NEW LONDON CENTENNIAL ADDRESS.
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��the county of Hillsborough, on Jan- uary 27, 1802, by the Most Worshipful Grand Lodge of the State of New Hampshire. The Lodge flourished well here for many years, and had be- come quite numerous previous to the anti- masonic wave that swept over the eastern and middle states about 1826, when the excitement run so high and the opposition was so strong that the masons, thinking that discretion was the better part of valor, suspended their meetings for a time altogether, and the lodge in fact never did much more work in its old locality. But in June, 1 85 1, it was removed to Wilmot, where it remained in good working order until 1878, when it was again removed and located at Scytheville, in New Lon- don, where it now remains, enjoying a fair share of prosperity.
The population had gone on increas- ing since 1800, though somewhat irreg- ular. In 1 8 10 the census showed 692, gaining only seventy-five in that decade ; but in 1820 there were 924, a gain of 232 in that decade, and the town had also made rapid progress in education, wealth and position, and was now en- joying a large share of the comforts and conveniences of life for that day.
The County of Merrimack was incor- poratd July 23, 1823, and consisted of twenty-six towns, from Rockingham and Hillsborough counties. New London, which had been a part of Hillsborough County hitherto, now became a part of Merrimack, of which it still forms a part.
On July 4, 1826, the new meeting- house, the house in which we are to- day assembled, was raised. The corner- stone had been placed with appropriate ceremonies before that, at a public gathering, with a procession, music and religious ceremonies. The Fourth of July was a pleasant day, and at sunrise the work of raising was commenced, and it was substantially finished the same day, except what could be done with the force that was to be permanently em- ployed upon it. From that time for- ward the work was prosecuted with vig- or, so that before the winter closed in it was completed, with steeple and bell ; the slips were disposed of and the
��house ready for use, and all that I find in the records concerning it, anywhere, in either church or society, is the fol- lowing vote by the society at their reg- ular meeting on the third Monday of December, 1826, viz. :
Voted, " To accept of the new meet- ing-house, built by David Everett and Anthony Colby, and the common around the same. Chose Joseph Colby and Jonathan Greeley to take a convey- ance of said meeting-house and com- mon."
It seems that it had been arranged that the house should be apprais- ed so as to cover expenses, and a sufficient number of the society had subscribed, or in some way became re- sponsible to take the slips at the ap- praised value, so as to secure those who did the work in the first instance ; and then those two built the house and con- veyed it to the society.
I can well remember the procession and proceedings when the corner-stone was laid, and the day of the raising of the house. After it was completed we used to alternate between the new house and the old, one Sunday at each in turn for many years. In the old meeting-house were the square pews, with the seats on all four sides of them, with the high pulpit and the great sounding-board over it, which would be sure to fall upon the minister's devoted head, should he depart but the breadth of a single hair from the truth. In the new meeting-house there was some im- provement, the slips were- all facing the same way and towards the pulpit, which originally was at the other end of the house, directly in front of the singing- gallery ,and but little lower than that.
On May 30, 1830, Rev. Samuel Am- brose died. He had for several years been a member of this church, the original church at Sutton having become at one time nearly or quite extinct ; and on October 4th, in the same year, Elder Seamans died. Thus these two men, who had labored side by side so long in the cause of the master, were called very nearly together to their reward.
In 1830 the population was only 913, a loss of 11 from 1820.
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