EARIA HISTORY OF THE METHODISTS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. 13
��phia, another Baltimore. There were
six hundred in the membership. In 1784
there were 33 travelling preachers and
14,986 members. At Christmas, the
same year, the first annual conference
was held in Baltimore. In 1792, the first
general conference was held in the same place.
It will be seen that these operations were south of New England, but it has been a characteristic of Methodism to make an aggressive war upon the empire of sin, and extend itself in all directions. New England was visited by several preachers, among them being Rev. Jason Lee, a pioneer often on the frontiers, travelling on horseback, and addressing, with great earnestness, zeal and fervor, multitudes that came to hear him. He was in Boston, where he preached once under the great elm on the common.
No sooner had a foothold been gained in Massachusetts than New Hampshire was considered a field to be cultivated. In 1794, the New England Conference ap- pointed John Hill to labor in this State. What came of this is not known, as there is no record of his work. Possibly he did not come into the State. Yet, through the efforts of some one, a socie- ty was soon after formed in Chesterfield, which in 1797 had 92 members, and that year Smith Weeks was appointed to that place. The church there still exists, and is probably the oldest in the State. Two
years later Elijah Batchelder was ap- pointed there. In the meantime other sections were
visited. Jason Lee, above named, la- bored in the lower part of the State to some extent. Some opposition was en- countered, but in general a good work is not hindered by opposition, but, on the contrary, is usually advanced. Dur- ing the year 1800 a society was consti- tuted in Landaff and one in Hawke, now Danville; in 1801, one in Hanover; in 1802, one in Bridgewater and one in Kingston ; in 1803, one in Grantham ; in 1804 one in Pembroke, one in Loudon and one in Tuftonborough ; in 1805, one in Northfield and one in Centre Harbor; in 1806, one in Portsmouth ; in 1807 one in
Canaan and one in Rochester ; in 1810, one in Greenland.
��The several places to which a minister was appointed constituted a " circuit," receiving its name from the principal town ; and this continued, especially in country regions, until within a very few years. A circuit embraced two, three or more towns. These the minister was to visit and hold evening or other meetings. When a circuit was very large, two min- isters were assigned to it. On a circuit, a minister was much in the saddle, or travelling on foot in wilderness regions, finding his way by spotted trees.
During the times in which the above societies were established, and later, there were several distinguished minis- ters doing good service in the State, among whom should be named the fol- lowing :
Rev. Elijah Hedding, who travelled over some of the rough portions of the State, preaching the gospel to many, but subsequently became a Bishop, and re- sided in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., where he died.
Rev. Wilbur Fisk, who was a Presid- ing Elder in New Hampshire, and after- wards became President of Wesleyan University, in Middletown, Conn., and was elected Bishop, but died before serv- ing in that office.
Rev. John Broadhead, a native of Pennsylvania, who was for some time a Presiding Elder — a man of sterling ability and an effective preacher, who resided at what is now South New- market, was a Senator in the Legislature, and for four years Representative in Con- gress, and who died April 7, 1838.
Rev. Alfred Metcalf resided in Green- land as a local preacher, and labored suc- cessfully in the surrounding region. After a ministry of success for thirty years, he died June 4, 1837, aged fifty- nine years.
Rev. John Adams was born in New- ington. He preached in Massachusetts, Maine, and, during the latter part of his life, as well as at times previously, in New Hampshire. He had some eccen- tricities, but many excellencies. He was apt, cutting in rebuke, fascinating and earnest, had great influence in his ad- dresses, and was successful in bringing
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