 
 die of the Piscataqaa, Nov. 7, 1G29, am! 
 in 1031, eiiiht years afier the landing at 
 Little Harbor, he sent over about 80 em- 
 igrants to act as stewards, agents, work- 
 men, and servants. Among these are the 
 names of Francis Rand, William Seavey, 
 VVilliam Berry, Thomas VValford, and 
 William and Anthony Bi-acket, who 
 were among the first settlers in that part 
 of Rye which went originally by the name 
 of 8andy Beach. Luring the year 1031 
 asetilement was formed at Strawberry 
 Bndt, now Portsmouth, and the Great 
 House was built. Portsmouth was incor- 
 porated by a charter in 1633. Ic i.iclud- 
 od not only the territory within its pres- 
 ent limits, bat Great Island, now New- 
 castle, and that part of Rye which was 
 called Little Harbor and Sandy Beach. 
 At a town meeting held in I'ortsmouth in 
 1033, a committee wa-< chosen to lay out 
 the lands to the people of Sandy Beach, 
 viz : Wm. Berry, Anthonv Bracket, 
 
 Thomas Seavey, Francis Rand and James 
 John»on. The territory gnnted to Ma- 
 son & Gorges in which the town oi Rye 
 is included, by request ofPortsmouth and 
 Dover, and previous assignment of the 
 proprietors, became .subject to Massachu- 
 setts Oct. 9, 1641, and continued thu.s 
 until Charles the IL ascended 
 the throne. Then Robert Tuf on, the 
 grandson of Capt. John Mason, who had 
 succe ded him in the inheritance and had 
 taken the name of Mason, sued for juris- 
 dictioK under his former pa'ent, and a 
 decision was mad ■ in his favor in 1075, 
 but owing to the opposition of the inhab- 
 itants he did not come into actual pos 
 session. In 1680, agiinst the protests of 
 the people both of Dover and Portsmouth, 
 the king or lered New Hampshire to be- 
 come a colony. Oct. 15, 1679, Great Isl- 
 au'l, now Newcastle, was set off from 
 Portsmouth and incorporated by Mass.. 
 but the ne>:t year, 1680, when by order of 
 the king N" II. became a sepaiate prov- 
 ince, ic again became a part of Ports- 
 mouth. 
 
 The agent, of ;he Portsmouth colony in 
 163 L was Capt. Walter Neale. At that 
 time the two colonies at Little Harbor 
 and Dover became separate, and were call- 
 ed the lower and the upper plantations. 
 Little Harbor received the name of Odi- 
 orne's Point, from .lotin 'Jdiorne who oc- 
 cupied this locality in 1G60; 43 acres were 
 then owned hy him. He was a citizen of 
 roitsiuouth in 1653, and as it was then a 
 part of Portsmouth he prob ibly resided 
 I here a' that time. He was the father of 
 Joiham Odiorne. a promimMit man in the 
 cohuiy, who died in 1748 at the age of 
 73. When that part of Rye originally 
 called Sandy Beach, aow Foss' Beach, was 
 settled, is not known, some saying in 
 1035, others in 1633. But as its earliest 
 settleis are known to have come over to- 
 gether in 1631, I think it altogether prob- 
 able that it ma}' have been settled soon 
 afier, perhaps in the same year. The 
 Rev. Huntington Porter, in his New 
 Year's sermon, states the first settler was 
 John Berry : this evidently should have 
 been Win. Berry, as Wm. Berry come 
 over in 1031, and John Berry was Wm. 
 [ietry's eldest son. Wm. Berry received 
 a grant of land at Sandy Beach in 1652, 
 but there is no mention oi" John's receiving 
 any until 1600. It is probable that Wm. 
 Berry and the others who came over from 
 England with him settled at Sandy Beach 
 at about the same time. Wm. Berry is 
 spoken of as "of Sandy Beach and of Lit- 
 tle Harbor," showing that he must have 
 owned lands or resided in both places. — 
 
He must have dieil previous to 1669, as in 
 Dec. 9th in that year, his widow Jane, 
 then a^ed 50, married Nathaniel Dnke 
 who was l)i>rn in 161'2, was at Hampton 
 in 16;)3, and resided in Portsmouth from 
 1656 to 1690. 
 
 i he firsr. ileed ever given of land in- 
 cluded within the limits of the town of 
 R\e, was given by J ine Drake widow of 
 Wm Berry, in 1609 to \Vm Seavy, Sen 
 of house, la'id and marsh on South side 
 of broiik that runs between land then 
 owned by William Seavy and Thomas Sea- 
 vey. It appears that VVilliam Seavy paid 
 for this land before the death of Wm 
 Berry, Imt failed to get a deed of it. 
 From this we inter that Win Berry died 
 suddenly, perh ips like others of i he early 
 settlers vvas kided by the Indians, and 
 that he died about the ye ir 1669 in which 
 the deed was given. Of tliese first set- 
 tlers of Sandy Bi-ach to whom we have j 
 refeired who c ime over in 163l. Thorn is 
 Seavy appears to have lived until 170"^. | 
 The manner of his death is uncertain. , 
 Francis iiand was killed Sept 29. 1691, 
 while his son wa- out fishing. 21 weie 
 killed at the same time, among them an- 
 other of ilie first settlers. Uapt Anthony 
 Bracket; and others were captured, in- 
 cluding two young children of the Brack- 
 tts, a boy wh uu they recovered and a 
 girl who was carried to Canada, and 
 there marr ed a Frenchman, and a'tei- 
 wards come back to claim her share in 
 her father's property. One or more of 
 theciiildren killed at the time were dash- 
 ed against a ri>ck whieh stood in the road 
 near Sam'l M. R^ind's. The tradition is 
 that the stain of blood wis to be seen for 
 many yeais. The rock h is since been re- 
 moved to make a highway. Captain 
 Bracket's house was set on fire. S )me 
 of his sons were at work in the salt marsh, 
 and having tiie guns, went over to the 
 garrison house at Saunders' Point, now 
 Foss' beach. Thomas Hand, the son of 
 Francis who was killed, when he c.tme 
 from fishing, being a courageous man, fol- 
 lowed them over to Bracket's and Jired at 
 them, whieii frightened them awav. Old 
 Mrs. Rand, nearly blind, supposed to be 
 the wife of Francis, was kided by the 
 Indians while htr husband had gone to 
 mill. She was ^apprehensive of danger 
 and i^egged him not to go, saying the 
 Indians would kill hei', but he m ide light 
 of her fe:irs, telling her there were no 
 Indians this side of Lake Winnipiseogee. 
 Great must have been his consternation 
 to find on his return that her fears had 
 been realized. This must have been very 
 near the time that he was massacred. A 
 
 little girl named Judkins, 5 years old, was 
 captured, in 1691, with her brother. Her 
 brother was frozen to death when cross- 
 ing Lake Winnipiseogee near .Moulton- 
 boruugu. She was with them several 
 years and came near perishing wirh hun- 
 ger. She lived to return and afterwards 
 ma' lied a Randall. 
 
 She died in Moultonborough. A child 
 named Ksiher, surname not given, wa* 
 taken from the cradle about this lime by 
 the Ittdians while its mother was away; 
 her iatlier bo-ight her back with a keg of 
 rum She afterwards married a VVaters, 
 lived to a ^reat age, become poor and 
 deaf, and was supported by the town. — 
 Tho'uas VVaUord, another of the early set- 
 ih-rs of San Iv Be.ich who came over in 
 IG31, was killed by Indians on the hill by 
 John S. Il'^mick's. Tradition says that 
 aft^r he was .diot he cr.iwled on his hands 
 a.id kn es to where Robinson Fo-s now 
 lives. 11 IS wife was accused of witchcraft. 
 There is stiil on record an account of the 
 trial of "Goodwitf, Wabord," at Portss 
 mouth in 1638. The complainant Su- 
 sannah Trimuiiiiijs testified as follows: 
 •"As I was g >ing h.;me on Sunday night. 
 I heard a rustling in the woods which I 
 supoosed to be occasioned by swine, and 
 presently there appeared a woman whom 
 I apprehended to bo Go id wife Walfurd 
 She asked me tn lend her a pound of cot 
 ton. I fold her I had but two pounds in 
 the h luse and I would not spare any to 
 my mother. She said I had better have 
 don(! it, for I was going a great jiurney, 
 but should never come there. She tht^n 
 Uft m ; and I was struck as with a chip of 
 fire on the back; and she vanished tow, 
 ards the water-side, in my apprehensionr 
 in the shape of a cat. She had on her 
 head a white Imen hood, tied under her 
 chin ; and I.er waistcoat and petticoat 
 were rod, with an old gown, apron, and 
 a black hat upon her head." Several 
 other wi nesses were examined ; but the 
 case was not then decided, and was prob- 
 abl} dropped at the n(!xt term of the 
 Court. Mrs. Walford afterward brought 
 an* action for slander against Robert 
 Coutch for saying that she was a witch 
 a;id he could prove her one. The ver- 
 dict w IS in her favor — five pounds and 
 costs. 
 
 Another prominent person among the 
 early settlers of the town of Rye, was 
 Capt. John Locke. He was a carpenter, 
 the son of John Locke of Ijondon. who 
 married Christian French, July 26, 1621 
 He was born Sept. 16, 1627, and came 
 from Yorkshire, England, in 1644. Tra- 
 dition savs that lie first settled in Dover, 
 
,^ 
 
 I, 
 
 V 
 
 6 
 
 where lie had a tract, of land, but this is 
 probably incorect as the eirli^ st records 
 of Dover contain no evidence that he ev- 
 er resided or had a right of land there. 
 From thence in-tSoSi, he is said to have 
 ri^inoved to what is known as Fort Point 
 in New Castle. From Newcastle he re- 
 moved to Sagamore Creek, where l.e re 
 sided until 1655, when I'C removed to 
 Jossel\n's N* ok, afterwards called from 
 him Locke's Neck, now known as Straw's 
 Point, v^fhich was ihen a part of Hampton. 
 Here as it appears Iroin the records of 
 town of Hampton, "he sat down on com- 
 mon lands."" It appears that the town of 
 Hampton was indignunt at his taking 
 such liberties without so much as s yiiig 
 "by your leave," and May 24, 1666, a 
 committee was chosen to pull up his 
 fence, and M ircii 12, 1G67, to warn him 
 to desist from improving the town's land, 
 and to noiify him that the town is dis- 
 pleased v/it!i his building there. Com 
 ])laint was mad'' against him as a tres- 
 passer, and he was warned to appear at 
 the next meeting and give an account of 
 himself. On the 8th of March 1667, the 
 town voted as follows : "Upon the n)o- 
 ti(m of John Locke who desire h to yield 
 himself to ye town of Hampton as an in- 
 habitant umi.ngst us, being already seltind 
 tapon Josselyn's Neck in Hampton bounds, 
 the town hath acCfpled of ye s lid John 
 Locke for an ini;ahit:in accordingly." 
 Fri'm all which we see that he w s a man 
 of firmness and not easily driven from his 
 pu'pose. At the present time when men 
 are allowed to become ci izens at will, 
 the opposition of the town of Hampton 
 to bis settleiueiit among them may not 
 be easily comprehended. But the times 
 were different. A seitlemen! in its in- 
 fancy would have been very much exposed 
 to injury if no precautions had been ta- 
 ken in regard lo receiving inhabitants. 
 Mischievous and di orderly persons mi^ht 
 have come in and harrassed 'be setilers 
 Tills was foresenn and me;isures taken 
 to prevent it. The power of admitting 
 inhabitants, and of granting them the 
 privileges of freemen was s^rictl' guard- 
 ed. After the town was once organized 
 none wen* admitted from abr<iad without 
 the permission of the freemen, so that 
 their treatment of Locke was by no means 
 exceptional, as will be seen from thi^ fol- 
 lowing vote : "That no manner of per 
 sen should come into the tmvn as an 
 inhabitant, without the penalty of 20s. 
 per week, unless he give sali-factor> 
 security to the town." 
 
 Capt. John Locke was an energetic, 
 courageous man, very active against the 
 
 Lidians, and instrumental in defeating 
 them in several of their aUempts to de- 
 stroy the inhabitants on the sea-coast, 
 which excited their personal hostility ; and 
 th^y came from Canada, eight in num- 
 ber, with an expressed design as ajipeaied 
 afterwards to avi nge themselves in his 
 deaih He was kibed while reaping in 
 his field, Aug. 26, 1G9G, at the age of 70, 
 though one account says 78. The firsi, is 
 probably more correct. 
 
 'i he Indian is often spoken of as cher- 
 ishing a determined spirit of revenge, nd 
 we have comt^ to look on him in ihis re- 
 spect as difff.rlnfi materially from the 
 white nun. Bui human nature is essen- 
 lially (he same. The difference is owing 
 to circumstances. We have an idustra- 
 tion of ihis thirsting for levenue in the 
 contlu t of Capt. Locke's grandson. 
 Though not born until 1702, six years af- 
 !er ;he deaih of his grandfather, such was 
 the hostile feeling excited within hiiu by 
 the knowledge of the circums ance, that 
 he killed an Indian in peaceful times, al- 
 h-giiig that the Indians killed his grand- 
 fa hei, thus vi-iting the puni.-hinent on an 
 innoci-ni representative ot the race. I'his 
 murder was coin nitted oa the spot 
 where Dea. Jonathan Locke now lives. 
 
 The firs Jenni'.'is according to tra<iition 
 ;ip(jears to have been Francis, a baker 
 who cam'' with two brolliers from Ky, 
 Kngland. he alone settling here, and 
 from hi II probably fhe town of Kye re- 
 ceived its name. The Rev. Mr. Porter 
 in his Half Ceniury Sermon says that the 
 town from its first seti lenient ree«ived the 
 namri it now beai s ; which was given, it 
 is -upposed, by reason of some ot its first 
 inhabitants coming from the townoflhe 
 .-ame name in i^^ngland. Francis Jenness 
 so far as it appear^ was (he onh one that 
 came from that town, arid hence we con- 
 clude that the town received its name from 
 liim; it is believed ihat he came previous 
 to 16C0. One account states that he came 
 wi h .Anthony liracket and Ca|)t. J' hn 
 Locke, but this is a mistake, as tiie coming 
 ol the one is known lo have preceded by 
 several years the coming of the other In 
 1675 he received a giant of the common 
 lands by the sea from the town of llainp- 
 ton. ! e lived near the presen' residence 
 of Mr. Sheridan Jenness, aiiil is said to 
 have died in 1716, aged 82 The name 
 originally was Jennings. The first Phil- 
 brick who came to llye was Joseph, about 
 the year 1700, and settled near the house 
 of Francis Jenness in the ^outh part of the 
 town. He was the grandson of Thomas 
 Pnilhrick who came from Lincolnihire, 
 En<Hand,wi(h Sir Ivichard Saltinstall. and 
 
settled in VVatertown in 1630, and re- 
 moved to llaiupton in iGto, and d ed in 
 1667, very a<^eil. Joseph iiie<l Nov. 7, 
 175;), in his y^d year, 
 
 Joseph Brown also is said to have lieen 
 one of the (ist settlers of t'le tow i of 
 Rye, of which he was selectman in 1728. 
 His gramlfather Jolni Br wn was a ba 
 ker, c un". from London in England in 
 1635, was one of the pri'priitors of 
 Hampton in 1638; afterwards one of the 
 largest landholders in the place. 
 
 The Indiin massacre at Portsmouth 
 Planis and Sigamoie Ci eek was on the 
 26th of June 1006. F'uir cen were killed 
 and six were wounded Among the 
 •wounded w:»s Mrs. Mary Brewster, wife 
 ot Joiin Biewster Jr., great gr unison ut 
 Elder VVm. Brewster who came over in the 
 Mayflower. She was scalped, and deep- 
 ly woanded hj' a tomahawk, ;ind was tak- 
 en up for dead. She afterwards recov- 
 ered, and became the mother of four sons, 
 and lived 48 years, dying Sept. 22, 1711, 
 aged 78. I'^ive dwelling houses were 
 burned and nine barns. Ihe attack was 
 made at early dawn, and as the people 
 awoke from theii slutiihcrs they wore 
 greeted iiy the light nftheir burning barns, 
 Caf)t. Shackfi'rd of Portsmouth radieil 
 bis military company and pursued them; 
 their direction was through long Swamp; 
 in a cour.-e for Rye about four miles dis- 
 tant from the Plains, Capt Shackford and 
 his men discovered them with their plun 
 der and captives; they w re at. breakiiist, 
 and had plac <1 the four prisoners they had 
 taken in a position to rece'ive the first of 
 feet ofa discharge of guns, should they 
 be suddenly surprised; they were on the 
 declivity of a hill , near the boundary line 
 between (Greenland and Rye, which has 
 b'Cn cal ed lireaKtast lliU, troin this cir- 
 cumstanct!. Thi; cnnpany rushed up. in 
 thti ground. re>cuiMl the prisoners and re- 
 took the plunder, but the enemy escap- 
 ed and coni'caled themselves in the 
 swamp til nit;ht; then in iheir canoes, 
 which they h id previously concealed in 
 the bushes at Sand}' Beach, they took 
 their departure, and m tde their escape by 
 gong outside of the Isles of Shoa s 
 
 Another statement is as fodows ; "At 
 the tim" the Indians destrovi^l Ports- 
 mouth Plains by fire, t'lev landed on Jos- 
 selyn's neck, now Straw's Point, by nigut, 
 an I as Capt. John Lo'-ke was r^^ading his 
 bible, on Sabliath morning, looking up he 
 observed their canoes concealed in the 
 bushes, and scuttled them, which compel- 
 cd the Indians to retreat by laud. 
 
 The town of Newcastle was incorpora- 
 ted in 1G93, 1 embraced in addition to its 
 
 present limits Great Island, also that part 
 of Rye extending from Little Harbor now 
 called Odiurne's Point to Poss Beach. 
 
 The present town of Rye was originally 
 taken from Portsmouth, Greenland, llamp- 
 tom and Newcastle, and was incorporated 
 April 30, 1726. 
 
 Another account says 1718, but this is 
 probably a mis'ake. At the time of its 
 incorporation Jotham Odiorne and Sam- 
 uel Hracketw ere appcinti-d a committee to 
 settle with the selectmen of the town of- 
 New<'astle. It was for many years after 
 its formation into a Society, styled the 
 Parish of Rye in Newcastle. Only since 
 the commencement of the Ameiican Rev- 
 olution has it exercised town privileges. 
 B'fore that time it acted in conjunction 
 with Newcastle, in the choice of represent- 
 atives, and in other usual town business, 
 but a separation from the town of New- 
 castle was agitated at an e irlier period. 
 March 1, 1758 as appears from the re- 
 cords, a town meeting was warned, among 
 other things, "to see wheiher the Parish 
 will for to get off from going to the Great 
 Island to choose .Assembly men!" but no 
 action appears to have been t.iken. The 
 (irst meetingdiouse was erected in 1725, 
 and the next year July 10, 1726, a church 
 was organized. Other matters pertain- 
 in j; to the history of the town in its relig- 
 ious and educational aspevts are of course 
 omittiHl. 
 
 Th ' town has contributed more largely 
 to the settb'inent of the interior of the 
 State, than any other according to its 
 >iz '. Epsom, Rochester, Barringfon, 
 Chester and many other towns recognize 
 m ny of their inhabitants as having been o- 
 riginaby from this place, and the cliurches 
 in a number of these towns were first 
 formed in part by members removed 
 from the church of Christ here. 
 
 In 1753 Scarlet Fever extensively pre- 
 vailed. Many children died, three or 
 four in a fumly. 1761 the Small Po.x 
 prevailed extensively. 
 
 Rye Ha-bor was dug out in 179- — vot- 
 ed Mav 7th. 133 days' labor appear to 
 have tieen given. In the Canada or 
 French War, H persons lost their lives 
 in the service of tlieir countiy, and thirty- 
 eighi in the war of thu Revolution, by sea 
 and land, most of them young men. Mr. 
 Porter says twenty-einht,but this is a mis- 
 take, as thirty-eight na/ncs are record il, 
 Capt Joseph Parsons raised his own com- 
 pany in the war of ihe revolution. 
 
 Nearly ad of them were from Rye. 
 Ninety five from this town served under 
 him at different times, and at least four 
 other coiniiianders. How many priva- 
 
8 
 
 teersmen thnre were is not known. Ju- 
 ly 18, 1774, two deputies, Samuel 
 Knowles and Samuel Jenness. were cho- 
 sfu to go to the convention at P^xeter, to 
 choose delefrates to a general Conj^re-s. 
 and at the same time it was voted ihaf 
 the Selectmen shall raise three pounds 
 towards paying the delegates, and that the 
 Parish will defiay the charges of the 
 deputies." 
 
 The town w;is visited wiih great sick- 
 ness and mortality in 1803. Aiore than 
 22o peisons were seized with diseases of 
 vaiious kinds. 35 died. In 1816 the 
 spoiled fever prevailed. 'I'he disease 
 was so infectious and the mortality so 
 great as seriously to alarm the inhab- 
 tants. The buriaU were ruade by night. — 
 In the last war with Great Britain, Mari h 
 18. 1813, an Alarm list Company of ob 
 officers and privates was formed in this 
 town, of which Jonathan VVed^ewood 
 was chosen Captain, 92 from the town 
 of Rye were engaged in this war, besides 
 the alarm C'-mpanv. Eleven cavalry serv- 
 ed under Capt. James Colman, and the 
 others in two companie.> of infantry under 
 Captains Ephraim Phibrick and Samuel 
 P. Berry. IG served as privnteersmen. 
 4 were captured, 2 lost. Three, Koberi 
 Robinson. R chard R. Locke, and Na- 
 thaniel G. Lear, were put in Dartmoor 
 prison. Dr. Joseph Paisons served as 
 Surgeon's mate on the ship Orlando. Foi- 
 ty eight appliidfor bounty land, under 
 the act of March 3, 1855. 
 
 As early as 1834, as appears from the 
 records, iht town committed itself by th- 
 following vote in favor of temperance: — 
 "Voted, that the selectmen shiU not 
 grant license to any person to retail ar- 
 dent spirit in this town the present year." 
 Ami March, 8, 1836 it was further voied 
 "that no cigars or pipes shall be smoked 
 in or about the meeting houses or school 
 bouses on the Sabbath, under the penalty 
 of one dollar fine for each and every of- 
 fence, to be collected by a complaint be- 
 fore a Justice of the Peace, by the sexton, 
 Selectmen, or tithing men." 
 
 In the late rebellion 100 men enlisted, 
 forty six in 1801, fifty four in 1862 — 
 Forty-four were dratted Aug. 1, 1863. — 
 Six are known to have lost their lives in 
 the service. Charles Holmes, killed at 
 the first bailie at Bull Run, J. Harrison 
 Foye killed May 3. 1862. Wra. F. Math- 
 er, killed at the battle of Cold Harbor, 
 June, 1864. David Locke, killed at Har- 
 rison's Landing, Sept 29, 1864 ; John H. 
 
 Shapleigh, killed at Waynesboro', Virgin- 
 ia, Sept. 28, 1864 ; Lieut. Robert P. Shai>- 
 1-igh died June 2, 1865. 
 
 What a contrast between the present 
 and the past ! How liale we realize the 
 hardships of the early .'■ettlers! They 
 had few of the comforts and none of the 
 luxuries of life. The wildness of nature 
 was to be subdued ; forests to he levelled ; 
 houses to be erected, and they had only 
 the rudest iiuplemenis. The great, ocean 
 with its rolling waves, was ever reminding 
 them that a well nigh impassable barrier 
 lay between them and the dear old coun- 
 try they had left behind. They were har- 
 assed continually with feai'. For aujiht 
 they knew, a savage might be lurking in 
 ambush, or a wild iieist in every thicket. 
 When they lay down at night they knew 
 not but it might be their last sleep. The}' 
 left their homes consciou-* that they might 
 be matis acred, or return to find their 
 wives and children murdered, or carried 
 into an almost hopeless captivity, and their 
 habitations in ruins. Tlieir arms were 
 constantly with them, at their work and 
 by their firesides ; and even when in the 
 house of God, they were guarding against 
 surprise , and were ready to defend them- 
 selves at a moment's notice. Every man 
 carried as it were his life in his hands, and 
 the lives of his dear ones. Consider the 
 privileges and bles.sings of to-day, and re- 
 member that they are the reward of their 
 labors. 
 
 The citizens of Rye from the time of the 
 Revolution onward have shown themselves 
 the hei'uic defenders of liberty. 
 
 They have loved their country, and been 
 loyal to free principles, and whenever their 
 country has been imperilled, have made an 
 earnest and manly resistance to organized 
 oppression and wrong. They have vindi- 
 cated the cause of truth and justice, and 
 maintained the honor of the dear old tiag. 
 
 Recall the past, let your imagination 
 bring up before you those who at differ- 
 ent times have gone out from among you, 
 leaving wife and children and home, and all 
 that was dear to them, and offered them- 
 selves a sacrifice upon the altar of their 
 country, for their country's good. Think 
 of :hem pining in hospitals and prisons ; 
 of their wearisome marches ; their dying 
 groans and their mutilated bodies, as they 
 lay weltering in tlieir gore or were lifted 
 from the blood-stained earth on which 
 they fell ; of the anguish, the bitter heart- 
 rending sorrow, ot^ fathers and mothers, 
 brothers and sisters, widows and orphans, 
 and read in it the price they paid, — the 
 cost of our free institutions. 
 
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES IN RYE. 
 
 ADDRESS OF KKV. ALVA II 11. MORRILL. 
 
 By thfi assignment of your committee, 
 it becomes my duty to speik to you at 
 this time concernii'g the religious imer- 
 ests of our town from earliest times till 
 the present. It will he well lor us to 
 bear this fact in mind, that we owe much 
 of our temporal prosperity to religious in- 
 stitutions. This has been clearly exem- 
 plitied in tiie early history of tlic town. 
 The early settlers being only thinly scat- 
 tered through the trnvn, and in low cir- 
 cumstance-', were destitute of the settled 
 minisiry for about ninety years, and dur- 
 ing all this time their circumstances were 
 but little improved. The commencement 
 of their era of prosperity was cotempora- 
 ry with the founding of the church. 'J'he 
 first meeting house in this town was erect- 
 ed in 1725. The timlier ibr this Iiouse 
 was dr.iwn to the spot by nun yoked to- 
 gether. The reason of this joking of 
 men is not known ; Intt whatever it was, 
 their zeil in the good w^rk was commend- 
 able, and wo'thy of imitation. 
 
 As to the size or style of this primitive 
 meeting house, nothing is known. It, 
 was prui'alily like others of the same time, 
 destitute of architectural beauty, ru(]ely 
 finished and plainly furnished, without 
 sti'ves, cushiouH, carp^ ts or even piint; 
 in fact entirely free from any of the com- 
 forts or conveniences of modern church 
 es. Here without doubt, the gra) -haired 
 father, the care-worn mother, the stal- 
 wart young man, the blushing maiden, 
 and the little child reverently listened to 
 the long prayer and lengthy sermon, with 
 scarce a thought of a more attractive 
 and comfortable place of w>i ship. 
 
 The meeting-house built, the nc.\t step 
 was to find a preacher. At a parish 
 meeting held on May 9th, 1726. it 
 was voted that Mr, Nathaniel Morrill 
 should be the settled minister of this par 
 ish." llis salai v was 90 pounds, equiva- 
 lent to $300. By vote of the Parish. 
 June 29lh, 172G, "the 26th day of July 
 next was set apart as a day of fasting and 
 prayer, to supplicate the throne of grace 
 
 and seek God's blessing in ye great and 
 weighty affair of settling Christ's church 
 in this parish, which ye Lord grant may 
 redound to his glory." It appears by 
 this that the church was organized the 
 20th of July 1726- 20 persons were dis- 
 missed from the church in Hampton to 
 join heri'. Mr. Morrill was ordained the 
 14th of the following September. 
 
 U'hcn fixing the time, the parish voted 
 that Richard Jenness and Nathaniel Rand 
 should provide a dinner for ye ministers 
 and me-sengers at ye parish charge, in 
 case .>e contributions and Iree-will offer- 
 ings of persons should fall short, which is 
 to be on ye last Sa!)batli in August." 
 Everything appears to have gone on 
 smoothly for some years, and Mr. Morrill 
 seems to have enjoyed the esteem of the 
 people; as in 1732 the parisli voted him 
 a gratuity of 20 pounds, and in 1733 they 
 \oiedthat four collections should be taken 
 for him during the year. But something 
 seems to have suddenly transpired, for in 
 two month- of the last vote, they "voted 
 that Mr. Morrill shall not preach in this 
 parish, nni- hire a minister for it and 
 that vve will not pay his salary.'' He 
 ; was dismissed Sept. 26, 1733. Of his 
 j ministry here nothing is recorded, as the 
 j church record extends back no further 
 I than 1736, hence we cannot know what 
 I was the cause of this summary action on 
 I the part of the parish. He was a man of 
 acknowledged abilities. Tradition has it 
 that the best that could be said of him is 
 wilt an old parishioner said after his dis- 
 missal, that "when he was in the pulpit 
 henever ought to go out. and when out, 
 he never ought to go in." 
 
 For more than three years the people 
 were without a pastor, but they were not 
 idle. In Nov. 173-1, 450 pounds of Bills 
 of Credit were appropriated to procure a 
 parsonage house and land. Of this an- 
 cient parsonage but little is known, but 
 it was probably in keeping with the meet- 
 ing-house only more substantial, as it serv- 
 ed its purpose 70 years, while the uk eting 
 
10 
 
 house was used only about 35. In 1735 
 a comiuittee was appoiiiled by the parish 
 tocoiisu't with certan\ clerg\meu aboui 
 settling a minister. They heard several 
 candidates, and finally August 16ih 17;>6, 
 Mr. Samu 1 Parsons received and accept- 
 ed the call to become their pastor, "on a 
 salary of 140 pounds, 20 cords of wood, 
 with the parsunaj^e " He was o^'dained 
 and installed Nov. 3, ot the same year. 
 The house vv:is not finished until alter Mr. 
 Parsons occupied it, but in tht-; foUowinix 
 spring it was completed, and an orchard 
 set 01. t. Kor was the meeting-house fin- 
 ished until 17o9, 14 years afier ii had 
 been built, fur we find in this year that 
 they voted to finish the meeting-house, 
 all but what joined the pe^s. Nothing 
 of special int' rest occurs agam until Jan. 
 2^!th, 1755, when a vote was taken in ref- 
 erence to repaiiingthe old meeting-house, 
 or buildiuii a new one, which resulted in 
 favor of the new. 
 
 Several recorded their dissent. The 
 dimt^nsion.s of this house were G0.\40. 
 Near the close of the following year it 
 was voted to build a steeple. How long 
 this house was in process of budding is 
 not known, as there is no record of its 
 dedicition, but probably it was several 
 years. 1 hus the first meeting house, af- 
 ter a brief existence of only about 35 
 years, was torn down to give place to an 
 other. Several appropriations were made 
 for a bell, uniil finally in 1766, ihe select- 
 mi-n were ill^tructed to pay tor the same, 
 and a committee were lo hiie it hung as 
 cheaply as possible. This house was lo- 
 caU'd closeto the street, nearly west Iron) 
 the presen Congregationalist Church, 
 and is well remembered by the older por- 
 tion of our community. From •sundry 
 votes that were passed, mentioning the 
 women's seats below, and the women's 
 gallery, I conclude that there were cer- 
 tain seals for nn^ii and others for women. 
 This meeting house was of the okl lash- 
 ioned kind, with its high square pews., 
 gallery on three sides, high pulpit, its 
 sounding board, &c. The parish en(Uav- 
 ort^d to preserve good order in the ser- 
 vice of God's house, judging from the 
 many instnictions given at different times 
 to the tiihing men, and other votes, such 
 as, "every person ouniing to meeting on 
 the Lord's day in time of service inusi 
 uike his seat in the meeting house direct- 
 ly," and "the belfry and stairs mu^t be 
 cleared ot boys alter service begins." 
 
 At lengih by age and paralytic shocks 
 Mr. Parsons hecyme unable to perform 
 the duties of his ollice, and in June 18ih, 
 1784, J.'cacons Jenness and Locke were 
 
 chosen a committee to go to North Hill 
 and inquire of the niinislers for a young 
 man who had a good recommendation 
 anit would be likely to spttie. 
 
 Eff irts wer.- now made to effect some 
 settlement with Mr. Parsons, that the field 
 might be cUar for a young man. After 
 two attempts, an Mrrangement was finally 
 perfected, Oct. 11, 17«4, by which Mr. 
 Samuel VVallis, Jr., agreed to keep Mr. 
 Persons during his natural life for ^S5 prr 
 year, and Mr. Parsons, signed an agree 
 II ent releasing the [)arish from any obli- 
 gation to him, in consideration of this pro- 
 vision fot his support. Oct. 25, 1784, the 
 church met at Mi-, Parsons house and vo- 
 ted to call I'dr. ILmting on Poiter to be- 
 come colleague pastor, the pirish on the 
 same day concurring m the aition ot the 
 church. Mr. Porter accepted the 'call, 
 and the following were the article.s of 
 agreement : 75 pounds the firsi year, 80 
 the second, 85 the third and 9u pounds 
 the fourth and following years, to be paid 
 in gold or silver, or an equivalent; use of 
 the p:irsonage, wiiich was to be kept in 
 lepair, and after Mr. Parsons' death, 
 eight cords of wood brought to his door. 
 Tne p 'und was equivalent to 3 1-3 dol- 
 l.irsofour money. Mr. Porter was or- 
 dained and installed Deo. 29(h, 1784. — 
 Mr. Parsons died Jan. 4th 1789. DurinTg 
 his pastorate over 2ou persons were ad- 
 mitted to full communion, and 1.581 names 
 are recorded on ihe church book as hav- 
 ing been baijtized, and the marriag. s of 
 nearly 400 couples are also recorded. He 
 .-eems to have been highly esteemed by 
 th« parish, as a few yeais after his death 
 they voted to purchase head stones for 
 Mr and Mrs. Parsons' graves. 
 
 Afier the death of Mr. Parsons, until 
 1828, one of the items in tie record of 
 every annual election was "Vendue of 
 Mr. Porter's wood." The new meeting 
 house was not fully finished at first, as a 
 vote was p issed iMarch 29 17UG instruct- 
 ing the selectmen to furnish clapboards 
 and timber for the crowns of the windows, 
 and the following year the parish voted to 
 clapboard and otherwise improve the 
 house. In 1805 they vcted to paint the 
 outside the same color as the steeple, and 
 to paint the pulpit and dea^'ons' seats 
 m;diogany color ; and also to paint the 
 front and pillars of the gallery. In 18o« 
 a part of tne meetinghouse was convert- 
 ed into an arsenal, as we find that the 
 town voted that tlie powder and balls for 
 the town be deposited in the "?'u^'" of the 
 meeting liouse. 
 
 In 1810, the old parsonage house, 
 which had been built about 75 years, had 
 
11 
 
 become so unfit for its purpos-, lliat a 
 new o>e was votml, and ilie work of coii- 
 stiuction >se ms to have gone rapidly for- 
 ward. The parson ige was to be 38 by 29 
 feet, was to iiave two ihiinne\s ; the first 
 story H feet post, the second story 7 feet 
 post, &c. It was built near the site of 
 tlie old house, a little to the east of it, and 
 some of the timber of thi- old house was 
 to be used in its construction It was oc- 
 cupied as a parsoiKif^e only about 20 
 years, when it was sold on account of ai^ 
 iiicunibrance. This hiuse is still stan I- 
 in<^, beii)g now the residence of Mr. Isaac 
 llar.d. 
 
 Thus far in our his'ory of tlie relijfious 
 inteiests of thi: town, wo have spoken of 
 but one church, because there had been 
 but or)e for more th m 90 years. But it 
 is not to be so in the afer history, as Kye, 
 like aha st ever} other New Enj^land 
 tow.i where once the only church was tiie 
 Congiegational, is to have, like them, 
 churches of other denoniinations tlian the 
 "slam/in f/ order.'''' 
 
 About 1S05 or 10. we cannot ascertain 
 the date exactly, Elder Eben Leavitt be- 
 gan to preach in this vicinity the doctrine 
 now held by the denomination called 
 Chi istian. which had its origin near the 
 beginnnig of the pre-ent century, Many 
 eiubrac d the.'-e vii^ws, which were then 
 regarded as heretical f>r heterodox, but 
 whch now, such has been the chang« in 
 theolog cal views, are regarded as ortho- 
 ilo.x, and those embracing them held in 
 esteem by all evangelical churches. Of 
 course there was a division. Instead of 
 all attending one church, tht^y now at- 
 tended two. About, the same time a 
 small meeting house was built, by Mr. 
 Nathaniel Ki.owles aided by a few others, 
 on his land, which is now owntd by Mr. 
 Charles Knowles, the meeting house 
 standnig midway of the lane leading from 
 the street to his house, on the right hand 
 side. 
 
 We learn that there was considera'le 
 bitterness, and many harsh saying occa- 
 sioned by this new depariure, as would 
 likely be the case, and that Mr. Porter 
 doubted the wisdom o( such a course and 
 even opposed it ; ;is we should naturally 
 expect. However, the y<»ung society 
 flourished amid all this opposition, and 
 gained in inlluencc. sn th it in 1824. the 
 town believed in toleiation, as is witness- 
 ed by the fact that it voted to supply the 
 Christian as well as the Cong, church 
 •.vith wood, which was done for several 
 yeuis. 
 
 The early records of the Christian 
 Church and Society arc not as full as we 
 
 could wish, and hence many items which 
 would have been of interest at this time 
 are not within our reai h. 
 
 In 1824 and also 1827, extensive revi- 
 vals were enjo}'ed under the labors of 
 Eldeis Leavitt, Philbrick •■ind others of 
 the ('hristian denomination, which greatly 
 strt-nglheind that society. i he [jasloral 
 care of this people wa-i taken by Eid. 
 I^Jphraim l'hilbrick,who had been convert- 
 ed under the labo: s of Eld. Leavitt, and 
 ord. lined here, until 1839. In 1828, 
 Nov. 7, -in ai^reement was entered into 
 by I he town and Mr. Porter whereby the 
 ci\il contract between him ami tlie town 
 as pastor, was dissolved, the town paying 
 Mr. Porter !$3oO, and granting him the 
 use of the parsonage until March, 183 J ; 
 and by this action the Local church was 
 disestablished. 
 
 In 182'J, the use of the meeting house 
 was granted to the Christians, Methodists 
 and Universalists for one half the time, 
 the Co.ig. Society worshippmg one half 
 of the time at the centre schoolhouse in 
 cons quence. 
 
 The Chri-tian Society however seem 
 not to have used the old meetinghouse long 
 — for IJec. 13, 1830, pel mission was granted 
 them to move their meeting house before 
 alluded to, upon the tov\'n lands at the 
 centie near the pouml, and it was soon af- 
 ter moved, and stood directly in front of 
 the present church. 
 
 The Methodists however held meetings 
 quite regularly for a line and occupied 
 the old meeting house, but soon h id only 
 occasional jireaching, a.s no society or 
 church was formed till several 3'ears af- 
 ter. Just before the dissolution of the 
 civil compact with Mr. Porter, an effort 
 was made to form a new re ii^ious society. 
 to act in conjunctionwith the Cong, church, 
 and Its organization was <'ffected Oct. 24, 
 1828, under the name of tiie 3d religions 
 society in Liye, but the name was change 1 
 March 28, 183l3, to the Congicgational 
 Society. There were 135 signatures at 
 the time of its organization. 
 
 In 1829, the burden of cate and re- 
 sponsibility being too great for Mr. Por- 
 ter, who was considerably adv.aiiced in 
 years, the Cong, society on April 8'.h in- 
 vited Mr. Bezaleel Smith to become col- 
 league pastor with Mr. Porter, and he 
 was ordained and installed May 13,1829. 
 In Feb. lS3f , the Cong, church and so- 
 ciety became interested ii the matter of a 
 parsonage for thi^ir minister, asthe town 
 parsonage was sold in June 1830, and af- 
 ter several meetings for that purpose a 
 subscription w.^s started, which soou 
 amounted to ever S8i30, and a little after 
 
12 
 
 to the requisite $1000, the ?um whi'-h 
 must be raised before any of the subscrip 
 tions became due. A committee of 12 
 were chosen to expend the money, and 
 they first bought o acres ot land of Miss 
 M.Locke, which in a few months was sold, 
 and in April 1833, the Lieu . Amos Gar- 
 land farm was purchased for .$1200. for 
 parsonage purposes. A barn was built 
 and some otlier improvements, making 
 the entire cost of lh<- parsona<;e land and 
 buildings about $1500 at that limn. It 
 seems that in 1839 there was a debt of 
 over $80 on the parsonage, and the sub 
 scribers for a parsonage voted that they 
 would deed the pr perty to thu Congre- 
 gationalist !-ocie y. if said society wnuld 
 assume the debt, which ihey d'd, and the 
 parsonage was deeded to the society, De- 
 cember 16, 1839. 
 
 The Cong, society continued to occupy 
 the old meeting house, with no effort to 
 secure a new house, until March 25, 1837, 
 when at the annual meeting it was voted 
 t J choose a committee of four to circulate 
 a subscription paper to raise money for a 
 new meeting house. The building com- 
 mittee were authorized to expend a sum 
 not exceeding $2700. The audience room 
 ■was finished so as to be dedicaed Dec. 27, 
 1837. It appears from the records that 
 the house cost $2918. The highest paid 
 for a pew was$60.10. The house contain- 
 ed 64 pews. At a meeting held Oct. 28, 
 1839, Thomas J Parsons Esq., with such 
 persons as he might associate with him- 
 self, was granted the privilege of finishing 
 a hall in the basement, to be controlled by 
 them until such time as the society should 
 pay for the cost of finishing said hall with 
 interest. The finishing of the vestry cost 
 nearly $800. The society took possession 
 of it in 1841, having paid the expenses of 
 finishing it. 
 
 Bat we must now go back a little 
 , as to time. According to the church rec- 
 ord, the Christian church was organized 
 Aug. 20, 1833, as this is the date of its 
 constitution. It had probably been or- 
 ganized before, but as we have no pre- 
 vious recoid, and as the constitution or 
 covenant was adopted at this time, we 
 must date this as the organization of the 
 church under its present form. The names 
 of forty persons are recorded as the 
 members at this time. Large accessions 
 were received in the spring of 1839. That 
 year was one of great importance to the 
 religious societie-; of this town. March 
 16th of this year the Methodist Episcopal 
 Society was organized. April 12th a 
 building committee was chosen, and such 
 was the rapidity \vith which the work was 
 done that the meeting house was dedicated 
 Oct. 9th, 18.39, Rev. Jacob Sanborn 
 preac'iins the sermon. 
 
 'this house with the land cost about 
 S2300, and contained 48 pews, if I remem- 
 ber correctly. 
 
 The Cnristian Society, that had wor- 
 shipped several years in a h 'Use far too 
 smiil for their needs and uuwoithy ol its 
 purpose, during tliis year also erected 
 their church. 
 
 Their house cost, including the land on 
 which it stands, and that occupied by the 
 sheds, $3750, the land being SoGO. it 
 contained, as now, 60 pews The pews 
 were all prized at $60 apiece, and were 
 sold ;it auction for choice, the highest 
 choice money being $33, so the highest 
 paid for a pew was $93. According to 
 the church record, it was dedicated 34 
 years ago to d.iy, but this is a mistake, as 
 in the life of Eld-r Mark Fernald, mention 
 i-i made of the dedication, at which he 
 was present, as taking place Oct. 30ih, 
 1839, which is undoubtedly correct, llev. 
 David Mdlard, then of Portsmouth, who 
 died at Jackson, Mich, a few weeks sinci% 
 preached the dedication sermon. 
 
 In July 12, 1841, Rev. Mr. Smi'h was 
 dismissed from the Cong Church, and on 
 Dec. 1 Ith of the same year, Rev. James 
 F. McRwen was installed. Durmg Mr. 
 McEw.:n's pastorate. Rev. Huntingto'i 
 Porter died. His death occurri'd in 
 March 7, 1^*44. During this long pastor- 
 ate over 850 were baptised, and over 
 400 couples married. But few compara- 
 tively seem to have been added to the 
 church during his pastorate. 
 
 But we must turn back for a moment 
 to bid farewell to the old meeting house. 
 In 1840, March 25ih, it was sold for $280. 
 It was moved into the lot between the 
 Cong. Church and the buildings now 
 owned by Mr. Albert Walker, and some- 
 what repaired, designed to be occupied 
 for Universalist preaching, but was soon 
 moved to Portsinouihand uspd as a stable, 
 standing on the lot on State St near Mid- 
 dle, now occupied by Mr. B. Frank Web- 
 ster's new houise. It was destroyed by 
 fire some s x or seven years since, and 
 thus endeth its history. 
 
 Rye was somewhat stirred by the great 
 religious excitement of 1843 and 44, inau- 
 gurated by those who believed the world 
 was then coming to an end. Several here 
 embraced these views, and about 20 mem- 
 bers withdrew from the Christian Church, 
 and with others maintained a meeting 
 for some years at the South School House . 
 After the lapse of several years, the 
 meeting was given up and they attended 
 worship at the other churches, though not 
 returning to their former church relation. 
 In 1842 the Methodist Society voted to 
 
13 
 
 build a parsonage, which secius to have 
 licen completed by 18i3, and though fur 
 a while ihey were in debt, yet in due 
 time i' was all puid. It cost about $800. 
 Ap'il 8tl), 18-I(j ]\Ir. McEwen was dis- 
 mi-sed from his pastorate, and august -ith 
 1847 Kev. J. T. Otis was installe.i. and 
 continued to be pastor in the Cong, church 
 until April 24th 1866, when he was dis 
 missed, being the last settled pastor of 
 that church. 
 
 Rev. Giles Leach began to supply for 
 this church Oct 11th 1867, and continued 
 thus untihhe close of 1870. since which 
 time I hern has been only occasional 
 pnaching for that society, until May last, 
 when Rev. J. K, Aldrich began his la- 
 bors. He has not yet been installed. The 
 Methodist Society in 185U made quite ex- 
 tensive repairs to their church, at an ex- 
 pense of about $500, and it was dedicated 
 June 2nd of that year. Rev Mr. Hall of 
 Portsmouth preaching the sermon. 
 
 For several years past, there his been 
 nothing of special interest to demand our 
 attention. Iiimiedi^itely following the 
 years of church-building, there was a 
 great revival interest and many were re- 
 ceived into the churches. For nearly 30 
 years there have been no such spasms of 
 relij^ious interest as before, though there 
 have been several revivals. The winter of 
 67 and 58 witnessed many cinversions 
 
 A few years since the believers in the 
 immediate cominj!; of Christ, usually 
 known a-* Second Adventists.revived their 
 meetings here, which had been suspemted 
 a few years alter the 43 and 44 excitement, 
 and in May 1872 dedicated a chapel, on 
 South road, so called, near Cheslcy's Cor- 
 ner. Regular services are held, the Sab- 
 bath services being conduced by vari'us 
 clergymen of that order, as usually ihe 
 churches of this faith do not have pastors. 
 
 I have already given the names of the 
 various pastors of the Cong, church, and 
 it may not be amiss to mention the pastors 
 of the other societies. After 1839 for 
 s-mo two years Eld Philbrick and Rev T. 
 F. Barry ofHciated conjointly as pastors 
 of the Christian Church. After the Rev, 
 Abuer Hall was pastor some 2 years, 
 he was followed by the Rfv. W. H. 
 Nason, l|o years, Kev. Mr. Moshin, sev- 
 
 eral years. Rev. S. Hinckly ^4 year, W. 
 H Ireland 2 years, J. H. Row^ll oyears, 
 Joel Wilson 8 years, Timothy Cole 2 
 years, J. L Pierce 3 years, B. Dick- 
 son 3 years, C. Simonil-; 1 year, David 
 Knowiton yX ynar, J. L. Pierce again 2 
 years, J. P. Nelson, 1 year, T. Oow, 
 9 months, and the present pastor, K^'\, 
 A. H. iMorrill, followed, commencing his 
 labors April 1st 1872. 
 
 The Methodist Society have had the 
 labors of J. T. Adams, Mr. VVallingford, 
 Mr. Macendo, Mr. Legro, J. W. Adams, 
 N. M. Bailey, N. L. Chase, W. H. 
 Sfewait, G. \V. T. Rogers, and others 
 whose names I have be n unable to ob 
 tain. 
 
 Rev A. Folsom was the last set- 
 tled preacher. Regular services were not 
 held after 1868, if I am to judge from the 
 records of the societj'. I may say a word 
 further relative to the number of mem- 
 bers connected with the various churches. 
 
 As near as I can estimate, the Cono-. 
 church, in its recorded history of 187 
 years, (there are no records of its first 
 ten years) has had about 500 members. 
 In Mr. Porter's day the greatest number 
 was 85 and the smallest 56. Its present 
 membership is between 50 and 60. 
 
 The Methodist Church, in itshistorv of 
 about 30 years, has had connected with it 
 on probation and in full fellowship about 
 75. 
 
 The Christian Church, in its 50 y<'ars 
 of existence, has had 240 members, and 
 now numbers 120. 
 
 I hardly nee I to say that the Metho- 
 dist Church and parsonage were sold the 
 piesent year, for the fact that we are now 
 assembled in the old M. E. Church, 
 enlarged, repaired, owned by the town, 
 and by these services dedicated as a 
 Town Hall, is familiar to all. 
 
 In conclusion I may say that the pres- 
 ent religious Societies are in a tlourishing: 
 condition, and abundantly able to sus- 
 tain themselves creditably in this commu- 
 nity ; are on kindly terms with each other; 
 and we hope they may keep in view the 
 great objects for which they were estab- 
 lished, and that they may meet with large 
 success. 
 
THE TOWN HALL. 
 
 TJje town of Rye purchased the Methodist Episcopal raeeting-liouse and site, for 
 $1000 ; had it remodelled at a cost of $2660, and furnished at a cost of $595 ; mak- 
 ing a total cost of $4255. 
 
 The town bell was previously removed from the Congregational Church, and be- 
 ing era k( d, was recast and placed on the new building. This bell had previously 
 been twice cracked and recast. 
 
 The committee for remodelling were Emmons B. Philbrick, Eben L. Seavey, Simon 
 L. Chesley. Tl.e plans were drawn by E, B. Philhrick. 
 
 ERRATA. 
 
 Page 7, Ifttb line from top, the John Brewster Jr. whose wife was wounded at 
 the Massacre on Portsmouth Plains cannot be traced as the great grandson of Elder 
 Wm. Brewster, though he was probably a lenial descendent from him. 
 
 Page 7, 6th line from bottom Dr. John W. and not Dr. Joseph Parsons, served as 
 Surgeon's mate on the ship Orlando. 
 
 Page 8, 26th line from top, Eleven Cavalry enlisted in Capt. Colman's company. 
 It appears that they did not serve under him. 
 
 Page 9, 3rd line from bottom, first column, read 20th day of July, instead of 26th 
 
 Page 12, first column, 25th Jine from bottom, read $300 instead of $6 
 
THE SCHOOL HISTORY OF RYE. 
 
 ADDRESS OF G. II. JENNESS, SUPT. SCHOOL COMMITTEE. 
 
 It i.s not probable that thorc was any 
 organized slIiooI sysiein until sometime 
 after the in orporation of the Town in 
 172(), although what is known as the 
 "movinjj school" is referred to soon af- 
 ter the Parish was severed from Newcas- 
 tle. The "moving school ' was an insti- 
 tution peculiar to the early settlemcnti, 
 and was kept at privati^ housci in differ- 
 ent neighborhoods so as to accommodate 
 the children of as many families as cir- 
 cumstances wonM permit. Ihe family 
 that "entertained" the moving schot.l, of 
 course boarded the schoolmaster, who was 
 in those days considered quite a dignitary, 
 second in importance only to the minister 
 and the Justice ot the Peace. 
 
 Previous to any organized effort to es- 
 tabh>li public schools, ih< smaller children 
 were taught by village dames — which 
 sounds large at first, but which being in- 
 terpreted, is generally acknowledged, 1 
 believe, to have been usid as a genteel 
 e.\pres>ion for ''Old Maids." 
 
 Those who desiied to fit f)r college 
 were generally taken in hand by the 
 minister and prepared as well as their 
 timi' and talents would allow. A fVw 
 sca'tered acadamies afforded opportuni- 
 ties for thoso who possessed the means, to 
 acquire' a fair education, but the m iss of 
 the people had to be contented with the 
 facilities offered by the "moving schools.'' 
 
 * lit lit >ii l(: * * f 
 
 Everything relating to our early school 
 history is left in a very tVagmeniary and 
 <lisjointed condition. The searcher after 
 facts finds but few to gather, and those 
 only recoided at irregular intervals. 
 
 While the town records are very com- 
 plete upnn the important subject of ring 
 ing the bell, and while the town clerks 
 have been commendably faithful in record- 
 ing the names of all the great men who 
 have filled the positions of "Hog-reeve" 
 and "Fence-viewer." both leave us in 
 blissful ignorance upon the vital subject 
 of Education. The earliest date that I 
 
 have been able to find upon the regular 
 Town records, concerning schotd raaiters 
 is March 23, 1729, when it was "Voted at 
 fd'ul meetiiiji i hat the Selectmen should be 
 enipowere<l to liive a school-master and 
 move him several times as they see cause 
 for the conveniency of the children's go- 
 ing to school." 
 
 In 1731 it was "Voted that the sekct- 
 men be empowered to hire a schoolm.,8- 
 ter one half of the year. 
 
 In June, 1737, there was an article in 
 the warrant, " I'o sen what you will do 
 concerning a school," but as there is no 
 action recorded it is not probable that 
 there was any school that year. 
 
 in 1739, "Voted that there should be a 
 moving schoid and that every party that 
 hath the benefit of the school shall pro- 
 vide a house to keep school in, and that 
 the moving school siiall lie at the discre- 
 tion of the SehctMienof the Parish." 
 
 From 1739 to 1751 regular school ap- 
 propriations were made, and in the latter 
 year the question of a new school house 
 was agitated, and was a "lively" issue at 
 many subsequent Town meetings. In 
 1751, tiie people were invited "To see if 
 they will do anything concerning build- 
 ing a school-house in the Parish," and in 
 1752 to see if they will vote to build two 
 school-houses. It will be observed th it 
 the Town is spoken of as the Parish for 
 many years after its incorporation, and 
 were there nothing but the records of the 
 Town clerks to guide us, we should infer 
 that Rye continued to be a Parish of New- 
 castle long after it is known to have been 
 separate. 
 
 In 1756, there Avere local dissensions 
 and jealousies, and a first-class school 
 row all over town. It finally culminated 
 in a proposition, "To see if the parish will 
 vote the school money shall be divided, 
 and let each party hire a school-master 
 according to their liking," and in 1757, 
 "To see if the parish will settle the school 
 in two pltces or settle the school at the 
 
16 
 
 Centre." The voting at the meeting 
 was slightly contra lictory as will be seen 
 by the f'liowing record : 
 
 1st Vi'ted that the school should be 
 kept i n the Centre of the F irish. 
 
 2nd. Voted that the school be 1<<'P'' 
 one-half of the year to the eastward of 
 the mee ting-h'^use. 
 
 3rd. Voted that the school be kept in 
 two p'a'-es above ihe meeting-house. 
 
 S'ich votinii as thut sets at defiance the 
 fundamental law of Physics, that tuo 
 bodes cannot occupy the same space ai 
 the s^me lime. Hi>w the dilEcul'y was 
 finally adjusted does not appear, but in 
 March 23, 1761, it was "Voted that the 
 school sho'ild be one-half above and the 
 oher half below the meeting house." 
 (This does not mean in the bellfiy a part 
 of th" time, and the remainder in the 
 basement. — Ed.) 
 
 In 1764:,sotU(^ unexpneted fit of liberal- 
 ity seized upon someliody, for there was 
 an article in the warrant. To see if the\ 
 will buy a school-house and lot with a 
 hou-e on it, or liuihl a housi^ for a sch >ol- 
 mas er. "The disease didn't sprcsad how- 
 evf-r, and. <'f course, the schoolma-t'r's 
 house wasn't built. It i^ certain, however, 
 that there weie two school-houses built in 
 town sometime between 1704 and H.'^i — 
 for in the lattei year there was an arlicle 
 in the warra t." "To see if the Palish will 
 build A school-house, or repair the old 
 ones;" and it a sul)^^equent meeting the 
 samf- year, it was ''Voted th:it the .-e ect- 
 nien repair ihe scho"! houses, and put 
 tiiem in order." Tiiispoves that theie 
 were then at least two-hnuses, and that 
 they had been builr, and knocked into a 
 condition to need repai s since 1764. The 
 sclioolhovs of those days were, in coinnion 
 pfrlance, a pretty lough >et for in two 
 yeais from that time, it was found neces- 
 sary to build new ngain — Up repairs of 
 1784 being rather i-h' rt-iive I. 
 
 In 1786 it was "Voted there shall I e 
 a new school house built where the old 
 one now stands betwt-t n Mr. Johnson's 
 and Mr. Nathan Knuwles'". The cost 
 w s£l4 9s6d. 
 
 It was but partially finished however, 
 for in Jan. 17^9, we find an article in the 
 warrant "lo see what the town wid do to 
 finish the sehoo -house by N Knowles; " 
 but as,fhe .-(diool-honse fever had si me- 
 what su'tfided, no action was taken upon 
 the matter. 
 
 In April of the same year it was voted 
 "That theie be winder .■'heters at the 
 south school-house by N. Knowles." The 
 recording of the vote indicates, that a 
 
 .schoolmaster was quite as much needed as 
 "winder slieters." 
 
 In 1791, "Voted to build a school h'>'><e 
 At the east end of the Parish." Cost, £34 
 18s 7d. 
 
 In 1796, "Voted the town shall be di- 
 vided into 2 equal parts for to hire schools 
 foe each District."' 
 
 In 1797, "Voted the Selectmen shall 
 keep 18 months school, the school to be- 
 gin the 1st of May at both school houses 
 and keet> on five months, -nd shall t'egin 
 the middle of November and keep on four 
 months." .^Iterthis there aie no recorded 
 votes worthy of special mention, untd 
 1816, when it was -Voted that no scholar 
 below the meeting house shall go to the 
 upper school, and nonr above ihe meeting 
 house shall go to tlie lower school." 
 
 In 182G, two brick school houses were 
 buih in what are now the South and West 
 D stricts, and in 1827 two more were buik 
 in the Cenueand Ea-t Disiricts.at an :iv- 
 era:ie cost of some $400, or $500 each. 
 In 1827, the Town w is divided into two 
 Districts, each containing two school- 
 houses. In 1833, the Seh ctmen divided 
 the Town into four Distiicts. In lb45, 
 the Town was re disiricte I, and the boun- 
 dary lines defined In 1854 it was "vo- 
 ted that the ro'.?n convey by d' ed or oth- 
 erwise to each school district the school- 
 houses located in the sai e for their spe- 
 cific use;' since which time every d s- 
 trict has been entirely independent of the 
 to^n in regard to the manayenient of 
 its local affairs. Within three years a 
 new scho 1-house has been buik in the 
 West district at a cost ol nearly $2(l00. 
 anil the Sou h and East have been re- 
 paired at an aggregate cost of SllUO — 
 I liey are all in ^iood order now und are 
 a it credit lo the inlelligen ;e and liberali- 
 ty of our citizens. 
 
 'ihe amount of money appropriated for 
 sci'ool purposes in 1741 was £20, in 
 1744 £25 174'j£b(), 1792 £92, 1795$177, 
 1797 $378. and in 1^05 $-167, v, hidi is 
 the larg st amount previous to 1825. — 
 From that year th" amount gr dually in- 
 cieaed to $000, *70(). $MIO, $'J(iO, and 
 finally in 1870 to $1200, the present ap- 
 pro{)riation. Unlike most oiher lowns 
 in he State, the money is equall\ divided 
 between the four di-li icts, and thus ev- 
 er) scholar in town is placed upon exactly 
 the same footing in regard to the privi- 
 leges of our schools. 
 
 I p to the time of re-d strict'ng the 
 town, the Seleeimen retained supreme 
 control of all school matters, and hired 
 the Teachers when the people did not 
 
17 
 
 choose tbeui in open Town-mefetlng, which 
 it appears they did in our early history. 
 Among the incidental expenses of the 
 schools, the bills for wood were noiably 
 large, the old-fashioned fire-places re- 
 quiring a hirge amount in cold weaiher. — 
 The annual expense was from $25 to $-13, 
 and that for only two school-houses, and 
 when wood vvas very cheap. Among oth- 
 er "incidentals"' was ihe regular charjie 
 for "'Going after Teachers," from which ii 
 is inferred that the "a|.iplications" for a 
 situation as Teacher were not as numer- 
 ous as at present. The usual expense for 
 "going after teachers" was about two dol- 
 lars, but in ]8(I0 the St-lecinien had a bill 
 of $6.25 for hiring a schtiol-mi^tress. In- 
 asmuch as this i'cm was about three times 
 the usual amount, it must have bten that 
 the year 18o0 was not a good year for 
 "school-marms," or else the extra $■4.25 
 was for constructive daa)ages inflicted up- 
 on the Selectmen's modesty. 
 
 Of the Teacliers the records furnish but 
 little information. The only person men- 
 tioned is Christopher Gold (probably 
 meaning Gould) who was in 17(32 elected 
 to keep school for .six months. We hear 
 no moie of him until March 1773, when it 
 was "Voted i ot ti> hire iMas'erGold an\ 
 longer,'' from which I infer that he taught 
 most of tht' school time during the in er- 
 venin^; 11 years. Ihrought! e courtesy of 
 'Jhomas J. Farsuns, E^q., 1 am able to 
 lurnish from his private r^ cords the names 
 of several of the leachi rs of previous gen- 
 erations. Among them may be mentioned 
 Joseph Parsons and Rid ard W ebster, 
 who taught in 1786 and 1787 In 1 />'J, 
 •90 and "91 Peter Mitel ell and John C'r- 
 roll. in l~i^'6, James Lane. In 1794 
 John L. Pi()er. After iheni came at va- 
 rious periods Samuel Willey — John 
 Fre ch, a A'r, Sherburne, Noah liurn- 
 ham, John W. Parson^, Richard VV eb- 
 ster Jr., Jtseph Dahon. Joseph Dame, 
 Levi Meirill, Noah W'iggin, Tliomas J. 
 Parsons, John A. Tiefcthen, ai d scores 
 of oilers whose names are n ore or less 
 familiar to you. 'Ihe wag^s p.iid ranged 
 fiom $1» to $20 per monih « xdu.-ive <if 
 bo ird — the earlier teachers being paid in 
 the English cmreiicy 
 
 Dr. John W. Parsons taught school 
 and practiced medicine at the ^alne time. 
 \\ henever he was called upon to attend 
 the sick, the children were dismissed and 
 sent home. Somelim>s after teaching 
 SCI ool all day, he would walk over to 
 Korih Hampton to attend his patients 
 there, returning home on foot in the even- 
 inir. 
 
 One of the old Teachers, Levi Merrill, 
 who taught at the East Schoolhouse, 
 boarded at the house of a prominent resi- 
 dent of the district, and, as sometimes 
 happens in such instances, formed an in- 
 timate acquaititance with one of the daugh- 
 ters, which speedily ripened ir.fo some- 
 thing decidedly like courting. The old 
 man was opposed to the match, and in or- 
 der to break up the arrargement, refused 
 to board the t- acher at the next term of 
 school. He went to one of the neighbors 
 to board, and a little boy who attended 
 school wasemplosed by the teacher to 
 carry letters to the fair damsel whenever 
 the coast was clear, and the window was 
 raised a litile for a signal. The boy was 
 handsomely rewarded for carrying the 
 niiilby being let off fi om all the whip- 
 pings he was supposed to deserve, and 
 still livt s at three score and ten to relate 
 the story. He h iS held mnny positions 
 of honor and trust in his town and State, 
 ami is familiarly known as "b quire Par- 
 sons." Contrary to all the cases laid 
 down in the novels for our guidance, the 
 'ieacher di'Jn't marry the giil after all, 
 bui only fanned the latent lo\e into a lit- 
 tle ffame. and then completely extinguish- 
 ed It by marrying at other woman. 
 
 In lalei years Hall Locke is widely re- 
 membered for his scholarly attainments 
 and eccentric manners, in addition to 
 his otliei accomplishmi'nts, he could do 
 some first -class swearing whi^never he 
 thoi;ght ihe ociasion demanded it, or 
 whenever the school grew a little too 
 noisy. At one time he had reasons for 
 piinishii.ga boy, who is yet living, whose 
 hair in his youthful days was about the 
 Color of my whiskers (red). Seizing his 
 ruler he "went for" that youngster for 
 the purpose ol "reas ning" with him by 
 the only pr cess then known among 
 teachers. The boy, however, did nut de- 
 sire to be whipped just then, so he snatch- 
 ed his hat, darted oui of ihe schoolhouse 
 and staried off, witii Lccke following after 
 in hot pursuit. The M.ister was a little 
 lime, and the boy soon put a safe dis- 
 tance between himself and his dreaded 
 enemy. As Locke saw him slowly but 
 sureiy slipping out of his reach, he Hung 
 his ruler after him witn all the energy of 
 a passionate man, and yelled out "Oh! 
 
 \ ou litt e yaller headed , if 1 could get 
 
 hold of ye, I'd fix \e." 
 
 Of the Supervision of the schools the 
 machinery was much more cumbrous than 
 at present. The Commiitee-men's visit 
 was regarded as an e-vent of great import- 
 
18 
 
 ance, and a vast amount of dignity was 
 embodied in their long faces and stand-up 
 collars. I had hoped to obtain a com- 
 plete list of my predecessors, but the in- 
 excusable neg ijicnce of the Town Clerks 
 has rendered it impossible. 
 
 The fust committee on record is that o' 
 1798, when iL was "voted that Rev. Hunt- 
 ington Porter, John Carroll and Col. Jos 
 eph Parsons be a commitiee to inspect 
 the sch(Jols." 
 
 The nf^xt year (1799) the sam'? com- 
 mittee were re-elec!ed :ind the whole 
 board of Selectmen in the bargain. Now 
 Ladies and Gentlemen, it is bad enough 
 to have one committee, it is worsH to have 
 three, but to send all the Selectmen be- 
 sides, is pushing matters to that point 
 where "forbearance ceases to be a vir- 
 tue." 
 
 In 1812 the committee consisted of Rev 
 II. Porter and Dr. Joseph Parsons. In 
 1813 (^ol. Thomas G 'ss, John W. Par- 
 sons and Peter Jenness. 
 
 In 1827 tne State passed a Special Act 
 in regard to the supervision of schools, 
 since which time most of the small town-i 
 in N. ri. have elected a committee cou- 
 sistin^if of only one person. From 1827 
 to 1856 — by the most shameful remissness 
 — there is no record whatever of s'-hool 
 officers. How m my blight'-d hopes and 
 cherished ambitions slumber in that twen- 
 ty-nine years of unrecu'dc' greatness, cm 
 never be fully known. Men who put on 
 a bran-ne^v shirt coll ir, and submitted to 
 every indignity of the toilet, who faci-d 
 frowning school-masters anil giggling 
 school jiirls, endured it all in vain, and 
 havti not even the poor boon of their 
 names upon t.hn Town's parchment. Af- 
 ter this, what IS fame? In I8')7 Charles J. 
 Brown was elected Supt. C')m, and was 
 el 'Cted again in '59, '60, '63, '64, '65 and 
 '66. Levi T. Walker was elected in 1858 
 and again in '01 and '62, Thomas J. 
 Parsons was elected ai 1867 and re elect- 
 ed in 1SG8. From I8G9 until the present, 
 your humble servant (G. H. Jenness ) 
 
 In all systems of school diseipliurf, un- 
 til a comparatively recent date. Force was 
 the controlling Power. Ev> ry pupil was 
 looked upon as a subject, over which the 
 master was the supreme ru'er; and no 
 King on his throne ever wielded a more 
 despotic power. The idea of self-govern- 
 ment in school, never entered the heads 
 of those old champions of the birch ami 
 cowhide. Brute force and 'hat alone was 
 relied upon to concpier and keep in sub- 
 jection the natural hilarity of youth. Un- 
 der such management every schoolroom 
 
 became a place to be shunnel. and its 
 occupants only went there because they 
 felt obliged tn. Every boy hoped a-.d 
 prayed for the day when he should feel 
 able to "Ick the mas'er" That cne 
 word "master" tells I he whole .story ln!- 
 twct-n thi' past and pres-^nt school civdi- 
 zation. No one then thought of being a 
 Teacher simply. 
 
 '1 he punishments were frequently se- 
 vere, and someiimes absolutely brutal. 
 The stick, ihe ruler, and the rawhide 
 were used for the most trifling offences, 
 and were always viewed as the necessary 
 means of presL-rving even the semblance 
 of good order. Every boy whi> had li'e 
 and "snap" enough in him to elevae him 
 above the level of a fool, expected a 
 daily whip[)ing is inui-h as he expected 
 his supper, and felt leally disappointed (li 
 he didn't get it. In niy schooldays t 
 was considered sufficient punishment for 
 any ordinary misdemeanor, to be set back 
 among thi^ large girls — a kind of punish- 
 ment that has been aptly styled cdpilal 
 punishment, and a kind that the must of 
 us felt ai>Ie to endure. 
 
 Upon one point all the records are 
 conspicuously silent — the absence <if ail 
 intimation that< woman had anything to 
 do in the management of our public scnools 
 under the old syst'-m. Our forefathers 
 had not outgrown the idea that in all the 
 practical avocations or life worn m shouid 
 be regaided as a subordinite and not as 
 an equal. Hence if a m m had a large 
 family of children to educ iie, he did the 
 best ne could for the boys, and encour- 
 aged the girls not to ini-ddle with "book 
 larnin." 
 
 But "time makes all things even," and 
 if in one generatiini the woman were push- 
 ed to the rear, in another they have march- 
 ed to the front. That mythical "whi lii;ig 
 of time" which tvc hear so much about, 
 has bi ought tliem the safest and swei-t- 
 est of revenges — a revolution of public 
 opinion. The State of N. II. last year 
 employed 3823 teachers, of which 3296 
 were women. The percentage in their 
 favor gains year by year, and the day) is 
 apparently not far distant when the last 
 teacher of the male persuasion will be 
 put on exhibition by some future Barnnm, 
 attached to a "great moral show," and 
 gazed upon ns the last specimen of a race 
 who did as well as could be expected, 
 but who were compelled to submit to the 
 inexorable logic of events. Surely the 
 women of N. H. ought not to complain 
 and bother themselves about female suf- 
 frage, when they marshal the armies of 
 
19 
 
 tbe schoolroom, a place more pof.eiit in 
 sliapiii<; j)ul)lic opinion than any other 
 
 For otie 1 do not Ti'giet ihv chanj^e nor 
 believe the State a loser. '1 he ^taiistios 
 ini<ic'ate ;i praciual but t^u'e jirowtii in ihe 
 rifiht direction, an incieast d average at- 
 ttmlan'e a hijjher tirade of studies, and 
 a {rreafcr piiI'Mi' intere~t. Tbo contrast 
 in teacher!*, ticiiooi-honses, studies, and 
 indeed the whole school machinerv, is so 
 jrieat that it seems to ine tlie most persist- 
 ent stickler for '"old times" must ackiowl- 
 «'(]<(<■ the revohi inn Men sometimes think 
 tl ey ari- irav> lling tlie backward road, 
 wh' II they have only stood still while the 
 wiirM of intelli<rence has moved on 
 
 It is in the highest degree creditable to 
 tlie Town, that during the last few years it 
 lia-^ expened so much money lor school- 
 houses and schools It is creditable that 
 it has finished this commodious and beauti- 
 ful town hall for t!ie public good. What- 
 ever its CGst,you will find it money ■well in- 
 vested, for no money is poorly expended 
 that increases the facilities for a better ed- 
 ucation and assists in elevating the public 
 taste. 
 
 It is for you, ladies and gentlemen, to 
 profit by' the comparisons drawn and gath- 
 er new inspiraiion from the lessons of the 
 past. Our school historv, though meagre 
 in recorded etents, is rich in treasured re- 
 collect inns and personal reminiscences. 
 For 250 years tlie Parish and Town have 
 been solicitious for the education of tlieir 
 children. However primitive the sur- 
 roundings, the people never wholly lost 
 sight of the common .school, and in the corn- 
 pa. i.son that we institute between their 
 condition and our own, the advantages that 
 modern civilization lavishes upon us must 
 not be forgotten. Their struggle under 
 adverse circumstances should only nerve 
 us to greater exertions and arouse us to 
 quicker perceptions of public duty. 
 
 The fuiure of our great country has its 
 destinies for good or evil i^ecurely inter- 
 woven in tlie late of its common schools. 
 Wherever over all its vast expanse of fer- 
 tile lands and blooming fields, its secluded 
 homes and busy marts of trade, wherever 
 the school-house raises its palatial towers 
 or humble roof, the future American citi- 
 zen is being prepared for the destinies 
 
 that await him. More potent than an 
 army with guns and banners is tha'.. army 
 of 'iOOCOO teachers that will to-morrow- 
 morn ing step over the thresholds of Amer- 
 ican sciiool-hous s. They are training the 
 Presidents, the Congressmen and Govern- 
 ors who in the lifetime of some (jf the 
 boys present to-night will make and exe- 
 cute the laws for a hundred millions of 
 people. State pride if nothing more 
 should stimulate to his best energies every 
 native of New Hampshire. Altliough 
 small in territory, and stubborn in soil, 
 yet she has a record of which every citi- 
 zen may well be proud. Her noblest sons 
 have made the nation famous that iionored 
 them. Her best blood has crim.soned every 
 American battle-field, whether victory or 
 disaster perched upon iier banners. What 
 citizen of the Old Oranite State docs not 
 feel proud of his illustrati'ius kindred? — 
 Of Stark, and Scammell, and Langdon, 
 and (jove and Cro.ss and their heroic 
 companions? What New Hampshire 
 heart dees not beat faster as Daniel Web- 
 ster's stinging reply to the Austrian Min- 
 ister is read and pondered ? Who can 
 lorget the career of such men as Cass. 
 Woodbury, Bell, Pierce, Chase, Hale, AVil- 
 son, Greeley and others whose names are 
 as familiar as household words ? Over- 
 riding all political distinctions, and the 
 narrow prdjudices of party, we unite as 
 one people to do honor to the men who by 
 their talents, their integrity, their charac- 
 ters and their renown have done infinite 
 honor to us. Whenever Patriotism has re- 
 quired a sacrifiice, war an offering, or 
 Liberty a champion, New Hampshire has 
 never faltered. Her sons have been known 
 and honored wherever the American Hag 
 casts a shadow or covers a deck. In War 
 and Peace, in science and adventure, they 
 have acted well their part. Tliev have 
 shed imperishable renown upon the glori- 
 ous old State, and by their example, their 
 words, their deeds and every consid- 
 eration of patriotism, call upon us one and 
 all to nuuntain its honor. It is in part to 
 that iiigh and noble puipose that we meet 
 to night to consecrate ou"* Hall. May 
 we strengthen the tics tliat unite us, the 
 sacred duties that bind us, and make the 
 Town, the Stale and ourselves better for 
 our presence. 
 
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