History of Middlesex County, Massachusetts - citizen hylbom blog

124 HISTORY OF MIDDLESEX COUNTY.
the salaries of both ministers. A season of quiet
ensued for a few mouths uutil December, 1737,
when tlie petition for separation was renewed by
fifty-three individuals ; and their persistence was
rewarded by the division of the town into two pre-
cincts "for the Promotion of Eeligion and the
Peace of the Town." By the act of separation
eight persons with their estates, some of which
were near the centre of the new parish, were
allowed to continue with the North Precinct. The
ministry-lands were to be equally divided, except
that Mr. Emerson was to have the use of the par-
sonage-house and ground during his continuance
hi the ministry in Maiden.
The history of the South Church, so far as
known, shows no prolonged season of prosperity.
Frequent quarrels with the North Parisii in relation
to the ministry-lands, and repeated efforts to pre-
vent the secession of its members to the sister
church, make up the staple of its substance. Mr.
Stimpson continued its minister a few years, and
was dismissed in 1744'; but he remained an in-
habitant of the precinct, and resided there in 175^.
The cliurch had no settled pastor until 1747, when
Rev. Aaron Cleaveland,who had been settled at Had-
dain. Conn., was called to the vacant pulpit, which
had been offered to others. As an encouragement
to Mr. Cleaveland to remove, the precinct voted to
purchase a parsonage for his use, the cost of which
was advanced by Benjamin Hills, a leading member
Precinct. Mr. Cleaveland was installed in June,
1747. He was a native of Cambridge, and a grad-
uate of Harvard College, and is said to have been
" a prodigy of physical strength and agility." lie
remained in Maiden but three years, and removed
to Halifax, N. S., where he became an Episcopa-
lian. He died in 1754, in Philadelphia, in the
house of his friend, Benjamin Prauklin, who " honored
and praised him."
Soon after the departure of Mr. Cleaveland the
cluirch and precinct called Rev. Eliakim Willis,
who was a native of Dartmouth, and had been
graduated at Harvard College in 1735, in the same
class as his predecessor. There was mucli opposi-
mite bi^ pulled down and Set up at the old spot
which was the caus of the south drawing of pro-
vided the South would Joyn with them to Carring
on the w'orship of god with them there "; but " the
South did Refuse Complying with So good a pro-
posal "; and Mr. Wilhs was ordained, probably in
the summer of 1752. Fifteen persons, "many of
whose estates were as large as any in the Parish,"
addressed the ordaining council, " signifying their
Disapprobation." Mr. Willis, though an able man,
beloved by his parishioners and respected by the
whole town, was unable to stay the downward course
of the afiiiirs of his precinct. In 1757 it was rep-
resented that they " find by long Experience that
they are not able to support the Gospel among
them and are greatly in arrears to their minister,"
and that they were " greatly impoverished by sup-
porting a minister among them, and by contending
with the north Parish"; and twelve persons of
considerable estates petitioned to be restored to the
old church. Some light is thrown upon the internal
condition of tlie precinct by the report made
by a committee to tlie General Court, which de-
clared that this petition was "a Design to break
up y' South Parish." Though the petition was
refused and the malecontents forced to remain, for
a time at least, with the South Church, matters
grew no better, but steaddy tended downward ;
and
the course of a few years witnessed an almost total
loss of interest and an inability to raise the means
wherewith to meet the expenses of public worship.
The salary of ilr. Willis was unpaid, and the par-
of the parisli, who became dissatisfied a few years
later, and was set oft', with others, to the North sonage estate was relin(|uished to him in settlement.
Mr. Willis thcrcalier, during the existence of the
South Precinct, depended upon his labor as a farm-
er for a livelihood, preaching upon the Sabbath
for the scanty contributions which his people and
strangers miglit make.
A generation was now coming into the world
which was destined to achieve the independence
of the colonies and to found a great empire ; and in
the military movements which now began to enlist
the patriotism of the men of that day the inhabi-
tants of Maiden prepared to take a part. Since
the days of King Philip they had always borne their
share in the various expeditions which were sent
forth. Maiden troopers, under Captain William
tion to his settlement, "on account of tiieir jna- Green, whilom of the Three County Troop, marched
bility to support him and the Prospect of the two on an expedition against the Indians in 1C95 ; and
Parishes being united again if his Settlement [be] Edmund Chamberlain, a son of that Edmund
deferred." About the same time the North Parish Chamberlain who fell at the Narraganselt Fight,
unanimously voted that " the nortli meeting iiouse who was born after his father was slain, died from
disease contracted in the expedition to Port Royal