History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

HISTORY OF AMESBURY. I97
could hardly raise salary enough to support him. Indian wars,
citizens murdered and carried into captivity, unfruitful seasons
and many other trials were not uncommon. He was obliged
to preach when it was dangerous to travel to church, especi-
ally so far as "Jamaco." All these troubles prevented the peo-
ple from raising sufficient crops at times to supply their wants ;
but, under these trials, he was ever ready to suffer with his
people, and more than once voluntarily abated part of his sal-
ary. At times vexed with the peculiarities of his church, yet
he was ever ready to bear and forbear. He was, however,
prompt to speak his mind in regard to their course as well as
his own. The times in which he lived, although not particu-
larly noted for free speech, were somewhat remarkable for plain
language, and, in answer to a vote of the town touching his con-
tinued services, he commences thus : " I had a great deal
rather you would supply yourselves better," and closes by
charging them to never let him hear more from them unless
they accept his terms, signing "Just as you please I am your
humble servant."
For many years he kept the book of births and deaths, and
his penmanship was good, plain and bold. It is presumed that
he was settled according to the custom of those times, which
was for life ; and yet the town seldom failed to vote on con-
tinuing his labors another year. In fact, more than once it was
voted that the town was free from him and he from the town.
He was not wholly dependent upon his salary for his living,
as his good management had enabled him to become quite a
land-holder. He lived in his own house nearly the whole of
his long ministry. He kept a horse and some other stock. In
1694 he had a white horse; in 1708 and 1709 he had a black,
white-faced mare; in 1710 he had a brown-bay horse; in 1711
a blackish mouse-colored horse, and in 1 7 1 2 "a brown-bay horse,
gristly crooked Blase on his forehead and right eye walled."
Judging by the description it might seem that his judgment was
not quite as good on horses as on other matters, since it rather
looks as if his "white horse" of 1694 was worth more than
the comical "Walled eye" of 171 2. He is said to have lived