Norwich bulletin., 1913-12-25
OLD HAMPTON PAPERS.
GROW HILL BAPTIST CHURCH
 AND THE VARNUMITiES

Tn the early part of the 18th Gen. tuTy Hampton contained three church. es. The Congregational on the Hill: one a Baptist church or the old Grow Westinghouse in the II. @. part of the town in Appaquag not far from the present home of Henry Stone, and the Christians in Goshen. When my father, Ebenezer Jewett was young boy he often attended the Grow church with his mother. He en- 3oyed that church much better than he did the one on the Hill, for Deacon Grow, good old man, used to take reg ularly to church WeII-filled lunch bas- kets which he distributed among the boys and girls who attended Sunday School. And as the meetings were, long in lasting nearly all day the boys and girls greatly appreciated this free lunch. Sometimes, however he at tended the Congregational church and pumped the pipe organ receiving two cents a Sunday. The boys used to call tt Pumping Thunder at 2cts. a clap. ?
 In 1916 a Society of reforners came to Hampton. They called themselves Christians. They were also called Smithi6eS and Varnumities The lat ter name was shortened by the regular church members into being ''Var1ninits'' so great was the opposition to them by the pastor and leaders of the church.
 One Elias Smith was the founder of the sect. They believed in the Wash ing of Feet and the Laying or. of Hands Their church was in the west part of the town, at what was called Goshen, but now is called Clarks Corn CTS. They also held meetings in school houses. At that time there was a school house in South Bigelow, nearly opposite the present home of. Joseph Clark A meeting was in progress fhere at one time and after MT. Var mum had preached a powerful sermon on the necessity of hum bIine, ones self and becoming like little children, some of the congregation acting on his ad- vice began rolling around the floor and the story farther relates thaE Elder VsTntun in a mortified tone remarked TO ore of his deacons that This beats the ll'
 MT Varuurn professed to have special revelations from God that cer- tain persons were to give him articles which he desired, such as sums of money or horses. At one time he went ee man and told him that it had been revealed unto him that he was to give him -;9 horse. The man, who had a4TeadT given Mir. Narnum several 'xszs gs hesitsted and asked him as the hor-sewas 2 valuable one. if half of 1t would not be as acceptable as 9 gift tnEtead of giving the horse outright: Mir. NarT1um to pay him half the value SnG lakE the morse. lie agreed. but altnoueIl he took the horse he never paid for half it's worth
 Mir. Varnu1n appears to have been the principal leader and in a few years he induced a large number of his fol- lowers 10 go with him to Ohio and there establish a Pure and Holy Church and enjoy kind of Paradise upon Earth" for evidently all of Hampton failed to appreciate him and his Revelations
 He eventually became a ShaBer. and many of his followers joined that sect w1th hirn, while others returned to Hsn1ptUn disappointed with Ohio and R1 cir New Paradise.
 Ttie Baptist Church of crow Hill which had often suffered from the lack of regular pastor and Tfle proselytfng of the Varnurnities was discontinued. The few Christ Sans wflO had remained in town now dropped their extreme mode of wor- ship. sba1rdoned their church in Go- Ehen. and located in Howard Valley where tlley were known for years as the Burnham Baptist Church of Howard Valley.
 SUSAN J9WETT HOWE