Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-09-14


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RELIGIOUS RECORDS IN w1LLIsToN
A CENTURY AGO.
Wiliston. August, 1899,
To the Editor of the Free Press:
The records Of the First Religious So
ciety OF Willlston" and of the Congrega-
tional Calvlnistic Church and Society" are
interesting in showing the changes that
ms century so near to its cicse, has
wrought in the transaction of Society and
Church matters. We cannot find any
dates Of the organization and raining OF
the first religious society of Williston;
only that Dec. 6, 1909 the Society called
meeting 40 see if the Society will agree
to give Rev. Andrew c. Collins a call for
settlement and agree on his salary.
Dec. -. the Society voted to give Mr.
Collins a call for settlement, and chose
committee of five to confer with Mr.. Col
Inns and present 20 MIN the proposals of
the society and make arrangements for
his installation December Goth this COM
mittee reported that it is Mr. Collinss
wish to settle on the following conditions:
First he is to be our Minister so long a s
the Society and he can agree and no
l0ngeC and the said Mr.. Collins shall be
released from connection at any time af
ter his Settlement in this Society on his
Society in any Meeting rightly warned for
That purpose shall have "A right to vote
to dismiss him, the said Mr.. Collins,
Minister and majority of such meeting,
that vote for his Dismission, shall be a
good and compleat dismission at the end
or expiration of six months after the
passing said vote"
Second, we are unanimously of opinion
that Mr.. Collins ought to receive $500, an
nually as Salary for sixteen years and
a half, and after the expiration of said
sixteen years and a half, 1888. SO annually
so long as he continues our Minister but
il the said Mr.. Collins shall be dismissed
otherwise than by death before the ex-
piration of the said Sixteen and one half
years he Is to pay or cause to he paid
said Society on neat cattle or grains, with
in-(here the record is worn so as to be
illegible)-years from his dismission to
ten pounds for each year in which he has
not served the Society the aforesaid sin
teen years and one half. Likewise the said
Mr.. Collins is to give a quiet claim Deed
to The Town of Richmond of che nalf Of
Ministerial Right, so called, in said Town.
being the same that the Sclcctmen of Will
liston have already agreed to deed or
cause to be decided to the said Town Of
Richmond. And the said Mr. Collins is to
receive his Salary in the following man
her. to wit fifty Dollars in Cash enc Hun
dred Dollars in wheat, and the remainder
in Beef, pork or grain, to be paid in the
month of December annually"
l. David TalcOtt
Ellhu Allen
LIN. Bottom Commit tee.
Sol Miller
Thomas Barney
The question of dismission Mr. Collins
came up in the meeting of the Society
March 26, 1904 and was decided In the
negative. April &c, 1874, Mr.. Collins in a
letter to the Society says; II have been
of the opinion for more than one yeas
that, it will be for the Interest of the So
oicty and the Advancement of the Cause
of Religion 10 nave the connection be-
tween us Dissolved And now viewing the
present existing circumstances of the So
ciety, | am fully confirmed in the same
opinion. 1t Is therefore any sir Cere wish
Gnhuenced solely by a regard to the In
terest of the Society to have the con-
neXion between us terminated. Having
siven this information, | shall consider
myself according to contract at the eX-
piration of six Months from the Date re-
leased from those obligations which the
connexion laid laid me Under to perform
Ministerial services with you. In the
mean time ! cannot foSbear expressing a
sense of my obligation to the Society for
the Candour, Friendship and respect with
which | have in publick and private been
treated, not only by the Society in gu.-
eral but by each individual Of them
which circumstances will cause the name
of Willlston TO be dear to me 30 Icing as
amy spark of Sensibilty remains in my
heart"
Dec 7, 1891, The Committee of the So
ciety respected 1--WE have made settlement
with the Rev Aaron .. Collins and have
taken his note for SS6s'6 payable in Neat
Cattle or grains by he 10th day Of Octo-
Der next and delivered the same to this
md hlNr .rII y I'M ntlr oct
for the same and have also taken said
Collins Quit claim Deed to the Town OF
Richmond Of one half of the Ministerial
Right IN Williston and have taken Ms
Collins Rect in full at the same date"
Mr.. Collins began his labors in the So
ciety according to call and CCntrtact, Jan
Is, lsOO he formulated Articles of FAITH
and Covenant and organized a "Christar
Church" of sixteen members. which voted
unanimously to acquiesce with the Society
in their proposals to Mr.. Collins and ctC
ditiOns of his settlement. We do not md
howeveC, any record OF his formal install,
! latlon March u, 1904 the Church 'Voted
10 apply to those geNtlaincn who ofhciatef
in the installation of Mr. Collins, for the
usage Of dissoving the relation Ac'
coriingly the relation was dissolved by
> Council May I, 1904, with marked anf
hearty co~nmendations of Mr. Collins as a
man and faithful and successful mn stei
in his own parish and in the county
around.
Some pavt OF the records OF Rev. Joseph
f. Goodhue's settlement in Williston, r
May, 1924, are equally unique Mr., Good
hue, coming to Williston, bought lot ant
built for himself a house thereon. In duc
time he sold this house and lot for a par
sonage and decided the same to Martin
| Chittonden and others, Sc in all, who &c
names are given in the Town Records
These 36 persons at once leased the house