[p. 202]
RECORDS OF THE FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST IN BIDDEFORD.1
From the copy made by the late Capt. Wm. F. Goodwin, and communicated to the Recorder by A. K. P. Meserve, M. D.
The record of the votes of the church is lost, which passed during the life of Rev. Mr. Samuel Willard, the first Pastor; little remains except names, and a few notes. [The covenant is worded in the usual form and signed by]
SAMUEL WILLARD, 1st Pastor of the Church.
John Gray,
Samuel Jordan,
Humphrey Scammon,
Ebenezer Hill,
John Sharpe,
Pendleton Fletcher, | Benj. Haley,
Thomas Kilpatrick,
Samuel Hinckley,
Benj. Hilton,
John Tarr,
Robert Whipple, |
Mark Shepherd.
The following votes of the church were left by the Rev. Mr. Willard:
Friday, August 14, 1730, Mr. Hale, voted Moderator by the brethren of the Church.
1The settlements on both sides of Saco River, which, on account of Richard Vines and his companions wintering in 1616, in the bay new called the "Pool," had been known as Winter Harbor,2 were in 1653 organized as Saco; but in 1718 they were incorporated as Biddeford, and remained under one municipal government until 1762, when the part east ot the river was incorporated as Pepperellborough, named for Sir William Pepperell; and this name was changed to Saco in 1805. a.k.p.m.
The location of this church is about three miles from Biddeford City Hall toward the Pool.
2Hubbard in his history of the Indian War says it was so called, because "formerly the property of one Jno. Winter whose name it still retains," manifestly an error as John Winter of Richmond's Island is the only person of the name here previous to this.a.k.p.m.
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1. The ordination3 of Mr. Samuel Willard,4 was voted to be the last Wednesday in September.
2. Voted to send to the Churches of Falmouth, Scarboro', Wells, York, Brunswick, and Weymouth.
3. Voted, that Mr. Haley, Mr. Hill to be the signers to the letters to these Churches.
4. Voted, that the Selectmen be desired to call a town meeting for their concurrence.
Admitted afterward by Mr. Willard and received by letters of recommendation from other churches. (No dates given.)
Samuel Scammon,
Rishworth Jordan,
Olive Jordan,
Abiel Hill,
Susanna Emery,
Rebecca Smith,
Elizabeth Joy,
Lucretia Dyer,
Elizabeth Scamman,
Tabitha Murch,
Wyat Moore,
Nathaniel Whitney, dism.
Abigail Willard, | Nathan Whitney, dism.
Benjamin Hill,
Sarah Haley,
Dorcas Young,
Sarah Smith,
Sarah Edgcomb,
Mary Berry,
Lydda Whitney,
Benj. Nicholls,
John Treworgy....18
James Clark,
Moses Wadlin,
John Stackpole, Jr., | Deborah Phillips,
Robert Edgcomb,
John Smith,
Andrew Stackpole,
Sarah Clark,
Daniel Smith,
Elizabeth Elwell,
Sarah Brooks,
Hannah Whitney,
Elizabeth Fletcher,
Samuel Scamman, Jr.,
Thomas Emery,
Elizabeth Gray, |
3For an account of this ordination, see Folsom's history of Saco and Biddeford, p. 227.
4Mr. Willard died at Eliot, October, 1741. He was taken with a trouble in his throat while delivering a discourse in Mr. Roger’s pulpit; was taken to his house, and died there two days after. He was a great grandson of Maj. Simon Willard, one of the earliest settlers of Concord, Mass. Samuel, son of Maj. Simon was born there in 1740, and was among the most eminent divines of New England; was minister at Groton; his son John, father of our minister, took his college degree in 1690, was a merchant in Kingston, Jama'ca, W. Indies, where Samuel was born in 1705. After his death his widow married, Nov. 13, 1744, Richard Elvins, pastor of 2d Church in Scarboro' at Dunstan. Mr. Willard had five children of whom Joseph was afterwards the distinguished President of Harvard College, and Eunice married Rev. Benjamin Chadwick, who was Mr. Elvin's successor at Dunstan.—a.k.p.m.
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John Murch,
Mercy Jordan,
Marget Pratt,
Jane Wadlin,
Mercy Davis,
Ephriam Stimson, | Elizabeth Scamman,
Elizabeth Smith,
Edward Chapman,
Hannah Shepherd,
Elizabeth Sharpe,
Elizabeth Favour, | Abigail Procter,
Joseph Jordan,
Magnus Ridlon and
Susanna, his wife.
Mehitabel Scammon,
Deborah Pendexter,
Mary Treworgy. |
ADMlTTED BY MR. MORRILL.
Oct. 17, 1742. Simon Winget.
Nov. 21, [1742.] Hannah Jordan, Elizabeth Brown, Ichabod Austin, and Elizabeth, his wife.
Dec. 5, [1742.] Benjamin Emery.
Mar. 13, 1743. Samuel Young.
Apr. 10, [1743.] Abigail Dyer, Phebe Emery, Sarah Emery, excom.
May 8, [1743.] John Scammon, Hannah Scammon, John Elwell, Mary Donnel,
June 12, [1743.] Richard Smith, John Davis, Bethiah Stackpole, Hannah Fletcher, Ann Hill, Samuel Haley, Mary Pendexter.
July 10, [1743.] Robert Brooks.
Aug. 14, [1743.] Abigail Derry, Elizabeth Patterson, by a dismission from Chh. in Scarborough.
Sept. 11, [1743.] Pendleton Fletcher, Jr., Benjamin Hooper, by a dismission from Chh of Christ in Berwick.
Oct. 9, [1743.] Mary Dyer.
Oct. 13, [1743.] Mary Elwell.
Mar. 11, 1744. Chrisp Bradbury, by a dismisn from 1st Chh in York.
May 13, [1744.] Elizabeth Norton.
June 10, [1744.] Amos Chase, Mary Young by a dismission from 1st Chh in Marshfield.
July 8, [1744.] William Brasey, by a dismission from 1st Chh. in York.
Sept. 16, [1744.] William Hilton.
Nov. 25, [1744.] Lydia Winget.
Feb. 17, 1745. Abigail Jordan.
June 2, [1745.] Sarah Dennett.
Aug. 31, 1746. Samuel Fletcher, Mary Fletcher.
Oct. 11, 1747. Jacob Davis, Elizabeth Davis.
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Sept. 4, 1748. Mary Stackpole.
Aug. 20, 1749. Thomas Edgcomb, Sarah Edgcomb.
Aug. 12, 1750. Susanna Davis by a dismission from the Chh in Arundel. Robert Patterson, Senr.
Aug. 26, [1750.] John Huntley, [Hartley?] Lydia McLucas.
Sept. 9, [1750.] Elizabeth Mower.
Oct. 3, 1751. Wm. Gilpatrick, Martha Gilpatrick.
Oct. 12, [1751.] Anna Fletcher.
Mar. 15, 1752, Moses Ferren.
June 21, [1752.] Anna Gray.
July 12, [1752.] Rev. Samuel Hill, Sarah Hill, by a dismission from 1st Church in Marshfield.
Oct. 7, 1753. James Stackpole, Rachel Haley.
June 25, 1754. Mary Fletcher.
July 6, 1755. Samuel Banks, Senr.
April 4, 1756. Agnes Jellison.
Oct. 17, [1756.] Rachel Derburn.
July 15, 1757. Tristram Jordan, Hannah Jordan.
Sept. 25, [1757.] Jeremiah Hill, Mary Hill.
May 28, 1758. Jane Gilpatrick.
July — [1758.] Andrew Broadstreet, by a dismission from the Church in Topsfield.
Oct. 15, [1758.] Gershom Billen [Billings?].
Nov. 26, [1758.] Elisha Allen and Sarah Allen. Dismissed from 2d Church in Salisbury.
Mar. 22, 1761. Sarah Briant, by a dismission from the first Church in York.
July 5, [1761.] Henery Donnel.
Aug. 16, [1761.] Elizabeth Murch, by a dismission from the 1st Chh in Wells.
Sept. — [1761.] Robert Patterson, Jr.
May 9, 1762. Anna Winget.
May 30, [1762.] Sarah Chase.
June 27, [1762.] James Treworgy, Rebeckah Smith.
Oct. 25, [1762.] Mary Davis.
May 28, 1764 Moses Morrill and ______ Morrill by a dismission from the 1st Chh in Salisbury.
Nov. 30, [1762.] Mary Battis, by dismission from the 1st Chh in York.
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Sept. 28, 1766. James Carlile, Lydia Hooper.
April 15, 1770. Mary Hill, by a dismission from the 1st Church in Wells.
Nov. 8, 1773. Mary Smith.
Nov. 21, [1773.] Jeremiah Hill, Mary Hill.
April 10, 1774. Rachel Prockter.
April 21, 1776. James Emery, Mary Emery.
July 20, 1877 [sic]. Lydia Wingate.
THE NAMES OF THOSE ADMITTED TO FULL COMMUNION BY MR. WEBSTER5 (No dates are given.)
Mehitable Staple,
Benjamin Staple,
Moses Bradbury,
Hannah Patten, | Edward Smith,
Rachel Haley,
Judith Webster, by a dismission from the Chh in Hawke6
Olive Merrill. | Matthew Thissick,
Mary Thissick, |
Here follows some three hundred and fifty names of those who owned or renewed the baptismal covenant after the ordination of Mr. Morrill; but as no dates are given they are omitted at present.
5Rev. Moses Morrill died Feb. 9, 1778, and Rev. Nathaniel Webster was ordained Apr. 14, 1779. Folsom's History of Saco and Biddeford
6Part of Kingstown, N. H., incorporated by the name of Hawke, Feb. 22, 1760—named from an admiral in the British Navy. It was incorporated by the name of Danville in 1836.—W. F. Goodwin.
Maine Genealogy
