EDUCATION IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.--ACTION IN REGARD TO A
COLLEGE.--TESTIMONIAL OF CONNECTICUT CLERGYMEN.--LEGISLATIVE GRANT TO
MR. WHEELOCK.
The importance of education to the welfare of any community, has been
duly appreciated by the people of New Hampshire from the earliest
periods of her history.
Such an item as the following is worthy of notice:
"At a publique Town Meeting held the 5: 2 mo. 58 [1658,] It is agreed
that Twenty pounds per annum shall be yearly rayzed for the
mayntenance of a School-master in the Town of Dover."[11] Harvard
College being in need of a new building in 1669, the inhabitants of
Portsmouth "subscribed sixty pounds, which sum they agreed to pay
annually for seven years to the overseers of Harvard College. Dover
gave thirty-two pounds, and Exeter ten pounds for the same
purpose."[12] Very few towns at the present day are as liberal, in
proportion to their ability.
[11] Dover Town Records.
[12] Adams's Annals of Portsmouth, p. 50.
Classical schools were established in all the more populous towns, and
these were furnished with competent teachers, who were graduates of
Harvard College, or European universities.
In 1758, in the midst of the din and tumult of the French war, we find
the clergy--ever among the foremost in laudable enterprise--making an
earnest effort for increased facilities for liberal education.
We give official records:
"The Convention of the Congregational Ministers in the Province of New
Hampshire, being held at the house of the Rev. Mr. Pike in
Somersworth on the 26th day of Sept. 1758: The Rev. Joseph Adams was
chosen Moderator." After the sermon and transaction of some business:
"The Convention then taking into consideration the great advantages
which may arise, both to the Churches and State from the erecting [an]
Academy or College in this Province, unanimously Voted that the
following Petition shall be preferred to the Governor, desiring him to
grant a Charter for said purpose:
"To his Excellency, Benning Wentworth, Esq., Capt.-General and
Governor-in-Chief in and over his Majesty's Province of New Hampshire
in New England. May it please your Excellency,--
"We, the Ministers of the Congregational Churches in this Province of
New Hampshire under your Excellency's Government now assembled in an
Annual Convention in Somersworth, as has been our custom for several
years past, the design of which is to pray together for his Majesty
and Government, and to consult the interests of religion and virtue,
for our mutual assistance and encouragement in our proper business:
Beg leave to present a request to your Excellency in behalf of
literature, which proceeds, not from any private or party views in us,
but our desire to serve the Government and religion by laying a
foundation for the best instruction of youth. We doubt not your
Excellency is sensible of the great advantages of learning, and the
difficulties which attend the education of youth in this Province, by
reason of our distance from any of the seats of learning, the
discredit of our medium, etc. We have reason to hope that by an
interest among our people, and some favor from the Government, we may
be able in a little time to raise a sufficient fund for erecting and
carrying on an Academy or College within this Province, without
prejudice to any other such seminary in neighboring Colonies, provided
your Excellency will be pleased to grant to us, a number of us, or any
other trustees, whom your Excellency shall think proper to appoint, a
good and sufficient charter, by which they may be empowered to choose
a President, Professors, Tutors, or other officers, and regulate all
matters belonging to such a society. We therefore now humbly petition
your Excellency to grant such a charter as may, in the best manner,
answer such a design and intrust it with our Committee, viz.: Messrs.
Joseph Adams, James Pike, John Moody, Ward Cotton, Nathaniel Gookin,
Woodbridge Odlin, Samuel Langdon, and Samuel Haven, our brethren, whom
we have now chosen to wait upon your Excellency with this our
petition, that we may use our influence with our people to promote so
good a design, by generous subscriptions, and that we may farther
petition the General Court for such assistance, as they shall think
necessary. We are persuaded, if your Excellency will first of all
favor us with such a charter, we shall be able soon to make use of it
for the public benefit; and that your Excellency's name will forever
be remembered with honor. If, after trial, we cannot accomplish it, we
promise to return the charter with all thankfulness for your
Excellency's good disposition. It is our constant prayer that God
would prosper your Excellency's administration, and we beg leave to
subscribe ourselves your Excellency's most obedient servants.
Joseph Adams, Moderator.
"Proceedings attested by Samuel Haven, Clerk."
"The Convention of Congregational Ministers in the Province of New
Hampshire being held at the house of the Rev. Mr. Joseph Adams in
Newington on the 25th of September, 1759, the Rev. Mr. Adams was
chosen Moderator. We then went to the house of God. After prayer and a
sermon:
"A draught of a charter for a college in this Province being read:
Voted, That the said charter is for substance agreeable to the mind of
the Convention. Whereas a committee chosen last year to prefer a
petition to his Excellency the Governor for a charter of a college in
this Province have given a verbal account to this Convention of their
proceedings and conversation with the Governor upon said affair, by
which, notwithstanding the Governor manifests some unwillingness, at
present, to grant a charter agreeable to the Convention, yet there
remains some hope, that after maturer consideration and advice of
Council, his Excellency will grant such a charter as will be agreeable
to us and our people, therefore, Voted, that Rev. Messrs. Joseph
Adams, James Pike, Ward Cotton, Samuel Parsons, Nathaniel Gookin,
Samuel Langdon, and Samuel Haven, or a major part of them, be and
hereby are a Committee of this Convention, to do everything which to
them shall appear necessary, in the aforesaid affair, in behalf of
this Convention; and, moreover, to consult upon any other measures for
promoting the education of youth, and advancing good literature in the
Province, and make report to the next Convention.
Attested by Samuel Haven, Clerk."
The Convention was holden at Portsmouth, September 30, 1760, and at
the same place in September, 1761, but nothing appears in the
proceedings of those years concerning the charter. But at the
convention held at Portsmouth, September 28, 1762, the Rev. Mr. John
Rogers having been chosen moderator, after prayer and sermon, the
following testimonial was laid before the Convention:
"Chelsea, Norwich, July 10, 1762.
"We ministers of the gospel and pastors of churches hereafter
mentioned with our names, having, for a number of years past, heard of
or seen with pleasure the zeal, courage, and firm resolution of the
Rev. Eleazar Wheelock of Lebanon, to prosecute to effect a design of
spreading the gospel among the natives in the wilds of our America,
and especially his perseverance in it, amidst the many peculiar
discouragements he had to encounter during the late years of the war
here, and upon a plan which appears to us to have the greatest
probability of success, namely, by a mission of their own sons; and as
we are verily persuaded that the smiles of Divine Providence upon his
school, and the success of his endeavors hitherto justly may, and
ought, to encourage him and all to believe it to be of God, and that
which he will own and succeed for the glory of his great name in the
enlargement of the kingdom of our divine Redeemer, as well as for the
great benefit of the crown of Great Britain, and especially of his
Majesty's dominions in America; so we apprehend the present openings
in Providence ought to invite Christians of every denomination to
unite their endeavors and to lend a helping hand in carrying on so
charitable a design; and we are heartily sorry if party spirit and
party differences shall at all obstruct the progress of it; or the old
leaven of this land ferment upon this occasion, and give a watchful
adversary opportunity so to turn the course of endeavors into another
channel as to defeat the design of spreading the gospel among the
heathen. To prevent which, and encourage unanimity and zeal in
prosecuting the design, we look upon it our duty as Christians, and
especially as ministers of the gospel, to give our testimony that, as
we verily believe, a disinterested regard to the advancement of the
Redeemer's kingdom and the good will of His Majesty's dominions in
America, were the governing motives which at first induced the Rev.
Mr. Wheelock to enter upon the great affair, and to risk his own
private interest, as he has done since, in carrying it on; so we
esteem his plan to be good, his measures to be prudently and well
concerted, his endowments peculiar, his zeal fervent, his endeavors
indefatigable, for the accomplishing this design, and we know no man,
like minded, who will naturally care for their state. May God prolong
his life, and make him extensively useful in the kingdom of Christ. We
have also, some of us, at his desire examined his accounts, and we
find that, besides giving in all his own labour and trouble in the
affair, he has charged for the support, schooling, etc., of the youth,
at the lowest rate it could be done for, as the price of things have
been and still are among us; and we apprehend the generous donations
already made have been and we are confident will be laid out in the
most prudent manner, and with the best advice for the furtherance of
the important design: and we pray God abundantly to reward the
liberality of many upon this occasion. And we hope the generosity,
especially of persons of distinction and note, will be a happy lead
and inducement to still greater liberalities, and that in consequence
thereof the wide-extended wilderness of America will blossom as the
rose, habitations of cruelty become dwelling places of righteousness
and the blessing of thousands ready to perish come upon all those
whose love to Christ and charity to them has been shown upon this
occasion. Which is the hearty prayer of your most sincere friends and
humble servants:
Ebenezer Rosetter Pastor of ye 1^st Chh: in Stonington.
Joseph Fish Pastor of ye 2^d Chh: in Stonington.
Nath^l Whitaker Pastor of ye Chh: in Chelsea in Norwich.
Benj^a Pomeroy Pastor of ye 1^st Chh: in Hebron.
Elijah Lothrop Pastor of ye Chh: of Gilead in Hebron.
Nath^l Eells Pastor of a Chh: in Stonington.
Mather Byles Pastor of ye First Chh: in New London.
Jona. Barber Pastor of a Chh: in Groton.
Matt. Graves Missionary in New London.
Peter Powers Pastor of the Chh: at Newent in Norwich.
Daniel Kirtland Former Pastor of ye Chh: in Newent Norwich.
Asher Rosetter Pastor of ye 1^st Chh: in Preston.
Jabez Wight Pastor of ye 4 Chh: in Norwich.
David Jewett Pastor of a Chh: in New London.
Benj^a Throop Pastor of a Chh: in Norwich.
Sam^l Moseley Pastor of a Chh: in Windham.
Stephen White Pastor of a Chh: in Windham.
Richard Salter Pastor of a Chh: in Mansfield.
Timothy Allen Pastor of ye Chh: in Ashford.
Ephraim Little Pastor of ye 1^st Chh: in Colchester.
Hobart Estabrook Pastor of a Chh: in East Haddam.
Joseph Fowler Pastor of a Chh: in East Haddam.
Benj^a Boardman Pastor of a Chh: in Middletown.
John Norton Pastor of a Chh: of Christ in Middletown.
Benj^a Dunning Pastor of a Chh: of Christ in Marlborough."
"Voted, the Rev. Messrs. Moody, Langdon, Haven, and Foster be a
Committee of this Convention to consider and report on the above. Said
committee laid the following draft before the Convention, which was
unanimously voted and signed by the moderator:
"We, a Convention of Congregational Ministers assembled at Portsmouth,
September 28, 1762, having read and considered the foregoing
attestation from a number of reverend gentlemen in Connecticut, taking
into consideration the many obligations the Supreme Ruler has laid
upon Christian churches to promote his cause and enlarge the borders
of his kingdom in this land, the signal victories he has granted to
our troops, the entire reduction of all Canada, so that a way is now
open for the spreading of the light and purity of the gospel among
distant savage tribes, and a large field, white unto the harvest, is
presented before us; considering the infinite worth of the souls of
men, the importance of the gospel to their present and everlasting
happiness, and the hopeful prospect that the aboriginal natives will
now listen to Christian instruction; considering also the great
expense which must unavoidably attend the prosecution of this great
design, think ourselves obliged to recommend, in the warmest manner,
this subject to the serious consideration of our Christian brethren
and the public. It is with gratitude to the Great Head of the Church,
who has the hearts of all in his hands, that we observe some hopeful
steps taken by the societies founded for the gospelizing the Indians,
and the hearts of such numbers, both at home and in this land, have
been disposed to bestow their liberalities to enable such useful
societies to effect the great ends for which they are founded. But as
we wish to see every probable method taken to forward so benevolent
and Christian a design, we, therefore, rejoice to find that the Rev.
Mr. Wheelock has such a number of Indian youths under his care and
tuition; and in that abundant testimony which his brethren in the
ministry have borne to his abilities for, and zeal and faithfulness
in, this important undertaking. And we do hereby declare our hearty
approbation of it, as far as we are capable of judging of an affair
carried on at such a distance; and think it our duty to encourage and
exhort all Christians to lend a helping hand towards so great and
generous an undertaking. We would not, indeed, absolutely dictate
this, or any other particular scheme, for civilizing and spreading the
gospel among the Indians; but we are persuaded that God demands of the
inhabitants of these colonies some returns of gratitude, in this way,
for the remarkable success of our arms against Canada, and that peace
and security which he has now given us; we must, therefore, rely on
the wisdom and prudence of the civil authority to think of it as a
matter in which our political interests as well as the glory of God
are deeply concerned; and we refer to our churches and all private
Christians as peculiarly called to promote the Redeemer's kingdom
everywhere, to determine what will be the most effectual methods of
forwarding so noble and pious a design, and to contribute, to the
utmost of their power, either towards the execution of the plan which
the Rev. Mr. Wheelock is pursuing, or that of the corporation erected
in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, or any other which may be
thought of here or elsewhere, for the same laudable purpose.
John Rogers, Moderator."
The first Legislative action in New Hampshire relative to Mr.
Wheelock's work is also worthy of notice. The following is from the
Journal of the House of Representatives:
"June 17, 1762, Voted, that the Hon. Henry Sherburne and Mishech
Weare, Esquires, Peter Gilman, Clement March, Esq., Capt. Thomas W.
Waldron, and Capt. John Wentworth be a committee to consider of the
subject-matter of Rev. Mr. Eleazar Wheelock's memorial for aid for his
school." This committee made a favorable report, saying: "We think it
incumbent on this province to do something towards promoting so good
an undertaking," and recommending a grant of fifty pounds sterling per
annum for five years. The action of the Legislature was in accordance
with this report. Later records, however, indicate that the grant was
not continued after the first, or possibly the second, year. Gov.
Benning Wentworth, after careful investigation, gave his official
sanction to the action of his associates, in aid of Mr. Wheelock.