It seems from some votes passed on this latter year that men were impressed in Wrentham to serve against the French and Indians in the Canadas. We also learn that Ensign Blake was in the Queen's service. An attack of the combined northern colonies against Montreal and Quebec was meditated at this time under the expectation that a British fleet and army would be sent to co-operate with them. But the British ministry did not keep their promise, and after waiting a long time for the appearance of the fleet the forces were disbanded without attempting anything. It does not appear whether any Wrentham men were on the expedition against Canada undertaken by the Tory ministry of Queen Anne in 1711, which terminated so disgracefully for the assailants. And after the peace which Walpole had maintained so long, was at last broken and the French and English in America were again in hostility , and Louisburg had been taken from the French by an army chiefly from Massachusetts, and again a project was formed to capture Quebec and again the English fleet and army failed to appear, and the war was ended and Louisburg ceded back to the French. It is not certain that our town furnished soldiers for this or for subsequent campaigns until 1756.
In that year the names of Benj. Hubbard and Thomas Cook, both of Wrentham, are found upon the muster roll of the company in his majesty's service, under command of Captain John Jones of Bellingham. And in the company of Capt. Eliphalet Fales of Dedham, in 1756, were enrolled Michael Mulsey, Zachariah Worthee, Jona Forster and Simeon Forster all of Wrentham. Also Stephen Cook of Marlboro, born in Wrentham, and Isaac Fisher and Eben. Streeter of Wrentham, were in Captain Nathan Tyler's company. Captain Nathaniel Blake of Milton, also enrolled on his company Abner Turner, Ephraim Randall, Jeremiah Blake, Michael Ware, Joseph Turner, Thomas Boyden, who were all of Wrentham. And in Maj. Stephen Miller's company in Col. Bagley's regiment, Fort Wm. Henry, Aug. 9th, 1756, the following-named Wrentham men were enrolled, viz.:
From Captain Days' Company, Ebenezer Cox, John Cox, Edward Boyden, Benjamin Cox, Morris Fling, Joshua Fisher, Benjamin Ware, Michael Ware; from Captain Man's Company, Abijah Hall, Thomas Boyden, John Conole, Pitt Pumham, of Stoughton; hired at Wrentham; from Captain Goldsbury's Company, Michael Wilson; Richard Newton, of Wrentham, 1757.
An Alarm Company was enrolled in Colonel Miller's Regiment at Wrentham April 22, 1757, of which Sam'l Day was captain; Benjamin Shepard, Lieutenant; Ebenezer Cowell, ensign; Lemuel Kollock, clerk; John Hancock, Daniel Man, Pelatiah Metcalf, Gamaliel Gerould were sergeants, and Sam'l Fisher and Elisha Harrington were drummers; and there were sixty-four privates. Besides this there was an alarm list of men between the ages of sixteen and sixty years, fifty-two in number, headed by the Rev. Joseph Bean, in which were also the names of Captain Timothy Metcalf, Captain Nathaniel Ware, Captain Jon. Whitney, Lieut. Jos. Fairbanks, Lieut. Ebenezer Cox, Dr. John Druce, Dr. Obediah Blake, and others, some of whom had probably seen service in former conflicts with the enemies of the English.
In 1759 Captain Jon. Adams' company in Colonel Ridley's Regiment, under Jeffrey Amherst, General and Commander-in-chief of His Majesty's forces in North America for the invasion of Canada, included three men from Wrentham---Benjamin Moore, Josiah Blake and Ebenezer Blake.
In the same year Wrentham men were "inlisted or impressed for His Majesty's service in Colonel Miller's Regiment, to be put under the command of his excellency, Jeffrey Amherst, Esq., General and Commander-in-chief of His Majesty's forces in North America for the invasion of Canada , 1759." These men had been in an expedition against Lake George in 1758, and one of their number in 1757. Their names were as follows:
Thomas Bristo, Thos. Pitty, Joseph White, Andrew Everet, Dan'l Pond, Melatiah Ware, Levi Morse, Dan'l Guild, David Force, John Conole, Oliver Pond, David Shepard, Hezekiah Ware, Reuben Thorp, Sam'l Metcalf, John Lawrence, Isaiah Bacon, Solomon Blake, Wm. Holden, Thos Fuller, Naphtah Bishop, Samuel Ellis, Moses Wheelock, 1757.
Capt. Abijah Hall, of Wrentham, commanded a company in the service, and the Wrentham men mustered into it were: Daniel Hawes, Thos Boyden, Nathan Hall, Jacob Bacon, Henry Crossman, Elisha Farrington, Jon. Newton, Amos Man.
In Capt. Sam'l Slocomb's company were: Robert Cooke, John Boyd, Eliazer Blake, John Blake, Stephen Cook, Thomas Cook; they were enlisted April 2, 1759, and mustered out December, 1759.
In September of this year, Quebec having surrendered to the English, the war in North America was virtually at an end. But the English colonies had for many years been exposed to the hostile incursions of war-like French and Indians, and had suffered the loss of many lives and of much treasure. The New England towns contributed soldiers; and the preceding record shows that Wrentham was not behind on furnishing men for various campaigns.
Resuming our narrative, and returning to the year 1709, we find the people peacefully pursuing their usual avocations and administering their prudential affairs with great economy, "fastening the loose glass in the meeting-house," for example, and "stopping the windows with board where glass was wanting." A few years later John Ware and Ebenezer Fisher reported that they were appointed a committee to run the ancient patent line between the counties of Suffolk, Bristol and Plymouth, and had met Capt. Jacob Thompson, a surveyor "but being shamed in the thing had done nothing." This line was the boundary of the colonies of Plymouth and Massachusetts, and a prominent bound called Angle tree in Wrentham line was established by commissioners of the respective colonies in 1664. But it seems that for a number of years, although surveys had been ordered, the line was in doubt. At length the Provincial Legislature enacted "that for the future a line beginning at a certain heap of stones on the west side of Accord pond in Hingham and Abington and running from said Monument West 20 1/2 deg. South leaving the towns of Weymouth, Braintree, Stoughton and Wrentham adjoining on the north, Abington, Bridgewater, Mansfield and Attleborough on the South to a certain old white oak tree anciently marked now standing and being a boundary between the county of Suffolk and the counties of Plymouth and Bristol so far as said line extends, etc." Wrentham was at this time within the county of Suffolk.
About this time, 1713, the town was indicted for not maintaining a school.
In 1716 a committee was appointed to seat people in the meeting-house according to their age, usefulness and estate, including those of the inhabitants of Dorchester who attended church here. A suit was brought against Attleborough for refusing to renew the bound marks. It seems that the indictment of the town for not maintaining a school had its effect for it was now voted to establish a school in four parts of the town. In 1719 a committee was chosen to procure a minister for one-quarter of a year, and was continued in authority after the death of Mr. Man, which took place on the 22d day of May, A. D., 1719.
Some five hundred and thirty-three persons had been born in that time within the bounds of the township; seventy-one couples married, and seventy-three persons had died. It has previously been related that the former inhabitants made it a special condition of their return at the termination of Philip's war, that Mr. Man should return with them. He was indispensable to them. In fact, the minister in those days was really the head of the people. He was their guide not only in spiritual affairs, but in worldly affairs also. He was undoubtedly the only man in the community who had had the opportunity of acquiring learning beyond the elements, and his influence was accordingly felt in all public affairs as well as in his pulpit on the Sabbath. Moreover, the circumstances which forced the early inhabitants of Plymouth and Massachusetts colonies from their transatlantic homes to these shores compelled them to consider themselves a peculiar people. The chief men in the colony, who had been leaders of the emigration, governed according to their notions of what religion and the word of God required, and were strongly seconded by the ministers of the churches. Hence, in answer to the petition of the inhabitants of Wrentham for town power, the colonial record is "the Court judgeth it meet to give the petitioners all due encouragement with their present minister according to their desires."
To that excellent man is due in a great measure undoubtedly the continuance of the settlement whose early planting here has been described in previous pages.
Mr. Bean, in his sermon preached at the conclusion of the first century of the town's existence, viz., in 1773, in speaking of the first settlers here, says: "They were careful to have the word of God regularly preached to them, and procured Mr. Sam'l Man, a young candidate, for that purpose." And after Philip's war, "when the settlers had concluded to return, so great was their veneration for Mr. Man, and so acceptable had been his labors among them, that it was their earnest desire he should return with them." It seems that while away from Wrentham, and so desirous was he of the plantation's going on, that he complied with their request. In 1692 a church was gathered here consisting of ten members, including Mr. Man; the others were: Benjamin Rockett, John Guild, Eleazer Metcalf, John Fairbanks, Thomas Thurston, John Ware, Ephraim Pond, John Vails, Sam'l Fisher. "Mr. Man was ordained over the church and congregation the same day, preaching his own ordination sermon." He had preached about eighteen years previously. "He died in the seventy-second year of his age and the forty-ninth of his faithful ministry." By what I have heard of him, continues Mr. Bean, he was a man of good erudition and an accomplished preacher--pious and faithful. He lived greatly beloved by his people, and died greatly lamented by them. He was born at Cambridge, and was graduated at Harvard University in 1665. He adds, that one of the first men in this province said of Mr. Man that he was not only a very good, but a very great and learned man.
At a general meeting of the inhabitants in September, 1719, the church, in presence of the inhabitants, did agree that the inhabitants should join them in choosing a minister out of the three that were nominated, viz.: Rev. Sam'l Andrew, Rev. Jonathan Parepont and Rev. Henry Messinger.
The record says the Rev. Henry Messinger, by a very unanimous and major vote, was chosen and elected, by both church and the town jointly concurring, to be the minister of this town to carry on the work of the ministry. He married Esther Cheever, of Cambridge, January, 1720, and was described in the records of that town as the Rev. Henry Messinger, of Wrentham. It would therefor appear that he had already commenced his ministerial duties at that date as the name of Messinger is not found upon the town records previously. His children were twelve in number. One of his sons, John, died in 1814 in his eighty-third year. He served in the office of Town Clerk twenty-one years in succession, when he declined further service, remarking that he ought to be free at the age of twenty-one. In 1787 he was again elected, and served seven years successively, making it the whole twenty eight years.
A printed sermon of the Rev. Mr. Man is in existence, and also two or more of Rev. Mr. Bean, but it is not, known to the writer that there is any manuscript or published discourse of Mr. Messinger. It has, therefore seemed proper to copy here his letter of acceptance, that the readers of these annals may be enabled to form an idea of the man.
""To the church and town of Wrentham, grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ. Sirs --- I cannot but with great fear take notice of the overruling providence of God in inclining your hearts so unanimously to make choice of myself, the most unworthy and unfit, to settle with you and to carry on the work of the ministry among you. And since your invitation to me I hope I have seriously and solemnly considered how awful great and difficult the work is to which I am called. And when this great work has been set so solemnly before me by others, and I have well thought of my own youthfulness and the little progress I have made in my studies to fit and qualifie me for so great a work, I have been ready to plead and say, how shall I speak that am but a child, and how shall I watch over souls so as to save my own and the souls of others?--and have been almost discouraged. In the multitude of thoughts within me I have asked counsel of heaven and left my case there, begging of God that he would direct me in the weighty business before me so as should be most for his honor and glory, your spiritual good advantage and my own future joy and comfort; and I hope I have not sought in vain. I have likewise consulted many learned, wise and godly men, who with one consent agree that my call is clear and that therefore it is my indispensable duty to comply with the sambas I not deny the call of Christ. Wherefore in the fear of God, and with a humble reliance on his gracious promise to his faithful ministers, I accept your call to carry on the work of the ministry so long as Providence shall provide for my comfortable sustenance among you , trusting that God that has called me to engage in so awful a work, who sees my unfitness for it and inability to perform the same, will exercise a fatherly piety towards me with respect thereto; will daily more and more qualify me therefor and encourage me therein, and accept my sincere desires and endeavors to advance his glory and the eternal happiness of others. And that it may be so I humbly ask your earnest prayers for me at the throne of Grace that God would forgive my many and great sins whereby I am rendered so unfit to engage in so sacred a work, and for which I desire deeply to be abashed and humbled before God. Cry to God mightily on my behalf that he in whom is all fullness would in a plentiful manner bestow upon me the outpouring of his spirit, and adorn me with every Christian grace and virtue, that I may come to you in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Peace. And if God in his due time shall settle me among you, doe what you can to make my work, which I engage in with fear and trembling, easy to me; and let nothing be done to discourage me. To this end let brotherly love be and abound among you; let every one forgive his brother his trespasses as he hopes for forgiveness of God. Live in peace; study the things which tend thereto, and the God of peace will be with you and bless you. And God of his infinite grace grant that we may with united hearts strive to advance his kingdom and glory; may be mutual blessings to, may enjoy much comfort in each other, and perform the respective duties incumbent of us, as that when our glorious Jesus shall make his second and illustrious appearance to judge both quick and dead, we may meet each other with joy and comfort, and give up our accounts with joy and not with grief.
"HENRY MESSENGER."
Mr. Messenger was ordained Dec. 5, 1719. In 1721 a second house for public worship was built, and was used as such by all the people in the town until Aug. 29, 1737, when the west parish (afterwards Franklin) was organized. A new church was formed there composed of members dismissed from the old church here, under the ministry of Rev. Elise Haven, who was ordained over them on the eighth day of November of the same year.
The immediate successor of Mr. Messenger says: "He continued in this first parish, greatly laboring in word and doctrine, till it pleased the Sovereign lord of life and death to put a period to his life and work nearly together. His death occurred on the thirtieth day of March 1750, in the fifty-fifth year of his age and the thirty-second of his faithful ministry. He was gentleman of unblemished reputation, and highly esteemed for his piety and virtue. He had the character of a plain, faithful, affectionate and profitable preacher. And though he was but of a slender, feeble constitution, yet he was abundant in labors among the people of his charge, and spared no pains for promoting the interest of the Redeemer and the good of souls. It is no wonder then that when all the congregation saw he was dead they mourned for him as Israel did for Aaron."
It is a somewhat remarkable fact that there is no one now residing within the limits of the town who is a descendant and bears the name at the same time of either of the first five ministers settled, although Mr. Man left six sons and Mr. Messenger five, and Mr. Bean and his successors also left sons. The descendants of the first two must nevertheless be very numerous amongst us, notwithstanding the fact that large numbers of them have from time to time gone to dwell elsewhere.
The Rev. Mr. Messenger's daughters were sought in marriage by neighboring clergymen. Mary married the Rev. Elise Haven, of West Wrentham, now Franklin; Esther the Rev. Aramaic Frost, of Mendon, Mass.; Sarah, first, Dr. Cornelius Colic, of Wrentham, and secondly, the Rev. Benjamin Carrel, of Dover, Mass.; Elizabeth the Rev. Joseph Bean, her father's successor in the ministry at Wrentham. James was the first minister of Ashford, Conn.
The entire tax for this year 1722 was two hundred and ninety-two pounds, seventeen shillings and eight pence.
The town in 1734, having refused to build a meeting-house for the westerly inhabitants ,voted to supply them with preaching, and chose a committee "to clear the town of certain scandalous charges made by Bellingham in a petition to the General Court." It was also voted in 1735 that some people with their estates be annexed to Medway, and that a number of families formerly of the westerly end of Dorchester, but now intermixed with the westerly end of Stoughton, who were joined to this town in 1724, may be returned to the town of Stoughton. "One reason assigned for this movement was that the town of Wrentham is now under very mean, low and poor circumstances, their town charges being very great. Adding the charge of the town to maintain the poor would amount, as we suppose, to more than all the polls and estates of families upon the said land would pay, and also many highways must be made through said tract."
Joseph Grant, Robert Ware, Obediah Allen, Ebenezer Guild, Eph. Knowlton, Samuel Ray and John Hill, Jr., declaring themselves Anabaptists in 1752, were exempted from paying ministerial taxes.
A part of Stoughton was annexed to Wrentham in 1753, and the next year the inhabitants of the West Precinct, praying the General Clurt to organize them into a separate district, a committee was chosen to oppose the petition; and at the same time the town voted that "it was not in favor of the excise bill printed by the General Court."