History of Amesbury - Merrill.org

HISTORY OF AMESBURY. 305
through the soldiers filed on either side, with his hat in his
hand, a tall noble looking man." Many of the soldiers who
had served under him were living at this time and were, no
doubt, eager to see this great chief. Capt. Currier, who dined
with him at Cambridge, was, no doubt, there to pay his
respects.
On the 3d of June the Rev. Francis Welch was ordained
pastor of the Second church in Amesbury. The services were
conducted as follows : Prayer by Rev. Mr. Cummings ; sermon
by Rev. Mr. Merrill ; second prayer by Rev. Mr. Noyes ; charge
by Rev. Mr. Webster ; right hand of fellowship by Rev. Mr.
Adams ; concluding prayer by Rev. Mr. Peabody ; benediction
by the pastor.
Since the termination of Mr. Wingate's pastorate the follow-
ing ministers supplied, viz. : Messrs.
Noyes, Bradford, Allen,
Parish, Parker, True, Marsh, Porter, Wilder and Welch. Mr.
Welch was a young man, being only twenty-three years old
when ordained pastor of this church.
1790.
The town voted to raise ,£250 for current expenses this
year.
Schools were provided for by the following vote :
"Voted that the Selectmen shall procure a Reading and writ-
ing school as the law directs."
For the repairing of highways it was "Voted to raise a tax
of one shilling and six pence on a pole and the estates in
proportion as other town taxes is made to repair the highways."
The selectmen were ordered to provide timber and complete
the bridge over Goodwin's creek " as soon as may be." So it
would seem that the Pleasant Valley road was not yet passable,
though it was now three years since the first attempt to locate
a public road there. There ought to have been a road by the
river side a century before.
Abraham Morrison, a very original and eccentric person,
applies to be admitted a member of the Society of Friends at
Amesbury, but is not at present successful. He lived in Salis-
bury and at a later period became somewhat noted for his
oddities.
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