Notes,

ACCOMPANYING THE PRECEDING STATISTICS.

WORCESTER COUNTY was incorporated in 1731. In 1830, the population was 84,365, spread over an area of 1,500 square miles. This county extends across the State, from New Hampshire on the north, to Connecticut and Rhode Island on the south. It is bounded on the west by the counties of Franklin, Hampshire, and Hampden; and on the east by the counties of Norfolk and Middlesex. This is the largest county in the State; and embraces fifty-five towns. It is highly favored with water privileges for manufac turing establishments, and blends the agricultural, commercial and manufacturing interests, beyond any other county in the Commonwealth.

ASHBURNHAM was formerly known by the name of Dorchester Canada, being a grant made in 1735, to Thomas Tileston and others, of Dorchester, to remunerate them for services performed by officers and soldiers of that ancient town, in the expedition to Canada in 1690, but was not incorporated until Feb. 22, 1765, when it received its present name. The church was embodied April 23, 1760, and on the same day Mr. Winchester was ordained their pastor, at the age of forty-four, and survived seven and a half years. Nearly a year elapsed before Mr. Cushing succeeded. He was son of the Rev. Job Cushing of Shrewsbury, and brother to the late Dr. Cushing of Waltham. He sustained the pastoral office fifty-five years and a half. Dr. Cushing was a respectable and judicious man, useful and much esteemed. He was the author of several publications. In about ten months, Mr. Perkins took the pastoral charge, and continued little more than eight years and resigned. In about three months Mr. Goodyear, the present pastor, was installed. He studied divinity in the theological department, Yale college. He was ordained an evangelist in New Haven. The society have left the lofty eminence, which was the height of land between the Merrimac and the Connecticut rivers, where their fathers worshipped, and descended into a vale about one mile south, in a manufacturing village, where they have erected a more splendid and commodious house for the worship of Jehovah. The society appears respectable and flourishing.

ATHOL was incorporated March 6, 1762. It was granted, about 1734, to sixty proprietors; then a frontier township, inhabited by Indians, called Pequiog. The settlement was much impeded for many years by the French and Indian war, which commenced in 1744. Previously, several families had attempted to subdue the wilderness, but they found it necessary to live in garrisons, under perpetual fear from the savage foe, and attended to their several occupations, like Nehemiah, building the dilapidated walls of Jerusalem, with the weapon of defence in one hand, and the instruments of improvement in the other. The church was embodied Aug. 29, 1750, and Mr. Humphrey was ordained the first minister in Nov. following, and continued the pastor little more than thirty-one years, much respected and beloved by his people. At his own request he was dismissed. He continued in the place, a useful and respectable man, and survived fourteen years. Some of his descendants still live in the place. The church remained destitute of a pastor nearly six years before Mr. Estabrook was ordained. He continued in the ministry more than forty-two years. The first two ministers both exceeded seventy years, and both left families who rank among the most respectable inhabitants of the town. Mr. Estabrook educated three sons, one a very respectable physician in Camden, Maine. After the death of Mr. Estabrook, in 1830, in introducing a successor the society was divided, and each society have since had two ministers.-Mr. Moore was settled in the Unitarian society in December after the decease of Mr. Estabrook, and continued less than two years. In 1834, he was installed at Duxbury, where he continues in the pastoral office. He was succeeded by Mr. Shaw. The Orthodox church was organized in 1830. Mr. Beckwith was ordained pastor in June, 1831, and was dismissed in 1834afterwards was installed at Walpole, New Hampshire, and continued about nine monthswas installed June 24, 1837, at Castine, Me. Mr. Warner succeeded Mr. Beckwith in March, 1835. Mr. Beckwith pursued his theological studies in Hew Haven, and Mr. Warner at Andover.

BARRE was originally a part of Rutland, and incorporated June 14, 1774. The church was organized July 30, 1753; and Mr. Frink was installed the pastor the last Wednesday

in October, the same year. He had been the minister at Rutland thirteen years, and then at Plymouth, where he was ordained Nov. 7, 1744. Dr. Chauncy preached the ordination sermon. He continued several years, and was installed at Barre, Oct. 1753, and continued nearly thirteen years, and resigned July 27, 1766. He was respectable for his talents and literary acquisitions. He preached the election sermon in 1758. The next year he was succeeded by Mr. Dana, who continued in the ministry about thirty-four years, and deceased Oct. 1, 1801. Mr. Thompson, the present minister, was ordained in 1804, and still continues the minister of the first society.

A Trinitarian society was formed in Barre in 1827, and a church organized with twenty-five members. Mr. Storrs, the first pastor, was ordained in January, 1829, and when he resigned, in May, 1832, the church consisted of 135 members. He was installed in Norwich, Conn., March, 1834, where he continued a year, resigned and took the charge of a high school in the city of Norwich, Conn. He has been recently installed pastor of the church in Holliston, Mass. He was succeeded by Mr. Grosvenor, who had previously been settled at Haverhill, West Parish, Mass., and Acworth, N. H. He continued nearly two years at Barre, resigned, and has been recently installed at Marlborough, N. H. Mr. Stone was ordained Oct. 30, 1834, as Mr. Grosvenor's successor. Mr. Fay is son of the Rev. Dr. Fay of Charlestown, studied theology at Andover, and was first settled in the ministry at Northborough.

BERLIN was originally a part of Bolton; incorporated into a parish April 13, 1778; and into a town March 16, 1784, by its present name. The church was embodied April 7, 1779, and Mr. Puffer ordained the first pastor, Sept. 26, 1781, and sustained the pastoral office nearly forty-eight years; died April 9, 1829, aged seventy-four. Dr. Puffer was a man of superior talents, and though he lived in a retired situation, and labored under embarrassments, he did not neglect to improve his mental powers. He was a respectable divine, an edifying and acceptable preacher; and though modest and unassuming, by his intrinsic worth attracted the public notice. In 1803, he preached the general election sermon and near that time, was called to preach the Dudleian lecture at Cambridge, and the Convention sermon before the Congregational ministers of Massachusetts. On all these public occasions he acquitted himself honorably. He was frank, affable and hospitable; and his life a transcript of the Christian virtues. The year after the decease of Dr. Puffer, the church seceded, finding there was no probability of having a minister in whom the church and society would unite. They erected a meeting-house in 1830, and Mr. Baldwin was ordained the pastor in September, the same year. He continued a little more than two years, resigned, and was installed at Springfield, Dec. 1833, where he continues. He was succeeded by Mr. Burdett in about eleven months. He remained nearly a year, and was dismissed. He had previously been settled at East Greenwich, R. I. He was installed pastor of the village church in Northbridge, in April, 1835. Mr. Burdett studied theology at Bangor. Mr. Clark was installed at Berlin, Jan. 1835, where he continues. He was first settled at Chatham, Conn., then at Granby, Conn.; afterwards at Winchendon. Mr. Wallcutt was settled in the parish in 1830; continued but a short time. Mr. Lamson, pastor of the Unitarian society, was settled in Berlin in June, 1834, and still continues in the ministry there.

BOLTON was taken from the ancient town of Lancaster, and was incorporated June 24, 1738. The church was embodied Nov. 4, 1741. Mr. Goss was the first minister; ordained on the same day the church was organized. He continued in the ministry more than thirty-eight years, most of the time in good harmony, but in the latter part of his ministerial life divisions and contentions arose and embittered the evening of his days. Mr. Walley was his successor. He was a native of Boston, and had been settled in the fifth church in Ipswich, where he continued from Nov. 1747, till Feb. 1764. He was the predecessor of Dr. Dana. He was about eleven years minister at Bolton; dismissed, and soon after died at Roxbury, March, 1784, at the age of sixty-eight. Mr. Wright succeeded Mr. Walley in about a year and a half. He sustained the pastoral office a little more than seventeen years, and died of a paralytic disorder. He spent many years as an instructor of youth before he was settled in the ministry. He was a man of sound judgment, uncommon colloquial powers, given to hospitality, and exceedingly well adapted to preserve peace and harmony in a society. His biographer and class-mate, the late Rev. Dr. Chaplin of Groton, remarks respecting him-" He seems to have been eminently qualified for the situation which Providence assigned him. In consequence of many sharp altercations, and long continued divisions, the habits of the people had become extremely unfavorable in a religious and civil view, and their prejudices so great that there appeared scarcely a possibility of their being for many years brought into a state of social order. Nevertheless, by the blessing of God on his wise management, the multiplied labors, the manly, unwearied, spirited and persevering exertions of this servant of Christ, the church has become truly respectable for its regularity, peace and unity, for the number of its members, and their religious character. Indeed it would be difficult,

if possible, to name the clergyman, either dead or living, who has done more good than the deceased, whose exit we deplore, for church and state, since the time of his ordination to the gospel ministry." Mr. Allen succeeded him in about fourteen months, and still retains the pastoral office.

An evangelical society has been formed in Bolton. The members composing it, belong to Lancaster, Sterling, Stow, and Bolton. This is the only orthodox Congregational society in the above named four towns. The meeting-house was principally erected by S. V. S. Wilder, Esq., who then lived in Bolton, and was dedicated June 3, 1829. It is situated on a beautiful and pleasant elevation of land, and commands a delightful prospect of the surrounding country. Mr. Chickering was the first minister. The church was organized March 17, 1830, with thirty-six members. After sustaining the pastoral office nearly five years, Mr. Chickering resigned, leaving about 120 members in the church; and in about sixteen days after his dismission, was installed at Portland, Me., over a church and society in High street. Mr. J. S. Davenport succeeded to the pastoral office in Bolton, in about sixteen months.

BOYLSTON was originally a part of Shrewsbury, and was incorporated as a parish in 1742; and as a town in March, 1786. The church was embodied Oct. 6, 1743; and Mr. Morse, the first minister, was ordained on the 26th of the same month, and continued in the pastoral office thirty-two years. His views on political subjects did not harmonize with those of the society which composed his charge. The pastoral relation was dissolved in Nov. 1775. He was, through his ministry and through his life, a useful physician and a respectable man. He was also successful in directing the soul, afflicted with the malady of sin, to the Heavenly Physician. Mr. Fairbanks, his successor, continued from March 1777, until April, 1793; and in September after his dismission, he was installed pastor of the church in Wilmington, Vt. In less than a year, Mr. Hooper took charge of the flock left without a shepherd at Boylston. He was a young man of promise; in about twenty months he died, at the age of twenty-six, much esteemed by the people of his charge and all his acquaintance. Mr. Cotton continued in the ministry twenty-eight years-still resides in the place, and has for a considerable time since his dismission, preached to a part of those who were formerly his parishioners. An Orthodox society was formed not far from the time of Mr. Cotton's dismission, and Mr. Russell was ordained pastor in June, 1826, continued six years, and was dismissed in April, 1832. He was installed in September following at Norwich, where he continued about a year in the ministry. Finding himself afflicted with a lung complaint, he resigned his office the last of December, and died before the close of Jan. 1834. Mr. Russell, in his decline, exemplified the Christian character in his patience and resignation. "A short time previous to his death, he received a kind, affectionate and consoling letter from the association of ministers with whom he had been formerly connected; to which, just one week before he expired, he dictated, with a whisper, a cordial reply, fraught with Christian feelings, great humility, and much good instruction for their edification and comfort." He studied theology at Andover. Mr. Sanford, in about seven months, was invested with the pastoral charge at Boylston, where he continues.

BROOKFIELD had long been an Indian settlement, by the name of Quaboug. In 1660, the English commenced an establishment. Several persons from Ipswich obtained a grant of land six miles square; and in 1665, they obtained a deed of the Indians "for, and in consideration of the sum of three hundred fathoms of wampumpeage, in hand received." The town was incorporated Oct. 16, 1673. In about two years after its incorporation it was destroyed by the Indians, when the inhabitants consisted of about twenty families, who had erected a meeting-house, and had been supplied with preaching a considerable part of the time. The inhabitants abandoned their settlement; and after peace had been established, some of the persons who had left returned in 1692. Perpetual fear from savage incursions greatly retarded their progress in settling; so that a Christian church was not formed in that place until Oct. 1717. Not only in Philip's war, but in Queen Anne's, about forty years after the first attempt to settle that place, they had to encounter dreadful scenes of distress and anxiety from the savage foe. Nearly sixty-seven years elapsed before the church was organized, and Mr. Cheney took the charge of the flock, probably the same day. He lived in harmony with his people, and ministered both to their acceptance and spiritual edification more than thirty years. In less than two years after the decease of Mr. Cheney, Mr. Harding was invested with the pastoral office. In his day the town was divided. The inhabitants had rapidly increased after the Indian hostilities terminated. A controversy arose about locating and erecting a new meeting-house, soon after Mr. Harding's settlement; an event which proved so great a discouragement to him, that in less than six years he resigned the pastoral office. He was a gentleman of great benevolence, and his public ministrations were serious, and adapted to edify and benefit his hearers. He was distinguished for his probity and literary acquisitions. The North society had been formed in his day. Mr. Parsons was ordained