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Martha Ballard's Story
Chapter 1
The New Minister
Martha first mentions the Rev. Mr. Isaac Foster, "a yong Gentleman from Stafford, in the state of Conneticut" on April 16th, 1786, when he preached on probation. She didn't attend church that day, but must have heard about it in "Intermision," the break between the lengthy morning and afternoon services.
It was the year after Martha began her diary, and the fifteen year-old town of Hallowell was looking for its first fulltime Congregational minister.
On May 8, Martha noted in her diary, "this town mett & Gave the Revd mr Foster a Call to Settle here." Because town taxes paid the minister's salary, hiring the new town minister was town business. Several candidates for the minister's job had already been turned down.
Town disputes over New England ministers were common after the Revolution. In fact, documents from the Plymouth Court of Common Pleas -- reveal that Martha Ballard's own brother was expelled from his pulpit in Rochester, Massachusetts for being too liberal in his theology and too inflexible in his dealings with his neighbors.
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Page 1
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| Plymouth ss. |
Commonwealth of Massachusetts. |
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To the Sheriff either of the
coroners of Our County of Plymouth
or his Deputy, Greeting
We Command you to attach
the Goods or Estate of that you summon the inhabitants of the
first Precinct in Rochester in said County
of whom Nathan Willis Gentleman one of the Deputy Sherrifs of said County
is one.
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to the Value of |
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Pounds, and for Want thereof to take the |
Body of the said |
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(if they may be found in your Precinct) |
and safely keep, so that you have |
to appear |
before Our Justices of Our Court of |
| Common Pleas, next to be holden at Plymouth within
and for Our said Conty of Plymouth on the Second Tuesday of
April next: Then and there in our said Court to answer unto Jonathan
Moore of Rochester aforesaid Clerk, in a plea of the case for that the said
Jonathan being invited and called by the Inhabitants of the said Precinct
and the Members of the Church in said Precinct to undertake the work of
the Gospel Ministry in said Precinct, for his encouragement thereto, the
said Inhabitants at a legal meeting of said Precinct, at said
Rochester, held on the twenty third day of June in the Year of our
Lord One Thousand Seven Hundred and Sixty eight, voted and agreed that the
said Jonathan should have and receive of said Precinct the Sum of Eighty
pounds Yearly for his Yearly Salary so long as his Pastoral relations
should continue in said Precinct the same by a prior Vote of said Precinct
at a legal meeting of said Precinct in the Seventh day of April in the Year
of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and sixty eight being voted and agreed
to be paid at semi-annual periods after the Ordination of said Jonathan
-- and the said Jonathan further avers that relying on the Votes and agreement
aforesaid, he then and there accepted of the Call and Invitations aforesaid,
and was accordingly afterwards on the seventh day of September in the Year
of our Lord aforesaid, pursuant to the Invitations and Call of said Precinct
and Church, regularly Ordained to the pastoral Charge of the Church and
Congregation of the Precinct aforesaid, as the Minister of said Precinct,
according to the rules and practices of the Congregational Churches in New
England and agreeable to the Laws of this Commonwealth, this Province of
Massachusetts Bay -- and the said Jonathan in the constant and faithful
execution of the
Duties of his said Office and Ministry from that time
to this day of the date of this Writ hath continued and remained, and
his Pastoral relations to said Precinct hath from the time of his
Ordination, as aforesaid, been broken or dissolved but still
continues and remains in full force, -- Nevertheless, the said Inhabitants
of said Precinct the said Salary of Eighty pounds payable as aforesaid,
and Voted and promised, as aforesaid, have not paid the said Jonathan,
but the same for two years and six months, next previous to the date
of the date of this Writ, amounting to the sum of two hundred pounds,
have neglected to pay to the said Jonathan and still, though often requested,
do actually neglect and refuse to pay --
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| To the Damage of the said |
Jonathan -- |
(as he saith) |
| the sum of |
three hundred pounds, |
which shall then and there be made to appear, |
| with other due Damages. And have you [----]
the Writ, with your Doings therein. Witness, |
| Benjamin Willis |
Esq. a[t Plym]outh |
the eighth |
| day of March in the Year of ou[r Lord one
th]ousand seven hundred and ninety Four -- |
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Josiah Cotton Clerk |
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