Trial of Dr Huchisson for irreverent conduct in a house of G. in N. Chh Lebanon 1735

 

            The North Society of Lebanon, sometimes call'd Lebanon Crank, from a peculiar turn in one of its principal roads, near an old grist mill, was bounded North by Coventry, West by Hebron, and East by the Willowmantic River. The population of the place has never been large—has never number'd probably more than a 1000 persons, yet there have ever been here an unusual number of men of learning & ability—men capable of address'g an inteligent audience with profit and acceptance.

 

            There are at present it is said more than 30 men in the Chh. capable of leading a meeting and making it interesting and instructive. /

Over ts. Chh. was ordain'd in its origin (in) 1735 as its first pastor the Rev. Eleazar Wheelock. He was a man of great energy & ability a powerful and successful preacher. Drs. Parish and Mc'Clure in tr early Hist of N. E. speak of him as one of the most interesting, eloquent, & successful ministers in New England. And that for t great results of his labors in t cause of religion and learning, perhaps no man in America is more worthy of being held in honor than Eleazar Wheelock.

 

In addition to his pastoral labors he had t charge of a school for t education of Indian youth call'd the Moor Indian Charity School, after t donor M^r Moor a farmer of Mansfield, who gave 2 acres of land & a house in Lebanon contiguous to M^r Wheelock for t purpose rais'g up teachers / and missionaries to the Indian tribes in Ct. & the neighbor'g states. Here was educated Samson Occom the Mohegan Indian preacher who labor'd with great excellence & success among t Indian tribes, whom, in 1766 Mr. Wheelock sent to England, with Mr. Whitaker the minister of Norwich to promote t interest of Moor's Indian Charity School. He was t first Indian preacher who visited England. The houses where he preach'd were thronged. Between Feb. 16, 1766 & July 22, 1767, he preach'd in various parts of the kingdom between 3 & 400 sermons. Large charitable donations were obtain'd and t school was soon transplanted to Hanover N.H. and connected with Dartmouth College of which college Dr Wheelock became President at its origin & continued thus 9 years until t time of his death. Dr. Wheelock took a dismission from his church & removed his school to Hanover N.H. in 1770. He was pastor of t North Chh in Lebanon / 35 years—was ordain'd at t age of 24. He was now, 1738 27 years of age, had been Pastor of the Chh. 3 yrs.

 

Dr. Timothy Huchisson a yong young Physician & member of this Chh. had it seems, recently been to a party, or as it was then call'd a frolic; with many other young persons of t Chh & soc. He waited on a Miss Martha Root whom he carried behind him, on a horse to wh. they had given t name of old groan. At this frolic some irregularities things had taken place, wh call'd for severe reproof and wh was now being given in t form of a sermon by Dr. W. Wheelock (in t house of God) May 20^th 1738. It was customary then for men who were drowsy or weary with sitting, to rise, & / stand up in their pews. And it was then and there while t Dr. was thus standing that t irreverent conduct complaind of took place.

 

I have thus given you a brief sketch of some things in in t early history of the North Chh in Lebanon, of its Pastor & some of its members that you may t better understand t nature and result of t what I have to say concerning t trial of this young physician.

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