Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1937-07-22

England was at war with Spain, anf
SO all ships were heavily armed. W.
have a full account of the voyage O.
the "Talbot" from the pen of Fran
els Higginson, in his diary and il
letters written back to England
One of these was the subject of 4
Irecent letter from me to the Demo
crat.
On Saturday, April 25, 1929, Cole
Istyle), the ship Talbot" dropped
down the Thames river from Grave
send with only a faint breeze, and
near the mouth Of the river they
rested that night and kept the Sab
bath next day. At the end of an.
other week the ship, after sundry
adversities and with much tackine
and turning, had not yet entered
the Strait of Dover. Her pas.
sengers again kept the Sabbath
The progress of two more days
| brought them over against Var
mouth, about eight of the Clock at
/ Night They kept the third Sab
bath morning, but in the afternoon,
! the captain of Yarmouth Castle in
yited them to land, and Rev. Hig-
ginson preached in the city.
! On Monday. "The Lions Whelp,''
being at length provisioned and the
talbot" ready, the two ships again
set sail; but it was not until May
13 that the record could be made
We left our dear native land of
England behind us and launched
the same day a great way into the
main ocean We read in one of the
letters, "The Talbot rested over the
seventh Sabbath in the harbor of
Cape Ann and on June 20 was pilot
ed into the harbor of Naumkeag
This Indian name was soon changed
to the Hebrew 'Salem,' meaning
Peace
The people of Salem did not con-
slider that the appointment of the
London company placed the min
listers in the proper relation to the
church in Salem; accordingly, under
the authority of the governor, after
a day of fasting and prayer, no buy
ing nor selling, no servile labour,
no vain recreation being permitted,
every fifth member of the planta-
ton, elected, by formal written bal
lot, Mr.. Shelton and Mr.. Higginson
to be pastor and teacher of the col
ony. These were the first ballots
ever cast in New England.
This was nine years before the IA
nous New Haven covenant was writ
ten and signed.
The Rev Mr.. Higginson, at the
desire of the others, drew up a
form. in which the 80 persons Sc
lected to be the first church mem
bers, might, with one vote, make
Of their faith.
Francis Higginson died August G,
1880. His last sermon was preach
ed on Sunday when his congrega-
ton had been largely increased by
the arrival of ship load of emf
grants during the week. 1t was
from the text, What went We out in
to the wilderness to behold? But
went ye out?" We may
know Francis Higginson almost as
we'll as though his death occurred
bat few years ago; there are so
many letters and documents Of that
Tine.
He was a learned man, holding |
degrees from two great universities |
If England. A minister and teach |
II of unusual talents and withal a |
nan of most delightful character |
cheerful always, having unlimited |
,harity in an uncharitable age and |
having happy trustfulness of soul |
hat has always lived in close rela- |
ion to nature.
Although he lived less than IA
months in the new world, where ey-
rything looked so bright to him,
lis influence is still felt here, not
My through his many published
etters and books and his long line
f descendants, but directly felt, for
How long we live, not years, but
ctions, tell The man lives twice
Tho lives the first life we'll"
Mrs. Higginson and her children
moved to New Haven in 1887 to be t
ear her relative, Governor Eaton. !,
he died early in the spring oI 1914.
he eldest son returned to England.
ohm, the second son, became a min
ster, and after some years spent at
'uiiford, decided to return to Eng
and. 1t would seem almost that
ate interfered to prevent his leav-
ng America.
The ship on which he sailed was
isabled by a storm and put into
Massachusetts, bay. The people of
allen urged John Higginson to stay
With them and to take charge Of the
hurch his father had founded. He
onsented and preached there dur
ng the remainder of his life, almost
S long as his grandfather's, for he /,
yas over so years old when he died;
ne of the most honored of the early
lergy.-Very truly, Stanbery AL
erman.