First Church (Weymouth, Mass.) Records 1724-1839 Guide to the Collection

Table of Contents Collection Summary Historical Background Collection Description Related Materials Acquisition Information Other Formats Organization of the Collection Detailed Description of the Collection Preferred Citation Access Terms

Collection Summary

Historical Background

The First Church in Weymouth, Mass. (United Church of Christ) was first gathered in 1623. In that year, a band of settlers arrived accompanied by Rev. William Morrell, a rector of the Church of England, who remained for just over a year. Rev. Mr. Barnard took over from 1624 until 1635. The church existed in only a provisional way from 1635-39 during which time a great deal of religious dissention took place. The people of Weymouth joined in covenant on Jan. 30, 1639: Peace and unity was finally achieved in 1644 with the arrival of Rev. Thomas Thacher. From then until the establishment of the south precinct or parish in 1723, the town was all one precinct. Town and church business was transacted in town meetings. The establishment of the South Precinct in 1723 meant the withdrawal of several church members.

In 1734, the pastoral call was extended to Rev. William Smith of Charlestown. The son of a wealthy mariner and merchant, Smith was born in 1707 and graduated from Harvard College in 1725. He accepted the position as pastor in 1734 at a salary of 160 and 300 settlement and was ordained at Weymouth later that year. During his tenure, the meetinghouse was repaired (1735) and more repairs and the addition of a steeple were planned in 1751 when the meetinghouse was completely destroyed by fire. Pews were sold to finance the construction of a new one at the same location and extra pews were built and sold for the addition of a belfry. Smith also found himself embroiled in controversy with the South Precinct over parish lands.

Smith married Elizabeth Quincy in 1740 and had four children, including Abigail, later Mrs. John Adams, and Mary, later Mrs. Richard Cranch. Rev. Smith died in 1783 after fortynine years as minister of the First Church.

During the next four years, no permanent pastor could be found. Several men served temporarily, but none would accept the permanent position until 1787 when Rev. Jacob Norton accepted the ob. Norton was born in Abington, Mass. in 1767, graduated from Harvard College in 1786, and was ordained at Weymouth in October of 1787. In 1789, he married Elizabeth Cranch, the daughter of Richard and Mary Smith Cranch and granddaughter of Rev. William Smith. She died in 1811 and in 1813, he was married again, this time to Hannah Bowers. He would serve until 1824 during which time his theological beliefs are said to have changed and caused great controversy in the church, the church's first Sunday School was begun, and the meetinghouse was enlarged. A significant portion of the congregation withdrew from the church, which kept its ties to the more traditional Congregationalism, to join the Union Church (Union Religious Society) of Weymouth and Braintree (est. 1804) and the Methodist Society in East Weymouth (est. 1822). His tenure was punctuated by religious tension, finally resulting in his dismissal in 1824.

Following his dismissal, Norton moved to Billerica where he became first a Unitarian and later a Universalist. Weymouth was his only pastorate. He died on Jan. 17, 1858 at the age of 93.

Norton was replaced by Rev. Josiah Bent, Jr. (d. 1839) of Milton who remained until 1833 when he resigned over Free Masonry. He graduated from Harvard in 1822 and was ordained at Weymouth. During his tenure, a new meetinghouse was erected.

Rev. John C. Phillips (1807-1878) an 1826 graduate of Harvard and in 1832 of the Andover Theological seminary, succeeded Bent, serving from 1833-1837.

The church is presently located at 17 Church St., Weymouth Heights, Mass.

Collection Description

The First Church (Weymouth, Mass.) records consist of records kept by Reverends William Smith, Jacob Norton, and to a lesser degree Josiah Bent and John C. Phillips, pastors of the First Church of Weymouth, Mass. The records include two record books containing minutes of First (North) precinct meetings and committee reports (1724-1839) and two volumes containing lists of births, marriages, members, and deaths (1734-1837) under all four ministers.

The loose papers of Smith and Norton contain warrants for precinct meetings to discuss town and church affairs including the dispute between the North and South precincts, papers related to the meetinghouse and the ministers' salaries, letters from other local churches noting appointments and other news, and papers related to Norton's dismissal as pastor in 1824 amidst religious controversy.

The collection also includes notes from and lists of members who withdrew from the church to join other area churches, in particular the Union Religious Association of Weymouth and Braintree (later the Old South Union Church of Weymouth).

Related Materials

In addition to the records of the First Church, the Mass. Historical Society holds the papers of Jacob Norton (1774-1840) including his diaries and sermons, and the diaries of William Smith (1728-1778).

Acquisition Information

The records were deposited by the First Church of Weymouth in August 1990.

Other Formats

On microfilm, P-375, 2 reels. The microfilm does not include the printed materials.

Organization of the Collection

The collection is organized into the following series:

Detailed Description of the Collection

Preferred Citation

First Church (Weymouth, Mass.) records, Massachusetts Historical Society.

Access Terms

This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.