Leaves from Local History
Sherburne West Hill, 70 Years Ago
Chenango Telegraph, Norwich, NY, October 30, 1873
In fixing upon places for new settlements and founding churches and schools, it would have been strange if West Hill had been passed by. It "is beautiful for situation," and from the highest eminence near the Joseph Long place there is no finer view in the Chenango Valley. It takes in the broad flats from the hills of Smyrna to those of Sherburne east of the river, the slopes on the east and west, while northward in a bright day the view extends above Earlville, and but for the curve and the high ridge between the east and west branches of the river, the village of Hamilton would lie within the sweep and form an additional charm. At the base of the Hill towards Smyrna "Pleasant Brook" winds along and in its course across the flats mingles with the river. Farmhouses appear in every direction, and fruitful fields and patches of woods form as lovely a landscape as can be seen anywhere.
In giving some scraps of the history of the old Church on West Hill we shall refer to and quote from the records which have temporarily come into our hands. The record appears to be more full than is sometimes kept of the transactions of religious societies, and contains much to interest the friends and descendants of the fathers who founded the church or became members. Upon a fly leaf of this book of records is the following: "The First Book of Records of The Second Calvinistic Congregational Church in Sherburne. Formed into Church order the - day of October A.D., 1803, Under the superintendence of the Rev'd Joshua Knapp of Hamilton."
The church was organized 70 years ago this month [as of October 1873] with the following members, as appears by the record: Males: John Chapman, Isaac Foote, Ebenezer Baker, Henry Finn, Elijah Sexton, Gambo Desset; Females: Margaret Pinn, Triphena Dixon, Sarah Talcott, Sedate Foote, Elizabeth Merrill.
Gambo Desset was a colored man, and probably the only one then living in the town. To some of the others reference will be made hereafter. We copy from the record the proceedings of these eleven original members on the occasion of their organization as a church.
"At a meeting of a number of the Calvinistic Congregational Society in Sherburne holden at the House of Elisha Gray in s'd Sherburne the - Day of October A.D., 1803, for the purpose of forming into church order. Present the Rev. Joshua Knapp of Hamilton by particular request to superintend the business."
The meeting being opened by solemn prayer by Mr. Knapp, and a pertinent discourse delivered from John 14th 18th, the articles of faith were distinctly read, and after due deliberation and consultation received the assent and signature of the persons therein named (list given above) who proceeded in an open and public manner to relate their Christian experience, and the reason and ground of their hope of being the subjects of electing love, and regenerating Grace through Jesus Christ whereby they derived some comfortable evidence that they were born into Christ's Spiritual Kingdom, and were entitled to all the external benefits and blessings to be enjoyed in his visible Chruch.
And after the members had expressed their union and fellowship each with the other, Mr. Knapp delivered a short and pathetic address and exhortation and then pronounced them a Regular Church of Christ and concluded by prayer.
Immediately following, the subject of calling a pastor was considered, and it was unanimously agreed to present a call to Mr. Joshua Knight (not then ordained). This proposition was submitted to a meeting of the Society "legally warned," and was unanimously approved. In December 1803, several of the early pioneers were "taken under the watch and care of the church." among whom were Maj. Joseph Dixon, Abram Raymond, Elisha Gray, Samuel Foote, Betsey Raymond, Mabel Raymond, Mary Dixon, Patty Gray, Ruth Allen, Sibbil Foote, and others.
In January 1804, Abram Raymond was chosen "the first Deacon of this church," and in February (Mr. Knight having entered upon his duties) steps were taken for his examination by a committee "appointed by the associated churches," and Elisha Gray was appointed a delegate to wait on the committee "and also to attend the meeting of the Presbytery." The committee met at the house of Rev'd James Thompson in Sangerfield. Revs. Joshua Knapp, Eliphalet Steele, John Eastman and James Southworth, were present, together with two "worthy delegates," Zebulon Peck and Elias Hopkins. Mr. Knapp was moderator and Mr. Southworth scribe. The examination was satisfactory, and Mr. Knight was recommended for ordination. The Presbytery (what one is not stated) also approved of Mr. Knight and concurred in the desire for his ordination, as appears by a certificate of Samuel F. Snowden, the clerk. On the 29th of February 1804, Mr. Knight was ordained in the Meeting House on the Hill, the following ministers being present with their delegates, Eliphalet Steele, Joshua Knapp, Samuel F. Snowden, Bethuel Dodd and Isaac Lewis.
On the 24th of April Joseph Collins and his wife, and Asenath Wood became members. Church meetings were appointed the first Tuesday in every month, and a rule adopted that all persons examined for admission should stand propounded one or two weeks before admission, but this did not keep the church clear of trouble, for there are numerous cases of discipline recorded. The church continued to increase, and from the eleven who first organized it reached three hundred and twenty-six, but in less than twenty years began to diminish by removals to Sherburne village and Smyrna and by subsequent difficulties with the minister.
The record is quite minute in the names of persons baptized or received into the church, and in both lists are the names of many persons subsequently well known in that vicinity and in the county. Revivals of religion are mentioned as occurring quite frequently, and at stated periods meetings were held at which the children of members of the church were examined - an exercise which preceded Sabbath Schools, but which no doubt prepared the way for them. There were great revivals about the years 1816 and 1820 and 1821, and so great was the interest at times that the afternoon services were omitted, and the time given up to converts in relating their experience.
The subject of Missions was not altogether neglected. On the 6th of April 1821, the following record was made:
"Several of the members having read a piece in the religious Intelligencer headed by these words - It will be done- were excited to do something for benevolent and missionary purposes thro the medium of Missionary Field. After conversing on the subject for some time it was proposed that the church do something the ensuing season, and its members favored the object. Brother Isaac Foote proposed giving the use of two acres of land for that purpose if any way could be provided for its being worked and the avails, one-half should be for the benefit of the American Bible Society, and the other half to the Foreign Missionary Society.
"Voted that Brother C. Hammond be the superintendent of the proposed two acres and see that it was tilled to the best advantage."
"Brother Samuel Warner proposed giving the use of one acre of land for the same purpose. Brother Henry Gardiner was appointed superintendent."
"Several individual members designed setting apart a quarter or half an acre of land as a missionary field and working the land themselves."
"The members appeared elated with the encouraging prospect."
As before intimated "unruly members" gave some trouble to the church, and one brother was arraigned on charges of a violation of the Sabbath; conduct which gave rise to "a suspicion of a design to wrong a creditor; "for" imposing pork upon a brother which is said to be not good; "for selling unwholesome meat, &c. The controversy was long and one of the pleas in justification of selling meat "not good" was that the price was very low. This defense, however, was not satisfactory, and he was expelled.
The relations between pastor and people were harmonious and pleasant for a period of about twenty years, but in 1823 a serious difficulty arose. The wife of the pastor had died, and he had married a widow with a daughter, then a child. The second wife died and in 1823 Mr. Knight married his stepdaughter. The ceremony was performed by a justice of the peace, also a member of the church. The occurrence very naturally shocked the church and community and on the 18th of July 1823, Mr. Knight so far yielded to public opinion as to resign his place as moderator of the church meetings. Mr. Knight made a confession as did his young stepdaughter wife, and it was voted to accept them, but the scandal could not be thus wiped out and the case was sent to a council for advisement. During a part of the time, before a final decision, the late Rev. Lyman S. Rexford occupied the pulpit. The record does not give the result, but Mr. Knight was deposed from the ministry, and we believe he removed to Herkimer County. The justice who performed the marriage ceremony was also expelled.
The Rev. Samuel Manning was next called as a pastor. He proved an excellent choice, and gave great satisfaction there, and afterwards in Smyrna, to which place he removed in 1827, where most of the members of West Hill church who resided in Smyrna, followed him. He was a brother-in-law of the venerable Benjamin Chapman, of this village, and died, we believe at Chenango Forks. When the request of Smyrna members was first presented for their dismission and recommendation, in 1824, there was a good deal of feeling and a renewal of the strife of 1803, when the West Hill church was formed, but the request was granted "upon condition that they all pay such sums as are due from them severally to settle with Mr. Knight, and such certain individual or individuals as have gone astray shall make satisfaction."
Sabbath Schools were about this time beginning to be established and on the 7th of May, 1824, one was formed on West Hill with Mr. Manning as moderator and the following district managers, viz. 1st - James Thompson, James I. Gifford, 2d - Alfred Raymond, Wm. G. St. john, 3d - Samuel Clemens, Gardner Kenyon. Isaac Foote, Jr., Joseph Collins and Israel Farrell were appointed "managers of the concerns of said society," and James Thompson "to clean the Meeting House for one year at $3.50" - rather a low salary for a church sexton.
For a period of three or four years there was a constant decrease in the membership, and very few additions. Those living east of the hill and west of the river, went to Sherburne, those living west going to Smyrna, and in 1831, the large families of Isaac, Amasa and Hiram Foote, Joseph Collins and others took letters. In 1834, at a church meeting it was decided to give letters to all the remaining members, numbering at that time only seventeen, with leave to unite where God might call them. Thus, with only a few more members than when it was organized in 1803, the church on West Hill became extinct. For a score of years, it was a light literally set upon a hill, and did not go out until others rose to eclipse it. The affair of Mr. Knight was doubtless a heavy blow to its prosperity and not long after the members began to scatter and there were few accessions to fill their places.
The old Meeting House was substantially abandoned before the church disbanded but was occasionally used for a funeral service when deceased persons were taken for interment by the side of friends in the old cemetery. It was many years since moved from its original location and is used as a barn and is not a bad looking one. It had the old-fashioned square pews, one of the sides having seats which compelled the occupants to face away from the minister. There were galleries, but when playful boys occupied them the eye of Mr. Knight was pretty often upon them, and it never embarrassed him to "speak out in meeting" to them. On more than one occasion he called upon his own sons to "come down and take a seat on the pulpit stairs!"
We ought here to say that Deacon Adams name was Joseph and not Josiah, as stated last week.
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