Windham, N. H.
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��stalled till 1747. His salary was two hundred pounds and the use of the parsonage, besides three hundred pounds as a settlement. He ordained as ruling elders Nathaniel Hemphill, Samuel Kinkead, and John Kyle. By the dismemberment of Windham in 1752, whereb}' one fourth of our territory was annexed to Salem, the society was so much weakened that its minister could not be supported, and he was dismissed in July, 1752. Mr. Johnston was a highly educated man, having been graduated at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, after a seven years course. He studied theologv with the Rev. Dr. Kerr. He was of Scotch blood, and was born in 1710 in Mullow Male, county of Tyrone, Ireland, and was the son of William and Elizabetii (Hoey) Johnston. He came to Amer- ica previous to 1736, was then pastor of the Presbyterian church at Wor- cester, Mass. After leaving town he preached at Corry's Brook, now Du- anesburg, Washington county, N. Y. He afterwards purchased five hun- dred acres of land at Sidney Plains, N. Y., where his descendants " live unto this day." He died at Florida, Montgomery county, N. Y., May 10, 1782. He married, while in AVind- hara, a sister of the wife of Rev. William Davidson of Londonderry, — Anna, the daughter of Dr. John and Anna (Witter) Curamiugs. Her fa- ther was a surgeon, and died in the British navy on the coast of Africa. Rev. John Kinkead, of Scotch blood, was installed October, 1760, with a salary of £1300 old tenor. He ordained John Armstrong, Samuel Campbell, David Gregg, Lieut. Sam- uel Morrison, Robert Hopkins, and
��John Tuffts as ruling elders. The ministrations of Mr. Kinkead were not satisfactory, nor his moral de- portment such as to command the respect and love of his people, and he was dismissed in April, 1765.
Rev. Simon Williams was ordained in December, 1766, with a salary of about $233.33, with a settlement of $200, and the use of the parsonage. He was pastor for twenty-seven years, dying November 10, 1793. He did a noble work, and his influ- ence lived after him. He established a private academy which was an important tributary of Dartmouth college. As a scholar he was em- inent, and was much beloved by his people. He married Maria Floyd, who died July 28, 1805. They were born February 19, 1729, the same hour, in Meath, county of Tyrone, Ireland, and they are buried in the "Cemetery on the Hill," and his grave is directly beneath where his pulpit stood in which he preached for twenty-seven years. He ordained as elders John Dinsmoor, Robert Park, John Anderson. William Grecrw, Samuel Morrison, Robert Dinsmoor (the "Rustic Bard"), and Alexan- der McCoy.
A new church was built at the cen- tre of the town in 1798. Rev. Sam- uel Harris was ordained over the church October 9, 1805, and con- tinued as pastor till failing health caused him to be dismissed in 1826. He resided in town till his death, September 6, 1848, in the 74th year of his age. He married, April 17, 1798, Ruth Pratt, born August 29, 1779, who died March 22, 1869. Their son, William C. Harris, is a prominent citizen of Windham. The
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