following:
" Yon profess to lielleve in One God tlie Father— malier of all tilings—
and in .\i-^u< t'\iri<f his s.ni, the Messiah and Savi..iir nf iiihti, r}..- ..nly
Medi^ti.-t i„iu., I ..II. I man, and in the H.ilv »....! Mi,, I, i..-,trs
testini....\ , . il .I..1 confirms the Faith ..] . . : , . ^ .1 i..-
ceivi- tii. 1: . ■; :.^..f the Old and Ne« I - . ,. ,1 ......
profitiil.I.' [ .. .:.. iii.,. i'[ir..of, correction and iii-ii.. '1 1; .1. i,.'',i ...is-
Satvation. You profess repentance of all past vices and a full purx>ose
of heart to fjrsake every evil and false way and to cleave to that
which is good. Y..u d.. "now publicly covenant with God that you will
search after an. I .' . ri. T. ;.'i .- it is in .Jt-sus-that fleeing sinful
lusts, you will l'..ll [. _' . 11 — ■li.irity and peace— that you
will not forsak... i; '. ...-It v, itli the people of God for
public worship, 1... ,,..,. ,. ..1 .u.-nnl »iudy to walk in all the
commandments ainl ^,i.jui.uiLL.i ..1 tii*-* LuiJ bianielessly— and that walk-
ing in communion uilh tUis church, you will submit to its watchful
care and discipline, praying for its ediiicatiou and the prosperity of
In 1817 the parish purchased land of Jonathan
Stevens for a burying-ground, on the high land north
of and near the church. In 1822 stoves were intro-
duced into the meeting-house. In 1825 the training-
field north of Dr. Kittredge's house, and near the spot
where the first meeting-house stood, was exchanged
for four acres in front of the meeting-house, to be
opened for a common.
"In 1834 a few members of the First Church withdrew, and uniting
with fourteen members from the South Church, formed ' the Evangelical
Church in North .\ndover,' and established religious worship in a meet-
ing-house which had been built by subscriptions of the Evaugelical
Cliurchea of Essex County.'*
In the same year the First Church and Parish de-
cided to build a new meeting-house in place of the
structure erected in 1758, and voted to appropriate
seven thousand dollars to build. The house was dedi-
cated June 1,1835. The cost of the building was
eleven thousand five hundred dollars ; and it stands
near the site of the old one. The old clock and bell
were preserved. Into this meeting-house an organ
was introduced in 1844 — and the clarionet and bassoon
and violin and bass-viol of the old orchestra were
heard no more. Dr. Rufus Wyman was thanked by
the society for the "gift of a very elegant Bible for
the pulpit of the new meeting-house."
An extended biographical sketch of Mr. Loring will
be found toward the close of this history of the town.
The seventh minister was the Rev. Francis
Williams. He was ordained February 27, 1850, and
continued in office to May 27, 1856. He resigned to
accept a call to Brattleborough, Vt. He left many
warm friends in the parish.
The eighth minister was the Rev. Charles C.Vinal,
ordained May 6, 1857. He continued in office thir-
teen years, to March, 1870. During his pastorate a
parsonage was built, the parish having received for that
purpose a testamentary bequest of six thousand dol-
lars, from the late Hon. William Johnson. Mr. Vinal,
in 1870, accepted a call to the Unitarian Church in
Kennebunk, Maine, where he is now the pastor. His
resignation was received with regret and he is kindly
remembered in the jiarish.
The par.sonage was destroyed by fire while it was
unoccupied in 1870, and the parish library, the gift of
the Rev. Mr. Loring, and the later church records
were burned. The new parsonage was built in 1871.
The ninth and present pastor, the Rev. John H.
Clifford, was ordained August 29, 1871. He and the
two preceding pastors were graduates of the Cam-
bridge Divinity school.
I The deacons of the First Church during the one
hundred and eighty -nine years in which it was the
only church in North Andover, and who sat in a
special seat in front of the pulpit, were the following :
John Frye, John Barker, 1693 ; Joseph Stevens,
1694; John Osgood, 1719; John Farnum, 1727;
Samuel Barker, 1736 ; Samuel Phillipi, 1748 ; Joseph
Osgood, 1763; Joseph Barker. 1766; Benjamin
Farnum, 1790; John Adams, 1797 ; George Osgood,
1797; Joshua Wilson, 1813; Jedediah Farnum,
1824; William Frost, 1824.
The Evangelical Church of North Andover, 1834,
was the next religious organization made in the old
town. The establishment of the Theological Semi-
nary had tended to bring questions of creed more
prominently before the churches, and to emphasize
the importance of doctrinal distinctions. The churches
and individuals came more and more to consider it a
duty to define their position and to range themselves
conspicuously on one side or the other of the denomi-
national lines, which, about the beginning of the
present century, began to be closely drawn. The
questions which finally ended in the division of the
Congregational body into Unitarian and Trinitarian
lt)6S
HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.
were discussed with more earnestness and acrimony.
The North Church, from the beginning, had been
more Arminian than Calvini.st, in tendency, althoup;h
its pastors had associated in cordial fellowship with
their brother clergy of the Calvinistic creed, and even
in later times the names of Dr. Symmes and Mr.
Loring were on the " Andover Association " (now of
Calvinistic and Trinitarian Congregational order).
But a strong feeling had grown up in the town that
the First Church was not of the true faith, or sup-
porting an Evangelical ministry, and that another
church ought to be organized in the North Parish for
the accommodation of individuals of the First Church
who were not in sympathy with its prevailing tone,
and for persons of Calvinistic faith, who had become
residents of the parish, but had not removed their
connection from the churches in the respective towns
of their former residence.
The South and West Churches and the Church
of the Theological Seminary favored this movement,
and aid was pledged by the Home Missionary Society.
Subscriptions were obtained among the churches of
the county and a meeting-house was erected in North
Andover, a little east of the North meeting-house.
The house of worship was dedicated September 4,
1834, and on the same day the Evangelical Church
was organized. It consisted of thirty-one members:
seven of whom were from the First Church, fourteen
from the South Parish. The others were from churches
in various towns, but probably nearly all residents of
North Andover.
The church was supplied with preachers for some
mouths by the neighboring churches. In 1835, Sep-
tember 9th, the first minister was settled — the Rev.
Jesse Page.
In 1865 the original house of worship at the centre
of the town was abandoned, and a new and commo-
dious church edifice was built in the Machine-shop
Village.
The names of the ministers are as follows: Rev.
Jesse Page, graduate of Dartmouth College 1831, of
Andover Theological Seminary 1835; Rev. William
T. Briggs, graduate of Oberlin Institute 1844, or-
dained in North Andover November 4, 1846 ; Rev,
Levi H. Cobb, graduate of Dartmouth College 1854,
Andover Theological Seminary 1857, ordained at
North Andover October 28, 1857 ; Rev. Benjamin F.
Hamilton, graduate of Amherst College 1861, An-
dover Theological Seminary 1864, ordained at North
Andover June 28, 1865 ; Rev. Rufus C. Flagg, gradu-
ate of Middlebury College, Vt., installed at North
Andover September 26, 1872; Rev. George Pierce,
graduate of Dartmouth College 1863, installed at
North Andover October 16, 1878.
The following churches have been organized iu
North Andover in addition to those already men-
tioned: Methodist Episcopal Church, 1845; Roman
Catholic Church, 1868 ; Protestant Episcopal Church,
Civil and Military. — The civil and military
movements of North Andover are for a long series of
years so intimately connected with the entire town, as
originally founded, that it is difficult to deal with
either precinct or parish separately. The events,
however, which occurred on the territory of North
Andover, and the persons who took an active part iu
them may with propriety be referred to in this
sketch.
The first town-meeting, according to the records,
was held in 1656 at the house of John Osgood. The
freeholders were expected to attend these meetings
and were fined for absence. Perfect order was pre-
served in these assemblies; and it was ordered that if
any man speak in town-meeting after silence com-
manded twice by the moderator, he shall forfeit
twelve pence. Care was taken that the metes and
bounds of the various estates should be preserved ac-
curately by inspection every three years. The disci-
pline with regard to seats in the meeting-house was
severe. Young persons were not allowed abroad on
Saturday or Sunday nights, and no entertainments
could be given after nine o'clock. The settlement of
mechanics and tradesmen was especially encouraged ;
and the building of mills was favored greatly. Iu
1686 Henry Ingalls was allowed to set up a saw-mill
on Musketoe River; and in 1695 Samuel Osgood,
John Abbot, Sr., Joseph and Henry Chandler, had
liberty granted them to erect a saw-mill on Cochiche-
wick Brook two or three rods above the lower ford
way, probably near the site of the North Andover
Woolen Mills.
An act was passed June, 1801, by the General
Court requiring the treasurer of the proprietors of
Andover to pay over one-half of all the moneys and
estate which was or may hereafter be in his hands as
treasurer unto the trustees of the Free School in the
North Parish in Andover for instruction in the
school.
In 1765 it was voted that :
"Whereas, sundry of tiie inlinbitfintsof the town are threatened with
injunt-s uml ;iIiii,^<'S ficni riotous assemblies said town unjiiiiniMjisly \oted
tli.ir II!' I , ill: II. f all such \ioIcnt and extrauni i
ill - , I ill I . mien, the militia officers and iiiii-
tow n I I h.-ir titmost endeavors apreeaMi'
jiri" 111' -iiiM . II '! iliiii llie freeholders and other iiiliiili:
ovorylliiiif^ HI Dirir power to assist them thoreiu."
In 1765 a committee, consisting of Colonel James
Frye, Moody Bridges, Peter Osgood, Colonel John
Osgood and others, residents of North Andover, ad-
dressed the following instructions:
*' To Samuel PhiUips, Esq,^ Representativa for the town of Andover in hi»
Miijesli/t Province of tlie MatsachitseUs Bay :
"Sir, We, the freeholders and other inhabitants of said town, legally
assembled in town-moetinfr nn said day, to considerwhat may bo proper
on our part to lit' <)'â– )â– 'â– :tt fl'i-^ 'Tili.-nl itiMctm-''. hi-iii-_' atime weappre-
hend that wr iiiiil II i -i â– ! 1'- ^l i . -m - ~iii i- I Ihis province, as
well as those oi : :i : ; . ; i:, I: i,i>h America, are
by sundry :ii I ' 1: ii: i . ,, . i .Mnily by an act
commonly cnllio ilLrMinj. \it, m i.i _.i .: i,;h- ri't onlj' reduced to
such indigont circtimf-Ianci'S as will render iif> uimMe to manifest our
loyalty to the Crown of Great Britain, as upon all occasions we have
bcrotoforo done, by cheerfully exhibiting our substance for the defence
of the British domiufons iu this part of the world ; but of being deprived
NORTH ANDOVER.
1669
ityi
: most valuable privileges, which by charter and loyalty
s tli.iuLlit iind still think ourselves justly entitled to ;
• t f'i l.ieaduty jnstly due to f i?r<rl, r.: :,r'! r"«ter-
' n do not give your afM r' ' ' ' \ - ini-
illingnessinyourcciii.-iii I .my
iuteiii.i . itr any colour import. (1 ' i: > tlie
GeiiuuiL ;; ; :.. - i .^ Muce, agreeable to the ri n-: iii.i. u ! ili- ^mv-
ernmeiit; Thul yuu juiii iu such dutiful remonstrances tu ijn- Kiiiguud
Parliament and other becoming measures as shall carry the greatest
probability to obtain a repeal of the Stamp Act, and an alleviation of the
embarrassments, the commercial affairs of this province labour under by
the vigorous execution of the acts of Parliament respecting tho same ;
and we also desire you to use your utmost endeavors that all extraordi-
nary grants and expensive measures may upon all occasious as much as
possibi.. In- avuide.l ; ;ind we would recommend particularly the strictest
care ;iTi 1 <1 - :,i:i -i fi iiiiits-sto prevent all unconstitutional draughts
upuii tl ' ' â– ; that you would use your best endeavor*', in
conjinr (. r members of the General Court, to suppress
all riui-M- :i.i ,1 M uiblies, and to prevent all unlawful acts of
In 1756 the following expression of sympathy with
the sufferers during the commotion respecting the
Stamp Act is honorable to the town : " Being put to
vote whether the town will instruct their Representa-
tive to use his influence in the Great and General
Court of this province that the suflerera in the late
troublesome times in Boston may have a consideration
paid them out of the Province Treasury, orsuch
other way as said Court shall judge to be most lit and
equittible : " it passed in the afiirmative.
In 1768 it was voted that Samuel Phillips, Capt.
Peter Osgood, Col. James Frye and others be a com-
mittee to consider some measures that may tend to
encourage prudence and manufactures and to lessen
the use of superfluities in the town, and report at the
annual meetiug of the town in May next. The com-
mittee appointed reported : " That in order to securing
to ourselves and transmitting to posterity these
invaluable rights and privileges, both civil and relig-
ious, which have been dearly purchased by our
predecessors, the first settlers of this country, the loss
of which is greatly threatened by the great and grow-
ing imprudences and immoralities among us, — The
committee are humbly of the opinion that it is abso-
lutely necessary that the inhabitants of this town use
their utmost endeavors, and that they enforce their
endeavors by their example, for the suppressing of ex-
travagance, idleness and vice, and for the promoting
of industry, economy and good morals ; and by all
prudent means endeavor to discountenance the im-
portation and use of foreign superfluities, and to
promote and encourage manufactures in the town."
The above report was unanimously accepted by the
town.
In 1770, "The town, taking into consideration the
distresses this province is laboring under by the
operation of a late act of Parliment imposing duties
on tea, paper, glass, etc., made and passed for the
express purpose of raising a revenue in the American
Colonies without their consent, which we apprehend
is oppressive, repugnant to the natural and constitu-
tional rights of the people, contrary both to the spirit
and letter of the royal Charter granted by their
majesties William and Queen Mary to the inhabitants
of this province, whereby are ordained and establish-
ed the having and enjoying all liberties and immuni-
ties of free and natural born subjects ; and subversive
of the great and good designs of our most worthy
ancestors, who crossed the ocean, willingly exposed
themselves to every danger, parted with their blood
and treasure, suffered hunger, cold and nakedness,
and every other hardship human nature is capable
of, to purchase and defend a quiet habitation for
themselves and posterity; Therefore voted, nemine
contradicente.
" 1. That it is the duty of every friend of liberty and to the British con-
stitution to use all legal measures to prevent, if possible, the execution of
said act, and would embrace this opportunity to express our warmest
gratitude to the merchants and other gentlemen of Boston and other
trading towns in this province for the regular, constitutioual and spirited
measures pursued by them, from principles truly generous, for repelling
tyranny and oppression and establishing those rights for themselves and
countrj which they are entitled to as men and as Englishmen.
"2. That we will, by all legal and constitutional measures in our
power, support and encourage the non importation agreement of the
merchants ; and that we will have no commercial or social connexions,
directly or indirectly, with those persons who, aseuemies to the country,
divesied of every public virtue, and even of humanity itself, regardless
of and deaf to the miseries and calamities which threaten this people,
preferring their own private interest to the liberty and freedom of the
connnunity, are sordidly endeavoring to counteract such benevolent and
salutary agreement.
":t. That we will encourage frngality, industry and the manufactures
of this country ; and that we will not make use of any foreign tea, or
suffer it to be used in our families (case of sickness alone excepted), until
the act imposing a duty on that article be repealed and a general impor-
tation take place."
In 1774 it was, —
"Resolved, That no person in this town who has heretofore been
concerned in vending tea, or any other person, may, on any pretence
whatever, either sell himself, or be accessory to selling, any tea of foreign
importation, while it remains burthened with a duty, under penalty
of incurring the to
In December, 1774, it was,-
" Itesolved. That it is the indispensable duty of this town to conform
and firmly ailbere to the A.ssociation of the Grand American Continental
Cons;n'-, Hi 1 t fli- r. = Ive of the Provincial Congress of the 5th of De-
ceinlMi. â– ' â– â– â– : â– â– _ and in" order that this may l-e thoroughly ef-
fect, il, I : ' 1.1- of the town of the age of twenty-one years
and III. v. ( . , : the following agreement, viz. :
" \V.j, tl.'j ;.ib.~.r-'.. I:, having attentively considered the Association
oftheGraud American Continental Congress, respecting the nou-inipor-
tation, non-exportation and non-consumption ol goods, etc.. signed by
the Delegates of this and other colonies on the Continent, and the re-
solve of the Provincial Congress of the .5th of December thereto relating,
do heartily approve the same and every part of them; and in order to
m;ike s;ud Association resolve our own personal act. Do, by these pres-
ents, under the sacred ties of virtue, honor and love of our country.
January 2, 1775, a committee was appointed, of
which Colonel James Frye, Colonel Samuel Johnson,
Captain John Farnum and Moody Bridges were
members, to observe that the resolves of the Grand
American and Provincial Congresses be strictly ad-
hered to. The instructions to the committee require
them to —
HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS.
"Use their utmost endftavoura that the non-consumption agi-eement be
strictly adliercd to ; to encourage tlio people to impiovo the breed of
sheep and to increase their number; to encourage frugality, economy
and industry, anil promote agriculture, arts and manufactures, and dis-
countenance and discourage every species of extravagance and dissipa-
tion ; and that they recommonc: to the people of the town that they, on
the death of any near relations, go into no further mourning dress than
a black crape or ribbon on the arm or liat for men, and a black ribbon
traders in this town, and i:i\. iii i;i,i;i n i.> the public of all persons as
shall violate the Ninth :iri i i
of their goods; that thev I ! :
immediately after the t.-nlli : n l " 'â– ' i nrxt. and take a full Inven-
tory of all the goods, warrs und riicr. Iiiuulizi- which shall then be in their
hands, and shall require tliein to offer no more of those goods for sale ;
and if any merchant, trailer or others shall refuse to have on inventory
taken, or Khali offer for sale after the tenth of October aforesaid any such
goods, wares or nierchanili'/e, the Committee is directed to take the goods
into their possi/Mfion, at the risque of the proper owners, until the repeal
of Iho Acts referred to, and publish the names of such refractory mer-
chants or traders, that they may meet with the merits of enemies to their
country ; and the town doth hereby engage to assist and support said
committee in the discbarge of their trust ; that the Committee inspect
the conduct of every person in the town touching the aforesnd Associa-
tion ; that if any person or persons shall wilfully violate said Associa-
tion, that the majority of said Committee cause the name of such person
or persons forthwith to be published in tlie Gazette, to the end that all
such foes to the rights of British America may be publicly known ; and
it is further recommended to said Committee that they act in every re-
spect as it shall appear to them to be their duty as a Committee of inspec-
tion, whose duty is more fully pointed out in the Continental Associa-
tion and Provincial Resolves."
.Tunc 12, 177(5, the questinn being put, "Whether,
should the Honorable Congress, for the safety of the
colonies, declare them independent of the Kingdom
of Great Britain, you will solemnly engage with your
lives and fortunes to .'â– upport them in the measure,"
it pa.ssed in the affirmative unanimously.
Oct. 3d, 1776, it was voted to support the House of
Representatives, should they conclude to submit a
constitution and form of government for the State to
the people thereof.
In 1777 the town voted to supply the families of
non-commissioned officers and private soldiers belong-
ing to this town, that are engaged in the Continental
array, with the necessaries of life, that their circum-
stances may require, agreeable to a resolve of the
General Court.
July 2. 1779, Mr. Sam'l Osgood, Mr. Sam'l Phillips,
Jr., Mr. John Farnuin and Mr. Zebediah Abbot, were
elected delegates " to attend at the convention to be
holden at Cambridge, on September next, for the pur-
pose of forming a Constitution of Government."
The conduct of the town during the Revolutionary
War was most exemplary. There was great unan-
imity of feeling and a resolute determination to stand
by the patriot cause. In raising men and taking care
of their families, the town was patriotic, charitable
and liberal. And the persons to whom the work was
entrusted had the entire confidence of the people.
The sentiments of the town were expressed in the
resolves which have been already quoted.
In the French and Indian Wars which preceded,
and in the Revolutionary War, which followed tiie
adoption of these resolves, North Andover took an
important and conspicuous part. Her soldiers iu the
French War were in almost every engagement; her
officers were able, efficient and distinguished. Col.
James Frye, who seems to have been a leading man in
the town, commenced at Crown Point that career as
a commander which culminated in the Revolutionary
War.
Col. Joseph Frye, who was conspicuous in the de-
struction of Acadia, commenced in this war his long
and brilliant career of service. His house in North
Andover stood near the famous elm-tree planted by
Chaplain Frye when he departed with Lovewell's
expedition. He had command of a small body of
troops outside Fort William Henry, when the disas-
trous attack was made on it by Monrcalm with his
savages. He fought the enemy in front, opposed
capitulation in the rear, and slew the savage who led
him forth a prisoner to torture and death.
which followed the surrender he was dnigged into
oods, stripped of his clothes, except his shirt, and was about to be
the sudden strength of denieratlon, he sprang upon
his foe, all unarmed and naked as he was, beat down and dispatched the
warrior who was already exulting ,in his anticipated scalping. Three
days he wandered through the forests in a state bordering on distraction,
Buffering in body and mind from the long protracted horrors of the
fight, the terrible scenes of the massacre and bis perils and exposure.
At last he found his way back to Fort Kdward in a most pitablo condi-
tion, half starved and nearly crazed, and in the same naked condition
in wliich he had escaped from the savage. But with tender nursing he
regained strength of body and mind, and lived to render more valiant
service in the war, and in the Revolution he received the commission of
brigadier-general.' '
A petition was granted him to purchase land in the
region of the Saco and Ossipee Rivers, and about 1770
he settled there with some associates from Andover.
On May 23, 1759, John Farnum, of Andover, solic-
ited aid from the government on account of his ser-
vices in the Canada expedition. John Beverly and
others made a similar application, and their applica-
tions were successful.
The prominent officers in the French and Indian
War from North Andover were Captain Joseph Frye,
Lieutenant-Colonel James Frye, Colonel Moody
Bridges, SurgBon Ward Noyes, Captain John Farnura,
Captain Thomas Farrington and Captain Abiel