PORTSMOUTH OLD SOUTH CHURCH (continued)

Capt. Fernald says that when he first attended the meeting there was but one house on the square south of the church,--a one story house occupied by a Mrs. Wyatt, nearly opposite the present residence of Ichabod Rollins, Esq. The house of Mr. Thatcher Emery, near the bridge was also then standing. The square on the North of the church was owned by Capt. Nathaniel Pierce at that time, and upon it was only the Pierce house on the northwest corner, and a barn on the southwest corner. Capt. Pierce, after the Revolution, sold to Capt. Drisco the whole square, excepting the small lot reserved for his own residence, for $300.

It is said that when this church was built, some of the timber used was cut on the ground. The lot was presented to the parish by Capt. John Pickering, who was a liberal supporter of the ministry, as well as an active citizen in temporal matters.

On the 13th Sept. 1863, we were present at the exhuming of the remains of Rev. William Shurtleff, who was pastor from 1733 to 1747: he died May 9th of that year, and was buried under the communion table;--as were also the remains of his successor, Rev. Job Strong, who died Sept. 28, 1751, and was buried by the side of Mr. Shurtleff.

In the boards of the under floor, as we have stated, a place of the size of a coffin was found cut, which indicated the position of the graves. Directly under the opening the remains of one of them was found, and by his side, the coffins probably touching, was found the other. There was a difference of opinion as to the identity, but to us it was clear that the remains of Mr. Shurtleff were removed to the side, to admit those of Mr. Strong to be lowered directly into the grave. On first opening the grave, which was between three and four feet deep, it was doubted whether any remains were to be found, after having been buried in the earth 112 and 116 years. This doubt was soon removed by the disclosure of the skull, hair, and principal bones of the one whom we regard as Mr. Strong. Some of the bones were undecayed -- the teeth in the section of the lower jaw white and apparently as sound as when he died, at the age of 27. The bones of Mr. Shurtleff, who was about 40 years older when he died, were more nearly approaching decomposition--of the skull only a piece of the size of a dollar was left. There was but one rib left in a good preservation, and that belonged to Mr. Shurtleff. No remains were left of either coffin except two little strips of 3 and 6 inches long, which appeared to have been the bands of the coffin lids in which was a row of brass nails, about an inch apart. There were two pine knots found, so well preserved by the pitch they contained, they were as white and sound inside as new wood. An iron hinge in one of the graves showed that the coffin lid was made to turn down.

The remains of each, under the direction of the Wardens of the Stone Church, were put in appropriate boxes, and placed in the Auburn Cemetery where a suitable monument is now erected.The coffins in the Rindge tomb, under the centre of the house on the south side, have all been removed to the cemetery. This tomb must have been built more than a century ago, for when the house was enlarged and the porch erected in 1767, the entrance to the tomb was covered by the porch. The idea that the entrance to the church was made over the tomb was so abhorrent to the feelings of the family, that they changed their place of worship in consequence, to the Episcopal church.

In casting our eyes over the records of the South Church, we find a few matters worth giving. The subscription paper, on which the names are given of those who contributed to the support of Rev. Mr. Emerson, for the years 1714, 1715 and 1716 is summed up by the committee with the following entry:

"All that we can find that Mr. Emerson has had that we can make out at

present is L175 2s 2d."

Mr. Emerson gives his receipt as follows:

"I allow of ye one hundred seventy-five pounds two shillings, as so much paid for my salary ye first three years after I came to town."

J. EMERSON."

1753. Voted, That the scriptures of the Old and New Testament be publicly read every Lord's day as a part of the public worship in God's house.

1756. Voted, That ten pounds old tenor, of the Charity Money in the hands of the Deacons, be laid out in practical books for the use of the poor of the Parish.

Voted, That the hundred pounds, old tenor, given by Capt. Geo. Walker to the church, and now in the hands of the Deacons Langdon and Jackson, should be laid out to the best advantage in silver and gold coin, that the church may sustain no further loss by its lying in a depreciating medium.

1757. Voted, That the remainder of the proportion of the charity money appropriated to purchase practical and instructive books, for the use of the poor in this parish, be given into the hands of the Pastor to be laid out in books for said use.

Voted, That the L32 in stock of the church's money, now in the hands of Deacon Jackson, be by him converted into silver or gold coin.

Sept. 27, 1760. Received of the hands of Deacon Jackson one silver tankard, being the gift of Mrs. Mary Shurtleff to the South Church in Portsmouth, for the use of the Minister for the time being.

1760. A list of books belonging to the South Parish in Portsmouth, for the use of the Minister for the time being, and to be lent out among the people under his direction:--Pool's Synoposis, vol 5, Dr. Watts' Sermons; Dr.Doddridge's Rise and Progress, 3 vols.; Shaw's Welcome to the Plague, &c. 4 vols.; Christian Piety; Dickinson's Letter.

1762. The church likewise voted that the Deacons Langdon and Jackson be and hereby are desired to purchase with the silver money in their hands (being the gift of Capt. Walker) a decent christening basin, as soon as a sufficient sum shall be raised to pay for the forming of said basin, by subscription, the whole of the silver now in their hands to be applied in the weight of the basin.

The church likewise having further considered the proposal made for the introducing the use of Dr. Watts' version of the Psalms instead of the New England version, into their public worship, desired the Pastor to mention said proposal to the congregation.

At a meeting of the church, Sept. 9, 1763, at the meeting house, the church voted the use of Dr. Watts' version of the Psalms, instead of the New England. Voted, likewise, that the congregation should be desired to make a stop after public worship, and that the vote of the church be proposed to them for their concurrence. The congregation voted their concurrence, and likewise that said Psalms should be sung without being read line by line.

UPDATED INFO: Portsmouth has both a South Church  (the granite Unitarian Church on State Street) and a South Church becuase the parish split long ago. One group moved to the newer church downtown in the early 1800s while others stayed at the parish near the intersection of Water (no w Marcy) Street and Pleasant Street. That church was taken down later in the century and rpeplaced with the South Ward building that was also used as the city's first African American chruch. Confused? So are we. That building has recently been the site of the Children's Museum of Portsmouth now planning to move to Dover.

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Copy of Rambles courtesy Peter E. Randall
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This digital transcript  © 1999 SeacoastNH.com