The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-12-13
CHESHIRES OLD CHURCH.
INTERESTING PARTICULARS or ITS
 i7OTH BIRTHDAY.

A Fine Ce.ebration-Br Brief Historical Sketch
 of the church-Two Pastorates Covering
 Nearly Century-Many Interesting
 Relics Placed on View.
 The Congregational church of ches- hire celebrated the l70th anniversary of the organization of the church last Sabbath with appropriate exercises. On the left of the pulpit. under the memo rial tablet of Rev. Samuel Hall, its for mer pastor, were the figures l724; on the right, and directly under the tablet erected to the memory of John Foote, were placed the figures in evergreens forming the numbers 1924. Between these stood century plant, illustrative of the period embraced by the two pastors, which was nearly a century. Facing the audience on the pulpit was the date l724; on the left the hgures 1924 The Rev. J. P. Hoyt, the pastor or the church, delivered discourse in the morning from the words Hitherto has the Lord helped us." It was very in- teresting discourse. one appropriate to the occasion. In the evening D. K. Brown gave history of the church somewhat in detail, alluding to the steps leading to It's formation, Its or ganization, and especially that portion of it's history including the eighty-nine years pastorates of the Rev. Samuel Hall and Rev. John Foote, the first two pastors of the church. The church was organized December g, 1724, and at the same time Rev. Samuel Hall was ordained and installed as pastor. The church numbered at its organization eleven males and fifteen females, which was declared to be according to ye government of 1876.
 The Rev. Nathaniel Channey of Dur ham was moderator of the council. Rev. Samuel Whitney of Wallingford preached the sermon, and the Rev. Horace Stiles of North Haven made the closing prayer. MT. Halls stipulat- ed support was f65 for the first year, and to rise with the lists until 1t reach ed fS5.Its first clerk was Joseph Thomp- on,who occupied this position for twen- ty-four years. Joseph Ives and Stephen Hotchkiss were the first deacens, chos- en December 27, 1724. The latter was the first one to care for the meeting house at an annual salary of fl, and also was the first person selected to set the psalms. The Rev. Samuel Hall of ficiated as pastor from 1928 to 1767, covering a period of forty-three years, at which time the Rev. John Foote was ordained as his colleague. MT. Hall, however officated for seven years af- rewards, and then closed his ministry with a discourse from Samuel 1885. T am this day four score years old" He died in 1776, aged eigthty-one years. MT. Hall baptised during his pastorate of forty-th1ee years 2,013, admitted to the church 67o and buried 626. The green in front of the Congregational church and the old portion of the town cemetery were among MT. Halls bene- factions to the parish of New Cheshire. The Rev. John Foote served the church as pastor from 1767 until his death, which took place in the year 1913. He baptised 1,767, admitted to the church 649 and buried 1,109 persons during his ministry of forty-six years. For eighty nine years Rev. s. Hall and Foote faithfully, performed the duties of the pastors office in this zion. They died and were laid to rest among the people for whose happiness and spiritual vel fare they had long faithfully and pray erfully labored Let the memory be enshrouded in the breasts of all those who love this ancient church through succeeding generations. Quite a num- Der of interesting relics were furnished by some of the descendants of the early settlers. They were placed on the communion table and on the platform in front of the pulpit. Among these relics were the following: Two very old high back chairs which were in use in the second church edifice; the old Bible, the first one used in the present church; a silver tankard and communion cup, the latter the gift of Ebenezer Doolittle in the year 1772; baptismal font do- mated by Stephen Ives in 1799 and still in use by the church; an arm chair, one of the first used in the present church building; baptismal robe, worn by the children of Deacon Samuel Beach, and others when the rites of baptism was administered, and now in posses sion of T. B. Ives; an ancient hour glass, which was used by the minister to call to mind the time "as runs the glass mans life does pass;;" several old al- manacs; colonial scrip, old time papers, documents, including sermon of the Rev. Samuel Hall, copied from a. print ed discourse; also, two sermons of the Rev. John Foote, one of which was in print and the other in manuscript: other curiosities of ye olden times. After the services were closed many fingered to examine with much interest these relics of the past. Several per- sons were present who were direct de- scendants of some of the first members of the church, among whom were T. B. Ives, Mary c. Ives, Minnie E. Cornwall, Thomas E. Cornwall, John l.. Foot and niece who are descendants of the Rev. Samuel Hall, the first pastor of the church. It was an occasion long to be remembered by this ancient church.
 OTHER CHESHIRE NOTES.
 Dec 12.-L A. Thomas lodge. I. 0. o. F., dedicated their new hall Tuesday