The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-12-28
REV. HUGH 6. CARtEy.
An Old Time Waldo County Clergyman.
From the Waldo County Advocate.

| hancock, New hampshire, NOVculDcI
27, 1897, and came to Brooks with his
uncle in 1912. He was baptized and
united with the Christian church in
1887, was clerk of their Yearly Con-
ference s wears and was ordained to
preach in 1S47. Christians and Free
will Baptists united las F. W. Baptists)
and founded the Prospect Quarterly
Meeting, Rev. Mr.. Carley becoming
pastor Of the Swanville and East Bel
fast church, where he preached for
fifteen years.
The Free Will Baptist was the lead
ing religious denomination in Brooks
and Waldo County in the pioneer days,
other church organizations predominant
ing in membership only in the large
villages on the river and bay, such as
Frankfort, Searsport, Belfast and Cam
den, where college educated men oc-
cupied the pulpits. A college graduate,
in the person of Rev. Silas Warren, had
organized Congregational church in
Jackson in 1912, and his jurisdiction
was extended over Brooks, where. how
ever Elder Samuel Whitney, a rough
diamond and man of great natural
oratorical power and force of character,
was pastor of the larger Free Win Bap-
fist church, the Quakers being next IN
numerical strength.
Elder Whitney resided in a house
that stood where the residence of
Thaddeus l. Huxtord now stands. He
was the member from Brooks of the
Constitutional convention in 1919 that
organized the State of Maine from
Massachusetts,. He was the first men,
Der of the legislature from Brooks in
1921: and afterwards Senator from Han
cock County, in which Brooks then
was, and member of the Governors
Council. Elder Whitney afterwards
preached in Halloween Thorndike and
other parts of the State, became a
noted abolitionist leader and lecturer,
and finally lost his mental powers and
died at an advanced age in Jackson in
1859, at the home of Deacon Joseph
Rich. IN his full strength of mentality
he was clearly the leader among the
Free Will Baptist clergy i'll Waldo
county, and there large number of
them, who had but limited education,
were not settled over regular parishes,
abilities and character, fluent takers
and exhorters, some of them remarkable
though rough eloquence, Woodworking
farmers and devout preachers of the
gospel.
Hugh Grimes, a carpenter and joiner,
who came to Brooks from Vermont,
and erected in 1916, the building known
as the Macarthur store, which was
afterwards occupied by Wellington
Roberts, Frank Thorndike, Barnabas
NJ Roberts, Marshall Davis, and Other
merchants unknown to or forgotten by
the writer Grimes brought with him
from the Green Mountain State
nephew, boy of fifteen, who lived and
worked with him, became interested in
religious thought at an early age, and
later developed as one of the farmer
preachers Of the Free Will Baptist
church. His name was Hugh Grimes
Carley He was worked hard by his
uncle and had no opportunity to secure
that education he so greatly craved,
only through the district school of
those primitive days for few short
those few glad chances to the fullest
extent and studied hard by the light of
burning pine knots after the hard
labors of the day He at last succeeded
in passing the examination to preach,
bought farm in Jackson and began to
preach the gospel, thinking nothing OF
riding ten miles after a hard days
labor to attend a prayer meeting at
some house, returning home the same
night to resume the farm duties in the
morning, while every Sunday found
him a long distance from home to lead
the Worshippers at some cross roads
schoolhouse. He was an earnest ex-
horter, mild hammered, a logical advo-
cate: radical for temperance. and one
of the early leaders in Waldo County
of the anti-slavery cause.
February s. 1922. when he settled
down to the life of the farmer and
preacher, Hugh Carley married Ann
Young, daughter of John Young, who
removed to Brooks from Buckfield and
settled in South Jackson with wife
who was Hannah Roberts, the oldest
tlonary soldier and first settler of
Brooks. Hugh Carley's wife died in
1887, about the time he removed to
Swanville, where he continued to farm
and preach, also visiting all parts of
the county to speak for the Free Soil
party, wherever he could find half
dozen to listen to him.
In the year 1917 he was the Free Soil
candidate for representative from the
classed towns of Monroe and Swanville
and was defeated by 20 votes by Rich
ara Smart, Democrat, of Swanville, who
became Republican when that party
was formed. Shortly after that time
Mr. Carley removed to Prospect, where
he resided until his death, which occur
red October 5, 1885, at the age of IS
years, lacking two months.
Alvin Carley, his first born, followed
the sea, and was killed by the natives
in Africa, April 26, 1912, when eighteen
years old. The second child, Mark Car
ley, born in Jackson, March II, 1926, is
resident of Toledo, Illinois, where he
is prominent citizen and was for sew
eral terms postmaster. He was sailor
from boyhood, served in the U. S. navy
during the war of the rebellion, and has
been Commander Of the G. A. r. Post
at his home several times.
Mrs. Mark Carley-nee Kate Gilman
was born in Jackson and resided there
until she became young woman, when
her father, Charles A. Gilman, removed
to Stockton. He was a brother of the
late Enoch Gilman Of Brooks, they hav-
ing married sisters (the Misses Wiggin).
a daughter, Lovinia Y. Carley, born
in Jackson in 1928, married William s.
Hildreth of Indiana, and died in Jack
souville, Ill.,, in 1892. Another daughter,
Martha A., born Feb. 2, 1886, married
Charles a. Harris of Stockton. The
wife of Timothy Thorndike, who died
in Belfast in 1874, was cousin Of Mrs.