PISCATAQUA ASSOCIATION. 189
Mr. Blodgett succeeded him for a term of about three years, when he re- moved to Pawtucket, R. I., where he spent his days. During his ministry twenty-five were added to the church. Few at this day can understand and appreciate the difficulties encountered in the estabhshment and early history of this church, but God has been with and blessed it. Into the period we are now considering the ministry of Rev. I'edrel Burt, of Durham extended. It commenced in 1S14, and closed in 182S. He had valuable qualities as a minister. His successor speaks of him as "a man of large stature, of a mag- nanimous spirit and gifted with unusual conversational powers." The church when he came to it was small, but was gradually increased. The largest in- gathering followed the meeting of the General Association of the State in that place, in 1826. The revival at that time extended to almost all the churches in this Association, and was of great interest and power. Rev. Henry Smith, of Camden, N. Y.. a native of Durham, had for some weeks been visiting in that place and vicinity, striving by the grace of God, to save the people from sin and death. Mr. Burt's ministry, after great suffering, was closed by his death in 1828.
At a meeting of this Association in 1829, held in Durham, the constitution was revised and a new article adopted, that there should be at each meeting an inquiry meeting calling out the religious experience of each member. At this time important changes were taking place in Dover. Manufacturing was becoming the leading business. Other denominations were coming in. Rev. Joseph W. Clary, had been the only minister. The record of him, which we would gladly perpetuate, was that " he was a good and pious man, a serious and faithful pastor." This record was made in contrast with the character of some who preceeded him in that office. It was well understood that after the dis- missal of his predecessor, the men of the parish did not harmonize in secur- ing a minister, and called in the influences of the ladies of the parish, who united in securing Mr. Clary. His ministry of nineteen years, was regarded by his brethren and by the community as having been eminently useful. But it began to be felt that the place had outgrown the ministry, and that a change was necessary. This, to the minister, would be a great calamity. Not the cutting off his worldly prospects merely, living as he did upon a small salary, with a large family of children upon his hands, but the breaking up of all his plans of usefulness, blasting his hopes of securing spiritual good to a people to whom his life had been devoted. With a sad heart in himself and in the brethren of the council, he was dismissed August 6, 1828. But we cannot but look back to his influence in the large accessions to the church whic.i soon occurred. Mr. Clary was again settled in Cornish for five years, in which time seventy-six persons were received to his church. Here he died, and his interment was sought by the people of Dover, and there his remains rest with the people to whom he ministered.
Rev. Hubbard Winslow, succeeded Mr. Clary and was settled in December, 1828. A young man of promising talents, fresh from the Seminary in New Haven, with what was regarded by some as an improved theology. He labor- ed with great earnestness ; a religious interest was awakened ; but his health failed, and he left at the end of three years. He was dismissed in 1831, and became pastor of Bowdoin street church in Boston the following year. Dur- ing his labors of three years in Dover, and before the settlement of his suc- cessor, one hundred and seventy-four were added to that church.
Rev. David Foot, was installed in February, 1833, from the Second Presby- terian Church in Cincinnati. He was an able preacher and a good man, — was useful for a time, but became absorbed by his zeal for the slave, and was dis- missed in 1839. He afterwards became deranged. With all the imperfections
�� �
