2 14
��THE GRANITE MONTHLY.
��preached mainly in Portsmouth ; the latter, from December to June, receiv- ing $89.29. In 1S11 John Brodhead and John Lindsey were appointed to Portsmouth, Newmarket, and Dur- ham, — Mr. Lindsey preaching at Ports- mouth most of the time. During these years the society relied on public col- lections at each meeting to defray cur- rent expenses, and the amount re- ceived was entered in the record book. The house was lighted with candles ; and that item of expense for 1808 was $14.56. In 181 2 Portsmouth became a station ; and Jordon Rexford was the first regularly appointed pastor. The table which accompanies this arti- cle will give all the subsequent appoint- ments.
BOUNDARIES OF CONFERENCES AND DIS- TRICTS.
Portsmouth was included in the New England Conference, Boston Dis- trict, until 1820; then in the New England Conference, New Hampshire District. At the session held at Ports- mouth, June 10, 1829, the New Eng- land Conference was divided, and the " New Hampshire- and Vermont" Con- ference formed. In 1830 it convened at Barre, Vt. ; and Portsmouth was classed in the New Hampshire District. In 1832 the conference, embracing the same territory, was known as the " New- Hampshire'" Conference ; and the Dis- trict in which Portsmouth was included retained the name of New Hampshire District. In 1835 it was changed to Dover District ; since which time the Conference and District have remain- ed unchanged in name, but not in boundaries ; for in 1844 the Vermont Conference was organized, and the Districts in that state connected with the New Hampshire were assigned to the new conference.
In 1773 the first annual conference in America assembled in Philadelphia. The first three conferences were held in that city, and subsequently annually at. Baltimore until 1784, when the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States was duly constituted.
��John Wesley, who had been consulted by the American Methodists, advised organization ; and on the 25th of De- cember, 1784, a special session having been called for that purpose, it was accomplished by the conference now historically known as the Christmas Conference, which assembled Dec. 24, 17S4, and continued in session until January 2, 1785, Bishop Coke presid- ing. The first regular conference was, however, held in the monumental city, Nov. 1, 1792. Coke presided, Asbury assisting. Rev. Dr. Thomas Coke, a native of Wales (born Sept. 9, 1747, died at sea, near India, May 3, 1S14), was the first elected Bishop or Super- intendent ; and Rev. Francis Asbury (born in England, Aug. 20, 1745, died in Virginia, March 31, 18 16), was the second.
The annual conferences are com- posed of the itinerant preachers, includ- ing the effective, supernumeraries and superanuated. Their respective bound- aries are prescribed by the General Conference. Annual conferences are divided into Presiding Elders' districts ; and to each is assigned an Elder se- lected by the Presiding Bishop. The New Hampshire conference has three ; namely, Dover, Concord and Claremont Districts. There were formerly four, the fourth being Haverhill. The first annual conference of the church was held'in Philadelphia in July, 1773. In 1776, and during the Revolutionary war, they were generally held in Baltimore. In 17S4 there were only three annual conferences in the United States. In 1796 the number was ad- vanced to six, and has since been steadily increased until in July 1, 1882, they numbered 99, beside 13 Missions. The New England was one of the six which constituted the whole number of annual conferences in 1 796, at which time the boundaries of each were defined. The New England em - braced the territory bearing that name, and all that part ot the State of New York east of the Hudson river. Its first session was held at Wilbraham, Mass., Sept. 19, 1797. Bishop Asbury being
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