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FARMINGTON'S F I R S T M^iilTING H0U3E
and
' I T S F I R S T DEACON
Dea.
BENJAMIN FURBfiR
An H i s t o r i c a l Memoir
Presented at
The F a r m i n g t o n C o n g r e g a t i o n a l
J a n u a r y 1 , 1978
E t h e l W. Mazza
Church
�Though ray t o p i c t h i s morning i s F a r m j n g t o n ' s F i r s t
Meeting House, and i t s f i r s t
to
!
Deacon, i t seems a d v i s a b l e
t r a c e some of t h e h i s t o r i c a l
background.
I t i s g e n e r a l l y w e l l known t h a t t h e f i r s t
settle-
ments were i n t h e v i c i n i t y of G r e a t Bay: Dover P o i n t ,
S t r a w b e r r y Banke, L i t t l e H a r b o r , and a l o n g the P i s c a t e qua R i v e r —
t h e s e o c c u r r i n g i n the e a r l y 1 6 ? 0 ' s . The
names of many o f t h e e a r l y s e t t l e r s a r e a m a t t e r of
r e c o r d , though t h e names of some have been l o s t
the
with
passage o f t i m e .
One o f th«Be e a r l y s e t t l e r s was James Newt, who
was s e n t as a s e r v a n t o f John Mason E S Q . i n t o t h e P r o v i n c e of New
1631;
Hampshire
( R e g i s t e r : 2 - ? ^ ' \n or b e f o r e
was a freeman i n 1653; l i v e d on Dover Neck where
he was t a x e d between 1648 and 1677: ar"^was s t i l l
living
i n 1691 ( R e g i s t e r : 7 - 2 5 9 ) • At l e a s t two sons were b o r n :
James J r . i n 164-3 and Abraham i n ^6^\A.
'<oth sons a c -
q u i r e d l a n d from t h e i r f a t h e r on F e b . 1 , l ^ ^ ' l .
James J r ' s .
e s t a t e was i n v e n t o ^ i d
(Ibid)
1691,
r e f e r e n c e b e i n g made t o h i s widow; J a t r ^ s
J^l.
with
born
J u l y 27, 1687, Samuel, born i n 15R9 - - 1 a t l e a s t
two
other c h i l d r e n .
Another e a r l y s e t t l e r was Gat)t.
of
/illiarr^^
Dover Neck, 1659, and B l o o d y ^'oint,
?urber,
"'6S7,
'Nonstable,
1645, Freeman, 1653, s e r g e a n t , 16^^; v^h-^ w n s born i n
E n g l a n d about 1614, came i n t h e
C o g s w e l l from London i n 16^==^, a n i
^•^'""T-'-^ w i t h John
,;r-<^->-d
He was dead i n 1699 when t h e r e wer'^
p - ^'ernaquid.
+
o»»?v^^f^.
f o r the
d i s t r i b u t i o n of h i s e s t a t e .
It
i s i m p o r t a n t t o remember tha-t- Tr.-n-/ o'" t h o s e
e a r l y s e t t l e r s l e f t w h a t e v e r c o T i f o ^ t ' - ' ^'^-t they
may
have known f o r an unknown f u t u r e b o - a n s o o f r e l i g i o u s
�I p e r s e c u t i o n , and t h e i r d i s s a t i s f a c t i o n w i t h t h e Church
I of E n g l a n d .
r
As l a n d g r a n t s were made-, p r o v i s i o n w a s made f o r
i i a meeting house, and l a n d was r e s e r v e d f o r the m i n i s t e r ,
llAs we s i t here i n t h e comfort o f t h i s church today, havI i n g come fcom our c o m f o r t a b l e homes, m n n y f i n d i t n e a r l y ;
impossible t o v i s u a l i z e t h e hardshir^s of these e a r l y
'
s e t t l e r s , who had t o e r e c t temporary s h e l t e r s w h i l e
l a n d was c l e a r e d f o r t h e i r new homes. There were no roads i
as we know them; o n l y t r a i l s t h r o u g h t h e woods. T h e i r
:
b u i l d i n g t o o l s were most p r i m i t i v e , a n d t h e c l e a r i n g
and b u i l d i n g p r o c e s s must have been m o s t arduous.
Most l i k e l y , even a s t h e y we'r-e do:^n^ t h e i r own
b u i l d i n g , thought was g i v e n t o the meeting house, where
t h e y c o u l d w o r s h i p God.
1
W i l l i a m F u r b e r had a t l e a s t s i x c h i l d r e n , and
j
j
'
^
p o s s i b l y o t h e r s o f whom no r e c o r d h a s b'^on f o ^ i r i d .
1
p
L t . W i l l i a m F u r b e r J r . was boi^n ^ n ' ^ o v e r about
j
1646, and l i v e d a t Welch Cove, BlJiody P o i n t ; was an
j
e n s i g n i n 169^, f e r r y m a n , member o f t h ^ '"'olonial Asseme
b l y . H i s f i r s t w i f e was E l i z a b e t h
, by whom
he had a t l e a s t two c h i l d r e n , a n d nn^-p^ h i v ^ o r e . "f*''ollowi n g h e r d e a t h , he m a r r i e d E l i z a b e t h ( W u r d ) Nute, daugh- \
t e r o f Capt. John and E l i z a b e t h Pu-^d , a n d w i d o w o f James '
Mute J r . Thus t h e union o f t w o ^ D r l y f - > - ] i . nr.
\
. W i l l i a m F u r b e r became s t e p f a t h e r t ^ •*-he '^ute c h i l d r e n ,
and she became stepmother t o t h e -^'unb^r c ' l i J d r e n .
1
W i l l i a m ' F u r b e r o f Newington. n o n n 1 6 7 ? and d i e d
,
20 Mar. 1757, m a r r i e d S a r a h Nute, d a u f ^ h t e - p o f James J r .
and S a r a h ( H u r d ) Nute. She was born 167'- a n d d i e d 28
I
A p r i l 1762. .William's b r o t h e r J e t h r o m a r r i e d o a r a h ' s
s i s t e r L e a h , f u r t h e r ceraentingthe '''nrber-'Sute c o n n e c t i o n s .
�i
The Town o f R o c h e s t e r was g r a n t e d i n 1722, and
I t h e d r a w i n g o f p r o p r i e t o r ' s g r a n t s f o l l o w e d soon a f t e r .
! T h i s f i r s t d i v i s i o n i n c l u d e d t h e l a n d from Dover t o
1| a p o i n t a p p r o x i m a t e l y n e a r t h e p r e s e n t R o c h e s t e r Common.
; W i l l i a m F u r b e r I I I was a f u l l s h a r e p r o p r i e t o r , w h i l e
: James Nute I I I , h i s b r o t h e r Samuel Nute, and Thomas
T u r t l e were t h i r d s h a r e p r o p r i e t o r s , s e t t l e m e n t was
, slow because o f I n d i a n r a i d s , b u t by t h e 1750's, t h e r e
W8LB a Meeting House a t t h e t o p o f R o c h e s t e r
Hill.
These same p r o p r i e t o r s a l s o a c q u i r e d l o t s i n t h e
second d i v i s i o n o f 1750, and a l s o i n t h e l a t e r t h i r d
.division.
Attendance a t Meeting was c o n s i d e r e d compulsory,
;and t h o s e who d i d n o t a t t e n d r e g u l a r l y were s e v e r e l y
admonished, and n o t i n f r e q u e n t l y p e n a l i z e d .
As latie a s 1750, t h e a r e a above t h e Common was
d e s c r i b e d b y McDuffee a s unbroken w i l d e r n e s s . T r a v e l l i n g from p l a c e t o p l a c e was u s u a l l y on f o o t , by way o f
I narrow b l a z e d t r a i l s , l a t e r widened enouprh f o r a h o r s e ,
and s t i l l l a t e r f o r wagons.
Many o f t h e s e f i r s t p r o p r i e t o r s d i d nor l i v e l o n g
enough t o s e t t l e on t h e i r own g r a n t s , and t h e g r a n t s
were p a s s e d t o sons o r g r a n d s o n s , o r were s a c r i f i c e d
f o r unpaid t a x e s ,
Richard'*- F u r b e r , son o f W i l l i a m I I I , was born about
1700, and b a p t i s e d a t t h e Old North -^hurch i n Portsmouth.
He m a r r i e d , had two sons i n 1725 and 1725, and d i e d
soon a f t e r .
R i c h a r d ^ , b o m i n 1725» a s o l d i e r a t I.ouisburfehin
1747; m a r r i e d f i r s t A b i g a i l Wadleigh; and s e c o n d l y ,
E l i z a b e t h Downing on 28 J a n . 1748. There were a t l e a s t
s e v e n c h i l d r e n o f t h i s second m a r r i a g e , but t h e t h r e e
!i
�I
i ' b r o t h e r s Samuel, B e n j a m i n , and R i c h a r d a r e of concern
j!
•
i
lito U S t o d a y .
j
11
'
E n s . R i c h a r d F u r b e r ^ , a c q u i r e d p a r t of h i s grand-
; | f a t h e r ' s g r a n t i n t h e second d i v i s i o n by deed on J ^ l y
;|10,
i
j
1 7 4 6 . I t i s not known when he a c t u a l l y s e t t l e d on
lithe l a n d , a s h i s c h i l d r e n were a l l b a p t i s e d i n Newingt o n between 1749
and 1 7 6 2 . N e v e r t h e l e s s ,
his
!
gravestone
t o g e t h e r w i t h t h a t o f h i s second w i f e have been l o c a t e d
•near t h e p r o p e r t y o f A l i c e and the l a t e C e c i l
J u s t o f f Route
202A
!
Dustin,
i n Rochester.
|
A c c o i n i n g t o t h e n a r r a t i v e s e c t i o n of the
I S t r a f f o r d County A t l a s , "Among t h e f i r s t
who
1871
i
settled in
t h e M e r r i l l ' s C o m e r s e c t i o n were B e n j a m i n , Samuel,
|
and R i c h a r d F u r b e r , Samuel J o n e s , Benjamin C h e s l e y ,
Paul DeMeritt,
t h e Ten Rod
The
try
who
s e t t l e d between 1770
and 1783.
and
j
On
Road, J o s e p h and L e v i L e i ghton were l o c a t e d . ;
first
I
r e c o r d s a t the S t r a f f o r d County R e g i s -
of Deeds d a t e from 1773,
w i t h a l l of the
[ ones a t t h e A r c h i v e s i n Concord.
earlier
I have not r e s e a r c h e d
F u r b e r l a n d t r a n s a c t i o n s t h e r e , but
a l l three
i
Furber
b r o t h e r s were b u y i n g l a n d i n t h e M e r r i l J s Corner a r e a
i n 1773,
177^,
and 1 7 7 6 , and presumably s e t t l e d t h e r e
v e r y soon t h e r e a f t e r , a« t h e f i r s t
'
i
s c h o o l d a t e s from
1791.
All
of t h e F u r b e r c h i l d r e n were b a p t i s e d by
Rev.
• Haven, and i t seems l i k e l y t h a t t h e y made the l o n g t r e k
to Rochester
H i l l f o r t h i s purpose.
I'hus i t was
;
not
l o n g b e f o r e t h e y r e a l i z e d the need of h a v i n g t h e i r own
m e e t i n g house, much c l o s e r t o t h e i r homes.
'
p
'
With the establishment
separate
from R o c h e s t e r
of Farmington a s a community
i n 1798,
the need became even
more i m p e r a t i v e .
The
church_at
{
:
|
Meeting House H i l l was
b u i l t by
the
i
�I I p e o p l e o f F a r m i n g t o n and were a s s i s t e d by Oongregation||alists.
A l o t w i t h 100 f o o t f r o n t a g e and 75 f e e t deep
. ( C a r l s o n ' s f i e l d a t t h e t o p of t h e h i l l ) was purchased
•from Samuel J o n e s , an e a r l y s e t t l e r of Farmington who
i ' l o c a t e d i n 1770 where Gen. R o b e r t s r e s i d e d i n 1888.
i; ( D u r a l t p l a c e i n I 9 6 0 ) .
Lemuel Meader worked a t f r a m i n g t h e b u i l d i n g . He
i'was t h e f a t h e r o f E l d e r J e s s e Meader. ( I might add h e r e ,
t h a t Lemuel was a f i f t h g e n e r a t i o n descendant o f John
Meader; one o f t h e seven b r o t h e r s who s e t t l e d t h e Meader^ boro s e c t i o n } and my own g r e a t - g r e a t - g r e a t g r a n d f a t h e r ) .
' Lemmy f e l l and was i n j u r e d c o n s i d e r a b l e , but r e c o v e r e d
r
a f t e r a l o n g s p e l l . The d i m e n s i o n s o f t h e b u i l d i n g were
40' by 50', two s t o r i e s i n h e i g h t w i t h windows i n both
• s t o r i e s . I t was b u i l t , i n 1806.
P r e a c h e r s a t Meeting House H i l l i n c l u d e d T i l l y
H owe and Dyer Burge, and o c c a s i o n a l l y 5 ] i a s S m i t h , a
n o t e d m i n i s t e r spoke t o a l a r g e a u d i e n c e . I'arson Haven
p r e a c h e d on d i f f e r e n t o c c a s i o n s , a l s o ^ l d e r Joseph
i
[[ Boody. The o n l y female p r e a c h e r e s s t h a t ev<^r spoke
, a t Meeting House H i l l was M i s s O a r i s s a ' i n n f o r t h .
( O l d Time ^''ar--^ r.gton #25)
!
With c o l d w e a t h e r , t h e meetings
M e e t i n r House
;
H i l l were d i s c o n t i n u e d , but were held a t t h e "Oock"
schoolhouse i n s t e a d , t h e y h a v i n g no heat i n i t . Somet i m e s t h e y would b r i n g t h e i r c h a r c o a l f o o t h e a t e r s o r
,
- warmers w i t h them. Most a l l o f t h e oeoT^le wo 3id.
i
;!
i
; i sometimes 9 0 and meet t h e r e a t "Th^ 0 ] d B l a c k S c h o o l
•j House" ( c o r n e r o f cemetery l o w e r e n t r a n c e ) .
T h e r e would be Simon Dame and '-^enja^in : ! m both
-a,
v e r y r e l i g i o u s and "good exhorter-^"; t ^ o ..'ingates a l s o
' went, t h e S a u i r e and h i s w i f e , s h ^ t - k i r - '' s arm ( a
^^
i,
•
r v e r y worthy c o u p l e ; Mr. Jeremv v i n ^ a t e , t h e s t o r e k e e p e r
,
ji
�and h i s w i f * , ' and o f t e n h i s s i s t e r , M i s s Nancy; Lawyer
Eastman and wife*, t h e Widow P e a r l and h e r p r e t t y daught e r S a l l i e ; Capt. B d g e r l y and w i f e ; o l d J e r e m i a h Folsom
and h i s worthy companion; and Thomas Ham's f a m i l y ; w h i l e
''<3ooper" E b e n e z e r Wentworth J r . l e d the s i n g i n g t o t h e
minister's great d e l i g h t .
T a l l o w c a n d l e s were a l l t h e y had t o l i g h t the
s e h o o l room w i t h . ~ 6ro*m-ups a t t e n d i n g meetings would
b r i n g a c a n d l e a p i e c e t o l i g h t up w i t h .
A l l three Furber brothers served t h e i r country i n
t h e R e v o l u t i o n a r y pWP* B e n j a m i n F u r b e r , t o g e t h e r w i t h
Moses F u r b e r , John Nute, and Joseph Thompson were i n
C a p t . D a v i d P l a c e ' s Go., a t Seaisrey I s l a n d i n 1 7 7 5 . S g t .
R i c h a r d was i n Oapt. D a v i d Copp's Go. a t P i e r c e I s l a n d
a t t h e same t i i M ^ l a t e r a t S a r a t o g a ; and s e r v e d a s
I a d j u t a n t a t t h e 8%u?render o f Burgoyne.
I
B e n j a m i n IHirber m a r r i e d f i r s t Deborah T i b b e t t s on
i D e c . 18, 1777; and'second, K e z i a h Ash on J u l y 5 , 1795.
iHe was t h e f a t h e r o f a t l e a s t e i g h t c h i l d r e n : J o n a t h a n ,
Mary, A b i g a i l , E l i z a b e t h , B e n j a m i n , - W i l l i a m , Deborah,
j and R i c h a r d .
ji
A b i g a i l m a r r i e d John Murray J r on Nov. 26, 1807,
, and t h e i r d a u g h t e r i6a»ia m a r r i e d O t h n i e ] '/amey and
|
I s e t t l e d on t h e f a r m about two m i l e s above M e r r i l l ' s
j C o m e r . E l i z a b e t h a a r r i e d D a v i d Hayes and s e t t l e d on
th»; f a r m now o c c u p i e d by L e s l i e Harden. They a r e b u r i e d
i n t h e cemetery i n t h e upper c o r n e r of the fi«'ld.
T h e i r daughteir, B l i a a J a n * Hayes m a r r i e d as h i s second
wife:, t h e Hon. J o s l a h B a r t l e t t E d g e r l y of F a r m i n g t o n ,
I a man o f prominence and honor i n h i s community. E l i z a
was a t e a c h e r i n F a r m i n g t o n b e f o r e h e r m a r r i a g e . They
l i v e d i n t h e house boiight of Hon. Nehemiah Eastman,
o r i g i n a l l y t h e J o n a s C. March house, the second frame
�b u i l d i n g b u i l ^ i n F a r m i n g t o n . I t stood d i n e c t l y o p p o s i t e
j t h e C o n g r e g a t i o n a l Church.
I
S i n c e genealogy i s p r e s e n t l y o n l y a s p a r e - t i m e
; hobby of mine, I r e g r e t t h a t I have not had time t o
|
pursue t h i s f a m i l y f u r t h e r . Hov/eve^, I would c a l l t o
I; y o u r a t t e n t i o n t h a t y o u r own Ronald P a r r o c k i s a g r e a t g r e a t - g r e a t grandson of Capt. Samuel F u r b e r ; f u r t h e r
t h a t F u r b e r d e s c e n d a n t s were s t i l l l i v i n g i n the M e r r i l l '
; C o r n e r a r e a w i t h i n my own memory.
The i n f o r m a t i o n t h a t I have found p a r t i c u l a r l y
' i n t e r e s t i n g i s t h e v e r y e a r l y Furber-Nute c o n n e c t i o n s ;
; t h a t Deacon B e n j a m i n F u r b e r ^ was t h e deacon of t h e
'
!i
ij f i r s t Meeting House, and t h a t Deacon "ugene Nute,
; g e n e r a t i o n u n c e r t a i n , but p r o b a b l y 1 0 t h of 1 1 t h i s t h e
|
S e n i o r Deacon of t h i s C o n g r e g a t i o n a l Church, t o d a y .
i
i
The e a r l y P u r b e r f a m i l y cemetery i s l o c a t e d on
l a n d o r i g i n a l l y b e l o n g i n g t o Capt. Samuel P u r b e r ,
] a p p r o x i m a t e l y % m i l e i n t h e woods, w i t h i n l a n d now owned
i by L e s l i e B a r d e n , and c o n t a i n s 17 F u r b e r g r a v e s t o n e s .
j
.
•
"
I t i s w i t h a g r e a t d e a l of p l e a s u r e t h a t I today
p r e s e n t t o t h e F a r m i n g t o n C o n g r e g a t i o n a l Church,
i! s u c c e s s o r t o t h e F i r s t Meeting House, a mounted and
! framed r u b b i n g o f Deacon Benjamin F u r b e r ' s p-ravestona,
and I t h i n k t h a t i t i s o n l y a p p r o p r i a t e t h a t Deacon
! Nute be a s k e d t o u n v e i H i t .
I
�
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Title
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Farmington First Meetinghouse & Its First Deacon -Deacon Benjamin Furber An Historical Memoir
Description
An account of the resource
Farmington First Meetinghouse & Its First Deacon -Deacon Benjamin Furber An Historical Memoir was presented at the First Congregational Church of Farmington, January 1, 1978 by Ethel W. Mazza. The document is eight pages typed on paper. This appears to be a photo copy of the original.
FHS-RKL
Creator
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Ethel W. Mazza
Date
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1978
Contributor
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Donated by David Furber
church
document
First Congregational Church
Furber
Mazza
meetinghouse
memior