113-534: The Ladd-Gilman House , also known as Cincinnati Memorial Hall , is a historic house at 1 Governors Lane in Exeter, New Hampshire , United States. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated a National Historic Landmark . The home was built about 1721 by Nathaniel Ladd as one of the state's first brick houses, and was subsequently clapboarded three decades later. The home
226-555: A sizar , receiving his B.A. in 1614/5 and his M.A. in 1618. At Cambridge University, Wheelwright had noteworthy athletic abilities, and the American Puritan, Cotton Mather (born 1663), wrote, "when Wheelwright was a young spark at the University he was noted for more than an ordinary stroke at wrestling". A college friend of Wheelwright was Oliver Cromwell . Wheelwright was ordained a deacon on 19 December 1619, and
339-757: A blockade against the French, Nelson offered ship Captain Stephen Gilman of Exeter a glass of wine and paid him for his cargo in Spanish dollars. The trip demonstrates how far afield the merchants of Exeter reached. The last Native American raid on Exeter was in August 1723, and by 1725, the tribes had left the area. In 1774, the rebellious Provincial Congress began to meet in the Exeter Town House after colonial governor John Wentworth banned it from
452-521: A church was built at once, and he was its pastor. The people he left behind in Exeter continued to hold Wheelwright in the highest regard, and were slow to give up their hope that he might return to them. In September 1642, while still in Exeter, an application for reconciliation was made on his behalf, to which the Bay Colony replied that he would be given safe conduct to return to Boston and petition
565-453: A critical view of the " covenant of works " being preached by Shepard. Theological tension was mounting in the colony, but it wasn't until October 1636 when it became noticeable enough for Winthrop to record an entry in his journal. On or shortly after 21 October 1636 he noted the rising disunity, but instead of pointing fingers at one of the godly ministers, he instead put the blame on Wheelwright's sister-in-law, writing, "One Mrs. Hutchinson,
678-452: A daughter of Edward Hutchinson of Alford , and a sister of William Hutchinson , whose wife was Anne Hutchinson . After nearly ten years as vicar, Wheelwright was suspended in 1633 following his attempt to sell his Bilsby ministry back to its patron to get funds to travel to New England. Instead of procuring the necessary funds, he was convicted of simony (selling church offices), and removed from office. After his removal from Bilsby he
791-410: A document written by Wheelwright to establish their own government. The settlers hunted, planted and fished, raised cattle and swine, or made shakes (shingles) and barrel staves. Thomas Wilson established the town's first grist mill on the eastern side of the island in the lower falls. This mill was established within the first season of settling in Exeter, and his son Humphrey assumed control of
904-412: A house of worship was built with Wheelwright as the pastor. The need of a government soon became apparent, and in 1640 a combination (governing agreement) was drawn up by Wheelwright and signed by himself, the members of the church, and other area inhabitants. By contrast to the turmoils that infected the settlement at Aquidneck, Wheelwright's Exeter community began smoothly. Wheelwright's stay in Exeter
1017-500: A license from Thomas Gorges , the deputy governor of Maine, for a property that became Wells, Maine . Wheelwright purchased 400 acres (1.6 km ) of land on the Ogunquit River and almost immediately built a sawmill and a house for his large family. His mother-in-law, Susanna Hutchinson , accompanied the family, and died there not long afterward. A considerable number of his Exeter parishioners accompanied him to Wells so
1130-785: A list of approved trees for planting, which include 30 trees native to the area, four trees native to the Eastern U.S., and 27 non-native species. Native trees include: Red maple , Sugar maple , Freeman maple , Serviceberry or juneberry, River birch , American hornbeam , Hackberry , Common hackberry , Pagoda dogwood , Flowering dogwood , Hawthorn , American beech , Eastern red cedar , Black gum , Ironwood , White spruce (Picea alba), Pitch pine , White pine , American sycamore , Pin cherry , White oak , Swamp white oak , Scarlet oak , Bur oak , Red oak , Black willow , Sassafras , American mountain ash (Sorbus americana 'dwarfcrown'), American linden , and American elm . Exeter contains
1243-511: A magistrate friend (possibly William Coddington ) who secretly transcribed some of these proceedings and gave them to him. In this section Cotton's defense of Wheelwright is included: "I do conceive and profess that our Brother Wheelwright's Doctrine is according to God ..." (these words published by Cotton in his 1648 Way of Congregational Churches Cleared ). Wheelwright then wraps up this middle section by "vehemently accusing Weld of lying," and deceiving his readers. The four theses stem from
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#17327979271551356-575: A member of the church at Boston, a woman of a ready wit and a bold spirit, brought over with her two dangerous errors: 1. That the person of the Holy Ghost dwells in a justified person. 2. That no sanctification can help to evidence to us our justification". Late in October the colony's ministers confronted the question of religious opinions directly and had a "conference in private" with Cotton, Hutchinson, and Wheelwright. The outcome of this meeting
1469-624: A night in custody. When directed not to preach during his two weeks of preparation, he again refused, and this time the court determined that such an injunction was not worth pursuing. Following the events of the Antinomian Controversy, some families went north with Wheelwright into the Province of New Hampshire , and others went south with the Hutchinsons to Aquidneck Island . With some loyal friends, Wheelwright removed to
1582-523: A peak, Hutchinson and Wheelwright were banished from the colony. Wheelwright went north with a group of followers during the harsh winter of 1637–1638, and in April 1638 established the town of Exeter in what would become the Province of New Hampshire . Wheelwright's stay in Exeter lasted only a few years, because Massachusetts activated an earlier claim on the lands there, forcing the banished Wheelwright to leave. He went further east, to Wells, Maine , where he
1695-463: A petition in defense of Wheelwright, but Winthrop and his party insisted the elections take place first, and then the petition be heard. Following clamor and debate, the majority of freemen, wanting the election to take place, went with Winthrop to one side of the Newtown common and elected him governor in place of Vane. After this, additional measures were taken against the free grace advocates, and in
1808-404: A petition signed by more than forty people challenging the court's right to try a case of conscience before it was heard by the church. The petition was rejected. The next morning Wheelwright was given a private session with the court at which time he asked who his accusers were. The court's answer was that his sermon was the accuser. That afternoon, the court was opened to the general public, and
1921-468: A private university-preparatory school , Exeter is situated where the Exeter River becomes the tidal Squamscott River . The urban center of town, where 10,109 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as the Exeter census-designated place . For thousands of years prior to European colonization, the area was inhabited by Pennacook Abenaki villagers. The location
2034-518: A reputation as an effective colonial leader, respected in both England and the colonies, and there was no rational reason for Wheelwright to impugn his good name. In late 1655, Wheelwright moved back to England with his family, to Alford , the home town of his wife, Mary. He had received his final salary payment from the Hampton church in the late summer, but was preaching in Alford by 12 December when
2147-481: A salary augmentation of £60 was to be granted "to John Wheelwright, minister of Alford, co. Lincoln, who has a great charge of children". This remuneration was in addition to a £40 salary already allowed. Extraordinary events had recently transpired in England, with King Charles I executed, power in the hands of Cromwell, and the pulpits handed over to Puritans. Henry Vane, who had been close to Wheelwright during
2260-415: A single-member district, with the several other nearby towns; it is represented by Democrat Alexis H. Simpson (D-Exeter). Like much of eastern Rockingham County, Exeter is strongly Democratic. The Amtrak Downeaster stops at Exeter , providing passenger rail service to Portland and Boston . Exeter is served by four exits (9–12) from Route 101 , and Interstate 95 is about 5 miles (8 km) to
2373-526: A town he named after Exeter in Devon , England. Local government was linked with Massachusetts until New Hampshire became a separate colony in 1679, and counties were introduced in 1769. One of the four original townships in the province, Exeter originally included Newmarket , Newfields , Brentwood , Epping , and Fremont . On July 4, 1639, 35 freemen of Exeter signed the Exeter Combination ,
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#17327979271552486-455: A very bitter and partisan production, even for that day". Wheelwright received intelligence concerning this publication at about the time he received the letter lifting his banishment with its unwarranted assumptions. He was deeply stung by the tenor of this work, coming at a time when he was making serious inroads into putting the events of the controversy behind him with the help and encouragement of some influential magistrates and ministers in
2599-626: Is in Exeter. John Wheelwright John Wheelwright (c. 1592–1679) was a Puritan clergyman in England and America, noted for being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the Antinomian Controversy , and for subsequently establishing the town of Exeter, New Hampshire . Born in Lincolnshire , England, he graduated from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge . Ordained in 1619, he became
2712-645: Is received in as a member of this commonwealth. The added italics show that the Court perverted the honest intent of his letters, and extended to him their grace based on an admission he never made. While this correspondence was taking place, another issue arose when, in early 1644, A Short Story of the Rise, reign and ruin of the Antinomians, Familists & Libertines that infected the Churches of New England. ..
2825-588: The 1922 New England Textile Strike , shutting down the mills in the town over an attempted wage cut and hours increase. In September 1965, Exeter was involved in UFO history when local teenager Norman Muscarello and two Exeter police officers, Eugene Bertrand and David Hunt, witnessed a bright red UFO at close range. Their sighting attracted national publicity and became the focus of a bestselling book, Incident at Exeter , by journalist John G. Fuller . The Air Force eventually admitted that it had been unable to identify
2938-470: The 2010 census , there were 14,306 people, 6,114 households, and 3,729 families residing in the town. The population density was 729.9 inhabitants per square mile (281.8/km ). The 6,496 housing units had an average density of 331.4 per square mile (128.0/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 95.5% White, 0.6% African American, 0.1% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.2% some other race, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.77% of
3051-622: The American Independence Museum were both former homes of the Gilman family. The Gilman family also donated the land on which Phillips Exeter Academy stands, including the academy's original Yard, the oldest part of campus. Members of the Gilman family have played an important role in the United States government, including Founding Father Nicholas Gilman , as well as treasurers, a governor, representatives to
3164-687: The New Hampshire Senate , Exeter is located within New Hampshire's 24th State Senate district , represented by Democrat Debra Altschiller (D-Stratham). In the New Hampshire House of Representatives , Exeter has two districts covering the town. Rockingham 11 is a district with four seats covering just the town of Exeter; it is currently represented by four Democrats : Julie D. Gilman, Gaby M. Grossman, Linda J. Haskins, and Mark Paige. Exeter also shares Rockingham 33,
3277-729: The Piscataqua region about 50 miles (80 km) north of Boston and spent the severe winter of 1637 to 1638 at Squamscott . Following the winter, he purchased the rights of the Indian sagamore of Wehanownouit and his son, and founded the town of Exeter, New Hampshire , on 3 April 1638. His wife, children, and mother-in-law left Mount Wollaston to reach the embryo settlement at about this time. About 20 married men were there by spring 1638, roughly half of whom had had ties with Wheelwright back in Lincolnshire, England. Almost immediately
3390-556: The Piscataqua River (Coastal) watershed . In 2005, the small herring-like alewife fish was present in the Exeter River, though its numbers were fewer than in previous years. Local accounts suggest that the average length of the alewife was six inches. At this point in time the Exeter River was dammed in downtown Exeter, and a fish ladder would occasionally have a visible chad, lamprey eel , or trout . Water from
3503-595: The covenant of grace , was a form of familism. Most of the New England Puritan ministers were adamantly opposed to these theological doctrines, seeing them as the cause of the violent and bloody ravages of the anabaptists in Germany during the Münster Rebellion of the 1530s. When confronted with accusations of familism, Wheelwright denied preaching such a doctrine. While Winthrop and many of
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3616-449: The "legalists" among the clergy. During church services and lectures they publicly asked the ministers about their doctrines which disagreed with their own beliefs, and Henry Vane in particular became active in challenging the doctrines of the colony's divines. During the next two months the other ministers made several doctrinal charges against Wheelwright, noting not only his fast-day sermon, but also his sermons at Mount Wollaston. When
3729-537: The Bay Colony. He did not want his friends and relatives in England to get their impressions of his time in New England from this unfair account of those who had opposed him. To defend his character, Wheelwright obtained the assistance of some friends to help him publish a response to Short Story . In 1645, Mercurius Americanus was published in London under the name of John Wheelwright, Jr., presumably his son, who
3842-541: The Boston church successfully induced Vane to withdraw his resignation, while the General Court began to debate who was responsible for the colony's troubles. The General Court, like the remainder of the colony, was deeply divided, and called for a general fast to take place on 19 January in hopes that such repentance would restore peace. During the appointed day of fasting on 19 January 1637, John Cotton preached in
3955-570: The Boston church. Cotton, who advocated that God's free grace was the only path to salvation, differed from all of the colony's other ministers, who felt that sanctification (works) was a necessary ingredient to salvation. When Wheelwright arrived in the colony, he became a firm ally of Cotton in these theological differences. Opinions that were first shared in private correspondence soon began to find their way into Shepard's sermons to his Newtown congregation. This "pulpit aggression" did not go unnoticed by Wheelwright, and soon his own sermons began taking
4068-531: The Boston meetinghouse. Within months, someone had alerted magistrate John Winthrop , a lay person in the Boston church, that Wheelwright was harboring familist and antinomian doctrines. Familism, the theology of the Family of Love , involved one's perfect union with God under the Holy Spirit, coupled with freedom from both sin, and the responsibility for it. Antinomianism , or being freed from moral law under
4181-626: The Cincinnati acquired the house in 1902. The interior portions of the main house feature original woodwork, including paneling, deep window seats, and fluted pilasters . Exeter, New Hampshire Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire , United States. Its population was 16,049 at the 2020 census , up from 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood . Home to Phillips Exeter Academy ,
4294-540: The Court & elders generally as that he is now, & so for many years hath bin, an officer in ye church at Hampton wthin [sic] o[u]r jurisdiction, & yt w[i]thout offence to any so far as we know & as we are informed, he hath been a useful & psitable [sic] instrument of doinge much good in that church. While his vindication from the Massachusetts court allowed Wheelwright to mend his relationships with his brethren in New England, he still felt stung by
4407-626: The Exeter Female Academy (established in 1826). Its landmark Second Empire schoolhouse, completed in 1869, burned in October 1961. Joanna Pellerin, president of the Rockingham Land Trust, described the Squamscott River of the 1940s: [The] Squamscott was a place to stay away from. It stank, and was filled with dyes from the mills and sewage dumped from along Water Street. In 1922, it was affected by
4520-609: The General Assembly and judges to the General Court of New Hampshire. The Gilman family began trading as far as the West Indies with ships they owned out of Portsmouth . In an 1803 voyage, the 180-ton clipper Oliver Peabody , owned by Gov. John Taylor Gilman , Oliver Peabody, Col. Gilman Leavitt, and others, was boarded by brigs belonging to the Royal Navy under command of Admiral Horatio Nelson . Enforcing
4633-507: The General Court next met on 9 March, Wheelwright was called upon to answer for his fast-day sermon. There were 12 magistrates and 33 deputies sitting on the court at the time, and of the magistrates, Henry Vane, William Coddington and Richard Dummer were strong Wheelwright partisans. Four of the other magistrates, John Humphrey , Simon Bradstreet , Richard Bellingham , and John Winthrop, Jr. were all known for their tolerance of religious diversity compared with their fellow magistrates. It
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4746-666: The Great Dam that had separated the Exeter River and the Squamscott River was removed. The removal of the dam and the fish ladder caused the alewife population to rebound, with over 100,000 fish as compared to 1,628 in 1970 and 15,626 in 1981. Hawks and eagles have been observed hunting the fish. A 2017 town survey found that most human-planted trees in the urban areas of Exeter are broadleaf deciduous. Some significant species include Norway maples , red maple , oak, sugar maples , hedge maples, and ash. Exeter also maintains
4859-566: The Squamscott River, and the Ioka Theatre of 1915 on Water Street. The latter was built by Edward Mayer, an Exeter judge and resident. Mayer's opening feature was The Birth of a Nation , by D. W. Griffith . The theatre's curious name was proposed in a contest by a young woman with an enthusiasm for Scouting . Ioka was a Native American word meaning "playground". According to the United States Census Bureau ,
4972-796: The accusations of the authors of the Short Story , and of Samuel Rutherford in his 1648 work, A Survey of the Spiritual Antichrist ... , and he was intent in clearing his name with people back in England. In 1658, Edward Cole of London published Wheelwright's A Brief and Plain Apology , whose lengthy subtitle read "Wherein he doth vindicate himself, From al those Errors, Heresies, and Flagitious Crimes, layed to his charge by Mr. Thomas Weld, in his short story, And further Fastened upon him by Mr. Samuel Rutherford in his Survey of Antinomianisme". Wheelwright's purpose in publishing this work
5085-619: The attitudes conveyed in both the Short Story and in his release from banishment, and his Hampton townsmen were likely well aware of this. On 1 May 1654 they drafted a petition to the legislature, and on 3 May the General Court made the following declaration: that they were not willing to recall those uncomfortable differences that formerly passed betwixt this Court and Mr. Wheelwright, concerning matters of religion or practise, nor do they know what Mr. Rutherford or Mr Wells [Weld] hath charged him with, yet they judg meete to certifie that Mr. Wheelwright hath long since given such satisfaction both to
5198-496: The best name, it will sound both Jeffersonian and Madisonian, and for that reason will take well." Abraham Lincoln , the first Republican president, visited Exeter in 1860. His son, Robert Todd Lincoln , was attending Phillips Exeter Academy, the college preparatory school founded in 1781 by John Phillips . The town was also once home to the Robinson Female Seminary , established in 1867 and previously known as
5311-587: The colonial capitol at Portsmouth. In July 1775, the Provincial Congress had the provincial records seized from royal officials in Portsmouth and brought to Exeter, as well, so Exeter became New Hampshire's capital, an honor it held for 14 years. Exeter had a significant African American community, with its first census in 1790 recording 81 free African Americans (in 14 households, 11 of which they owned), and two enslaved African Americans. This
5424-444: The colony voluntarily, but this he would not do, seeing such a move as being an admission of guilt. Wheelwright was steadfast in his demeanor, but was not sentenced as the court adjourned for the evening. On Tuesday, after further argument in the case, the court declared him guilty and read the sentence: Mr. John Wheelwright being formerly convicted of contempt and sedition, and now justifying himselfe and his former practise, being to
5537-405: The colony's ministers may have viewed Wheelwright as a familist, Cotton saw him as an orthodox minister. As early as spring 1636 the minister of Newtown (later renamed Cambridge ), Thomas Shepard , began a correspondence with Boston minister John Cotton, and in his letters Shepard notified Cotton of his concern about Cotton's theology, and of some strange opinions circulating among the members of
5650-541: The colony's ministers were also present. One of the lines of attack used against Wheelwright was identifying his doctrine, and that of Cotton, as being "False Doctrine" because of its difference from that of all of the other New England ministers. Cotton's angry response to this was, "Brother Wheelwright's Doctrine was according to God," letting the court know that by going after Wheelwright they were going after him as well, and this essentially ended that line of attack. After some additional ineffective prosecutorial attempts,
5763-462: The court hit on the idea of asking the colony's ministers if they felt they were attacked by Wheelwright's sermon. Following an evening to discuss this among themselves, the ministers returned to the court the next day. With Cotton dissenting, the other ministers said that they did "walk in" and teach what Wheelwright called a covenant of works, and therefore they were the Antichrists alluded to in
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#17327979271555876-494: The court was "meddling against the prophets of God" thus inviting the Lord's retribution. However, the resentment over Wheelwright's conviction was so high that over 60 men signed the document. Those who signed were not of little consequence either; most of them were freemen, a large number of them held office or were among the colony's wealthier inhabitants, and most had been in the colony more than three years. This petition became
5989-485: The court. While he does not appear to have acted in that regard, Massachusetts was interested in mending fences, and without solicitation they again invited him to the General Court to be held on 10 May 1643. This prompted him to communicate with some of the ministers there, and they were so pleased with his demeanor that they likely coached him on how to frame a letter to the General Court. He wrote this letter on 10 September, and it reached Boston on 4 October 1643. The court
6102-401: The disturbance of the civill peace, hee is by the Court disfranchized and banished. Wheelwright was initially given until March to leave the colony, but when ordered not to preach during the interim, he refused, and was then given two weeks to depart the jurisdiction. When asked to give security for his peaceful departure, he declined, but later realized the futility of defiance after spending
6215-471: The east. Routes 27 , 85 , 108 , 111 , and 111A meet at the town's center, and Route 88 is on the east side of the town. In 1990, the SIGARMS, Inc. company moved to Exeter. When it was bought by Michael Lüke and Thomas Ortmeier in October 2000, the name was changed to SIG Sauer Inc. Today, SIG Sauer is one of the world's largest firearms manufacturing entities. Bauer Hockey 's global headquarters
6328-418: The election of magistrates, those who supported Wheelwright were left out. In addition, the Court passed a law that no "strangers" could be received within the colony for longer than three weeks without the Court's permission. Winthrop declared this law as being necessary to prevent new immigrants from being added to the number of his "free grace" opponents. When the court met again in August 1637, Wheelwright
6441-613: The entire Phillips Exeter Academy campus between 1908 and 1950. More recent is the Academy Library , built in 1971 to the design of Louis I. Kahn . Sculptor Daniel Chester French created the town's war memorial in 1922. Architect Henry Bacon designed in 1916 the Swasey Pavilion at Exeter's town square. Other features of the town include the Swasey Parkway, which replaced the wharves and warehouses along
6554-450: The entire piece. Later in his Apology , however, Wheelwright refers to the authors (plural) of Short Story , realizing that Weld was not alone in writing the material. Though Wheelwright mentions no author of Short Story by name other than Thomas Weld, he certainly had come to realize that the other author was John Winthrop, since the 1648 books by both Cotton and Rutherford mentioned this fact as an aside. Winthrop had died in 1649 with
6667-430: The escalation of pulpit rhetoric". There was no immediate reaction to the sermon, other than Winthrop noting in his journal that "the ministers were now disputing the doctrinal issues in their pulpits". He also noted that Cotton alone was of one party against the other ministers, not even thinking of Wheelwright as being a player in the developing controversy. As word of Wheelwright's sermon circulated, however, Winthrop
6780-603: The estate of Sir Henry Vane "who had greatly noticed him since his arrival in the kingdom". It is possible that Vane encouraged Wheelwright to publish his Apology . After the death of Cromwell in 1658, events became less favorable for England's Puritans. After the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660, Vane was imprisoned for his role during England's Interregnum and executed in June 1662. Wheelwright returned to New England in
6893-453: The events of the Antinomian Controversy , had also reached high positions in government. Vane and Cromwell had been working side by side but became estranged and hostile towards each other in the early 1650s. Vane had retired from public life while Cromwell moved into the highest position of authority in England. Wheelwright was well received by Cromwell, with whom Wheelwright had gone to college, and who once described him this way: "I remember
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#17327979271557006-517: The following day was ordained a priest in the Church of England . On 8 November 1621 he married Mary Storre, the daughter of Thomas Storre, who was the vicar of Bilsby . In April 1623, following the death of his father-in-law, Wheelwright was instituted as the vicar of Bilsby. His first wife died in 1629, and was buried in Bilsby on 18 May of that year. He soon thereafter married Mary Hutchinson ,
7119-502: The free grace ideas strongly, and they wanted Wheelwright to become the church's second pastor behind Cotton. The church already had another pastor, Reverend John Wilson , who was unsympathetic to the free grace advocates. Wilson was a friend of Winthrop, who was a layman in the church, and it was Winthrop who took advantage of a rule requiring unanimity in a church vote to thwart Wheelwright's appointment. Though Winthrop "thought reverendly" of Wheelwright's talents and piety, he felt that he
7232-459: The house in 1747, it was extensively altered by Col. Nathaniel Gilman, his son. He removed the wall separating the two rooms on the right side, and built the two-bay addition beside it, knocking down the original house wall on that side, and then clapboarding the rest of the house to match the new work. A further addition, originally designed as a caretaker's residence, was added after the Society of
7345-764: The last schooner was launched at Exeter. In 1840, the Boston & Maine Railroad entered the town. According to former governor Hugh Gregg , the United States Republican Party was born in Exeter on October 12, 1853, at the Squamscott Hotel at a secret meeting of Amos Tuck with other abolitionists . At this meeting, Tuck proposed forming a new political party to be called Republican. Upon learning of Tuck's meeting, in December 1853, Horace Greeley said, "I think 'Republican' would be
7458-478: The learning of the times". After more than five years at Wells, Wheelwright received an invitation from the church and town of Hampton , then under the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, to join the Reverend Timothy Dalton as a pastor of the church there. Without apparent hesitation he went there in the spring of 1647 and entered into a written agreement with a committee of the church and town. He
7571-472: The magistrates and deputies who did not concur with the ruling wanted their dissenting opinion entered into the court record, but the court refused. They then tendered a protest which was also rejected. For this reason a remonstrance was prepared, penned by William Aspinwall , but the initial version was so belligerent that further edits had to be made to tone down the rhetoric. Even the final version veered dangerously away from being deferential, suggesting that
7684-437: The major part with them". With the deputies then casting their votes, Wheelwright was declared guilty of "contempt & sedition" for having "purposely set himself to kindle and increase" bitterness within the colony. Though sentencing was deferred to the next court, the controversy now became a political issue. Wheelwright's conviction did not pass without a fight, and his friends protested formally. Governor Vane and some of
7797-537: The mill in 1643, when Thomas died. Some early settlers came from Hingham, Massachusetts , including the Gilman, Folsom, and Leavitt families. In 1647, Edward Gilman Jr. established the first sawmill , and by 1651, Gilman had a 50-ton sloop which he used to conduct business in lumber, staves, and masts. Gilman was lost at sea in 1653 while traveling to England to purchase equipment for his mills, but his family later became prominent as lumbermen , shipbuilders, merchants, and statesmen. The Gilman Garrison House and
7910-469: The morning, focusing his sermon on the need for pacification and reconciliation. Wheelwright then spoke in the afternoon, and while in the eyes of a lay person his sermon may have appeared benign and non-threatening, to the Puritan clergy it was "censurable and incited mischief". Historian Michael Winship more pointedly called it a "bitterly uncharitable sermon" and the "most notorious Boston contribution to
8023-407: The night of July 4, 1776. The Ladd-Gilman House and its grounds are now part of the American Independence Museum , which opened in 1991. The noted Dunlap Broadside is the centerpiece of the museum’s collection. The house is a rambling frame structure, consisting of a main block and a series of additions. The main block was originally built as a two-story brick structure. After Daniel Gilman purchased
8136-565: The other ministers of preaching works and not grace, but did this only in private. These theological differences had begun to take their toll in the political aspects of the colony, and the Massachusetts governor, Henry Vane , who was a strong free grace advocate, announced his resignation to a special session of the deputies. While citing urgent matters back in England as being his reason for stepping down, when prodded, he broke down, blurting out his concern that God's judgment would "come upon us for these differences and dissensions". The members of
8249-402: The population. Of the 6,114 households, 29.1% had children under 18 living with them, 47.5% were headed by married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were not families. 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% were someone living alone who was 65 or older. The average household size was 2.28, and the average family size
8362-426: The pretext for severe penalties later inflicted upon the signatories. As the political aspects of the controversy intensified, Governor Vane was unable to prevent the Court from holding its next session in Newtown, where the orthodox party of most of the magistrates and ministers stood a better chance of winning if the elections were held away from Boston. During election day, 17 May 1637, Governor Vane wanted to read
8475-492: The propositions, but before the theses, are nine pages of text recounting the events and personalities of the Antinomian Controversy. Here Wheelwright says that justice was not served, and that he was accused of the political crimes of sedition and contempt, when the real reason for his banishment was doctrinal differences with the other ministers. He goes on to accuse his prosecutors of engaging in "underhanded dealings," and working in secret. He had learned of these dealings through
8588-426: The publicly-owned 235 acre Conner Farm Wildlife Management Area. This area contains about 90 acres of open fields, as well as upland forests of red oak , white oak , hemlock , and white pine . There are also black cherry , hickory , hop hornbeam , aspen , and birch trees. Additionally, there is a small freshwater marsh, a stream, and beaver ponds. Animals include deer, turkey , and migratory waterfowl. As of
8701-407: The purpose of the meeting was to "rid the colony of the sectaries who would not be dragooned into the abandonment of their convictions". One of the first orders of business on that Monday was to deal with Wheelwright, whose case had been long deferred by Winthrop in hopes that he might finally see the error of his ways. When asked if he was ready to confess his offenses, Wheelwright responded that "he
8814-413: The sermon. To their credit, the ministers presented Wheelwright with a means to gracefully back down from the ordeal, and this greatly impressed Winthrop, who noted their "humanity and respect". Wheelwright was intransigent, however, and not interested in any reconciliation, so the court continued with its course. Coddington later noted that "the priests got two of the magistrates on their side, and so got
8927-777: The small freshwater Dearborn Brook is stored in the Exeter Reservoir to support municipal drinking water system. A 2005 plan to manage Dearborn Brook was submitted by the Rockingham Planning Commission through the Clean Water Act . Dearborn Brook is a freshwater tributary to the tidal Squamscott River . In fall 2015, the majority of the rivers in Exeter were impaired from stormwater and snowmelt-driven runoff pollutants , including large portions of Exeter River and Squamscott River, Dudley Brook, Little River , and Piscassic River . In 2016,
9040-709: The strange object, and it is still considered by many UFO buffs to be one of the most impressive UFO sightings on record. Exeter has a considerable number of architectural structures. Arthur Gilman designed the Old Town Hall of 1855. The Old Public Library of 1894, which now is home to the Exeter Historical Society, was designed by the Boston firm of Rotch & Tilden . Ralph Adams Cram , who trained with Rotch & Tilden, designed both Phillips Church, built in 1897, and Tuck High School, built in 1911. Cram's firm of Cram & Ferguson designed
9153-514: The synod of 1637, and herein Wheelwright portrays himself as an orthodox minister following the lead of such early reformers as Calvin , Zanchi , the Synod of Dort , Beza , Perkins and others. As his theses become repetitious of his propositions, they become abbreviated, and he returns to the accusations made in Short Story . He ends his work claiming that he was right all along, and that he
9266-456: The tidal Squamscott, the site around which the future town of Exeter grew. The falls in Brentwood were known to have been a favorite fishing site of the native population. On April 3, 1638, John Wheelwright , a clergyman exiled from the Puritan theocracy Massachusetts Bay Colony , purchased the land from Wehanownowit, the sagamore . Wheelwright took with him about 175 individuals to found
9379-563: The time when I was more afraid of meeting Wheelwright at football than I have been since of meeting an army in the field, for I was infallibly sure of being tripped up by him". Wheelwright wrote a letter to his church in Hampton, dated 20 April 1658, in which he described his meeting with Cromwell, writing, "I had discourse in private about the space of an hour. All his speeches seemed to me very orthodox and gracious". Wheelwright probably spent most of his time in England in Lincolnshire, and besides preaching in Alford he likely preached at Belleau,
9492-481: The town acknowledged his service with gifts of land and remuneration, their greatest gift came in a different form—a vindication from the Massachusetts General Court. The Short Story , prefaced by Reverend Weld, was largely accepted in England, and had been endorsed by the prominent Scottish divine, Reverend Samuel Rutherford . Wheelwright had probably long felt that some reparation was due for
9605-441: The town has an area of 20.0 square miles (51.7 km ), of which 19.6 square miles (50.8 km ) are land and 0.3 square miles (0.9 km ) is covered by water, comprising 1.80% of the town. Exeter is drained by the Exeter River , which feeds the tidal Squamscott River in the center of town. Exeter's highest point is 250 feet (76 m) above sea level, on Great Hill at the town's southwestern corner. Exeter lies fully within
9718-418: The vicar of Bilsby , Lincolnshire, until he was removed for simony . Leaving for New England in 1636, he was welcomed in Boston , where his brother-in-law's wife, Anne Hutchinson , was beginning to attract negative attention for her religious outspokenness. Soon he and Hutchinson accused the majority of the colony's ministers and magistrates of espousing a " covenant of works ". As this controversy reached
9831-420: Was "apt to raise doubtful disputations [and] he could not consent to choose him to that place". This was Winthrop's way of suggesting that Wheelwright maintained familist doctrines. In December 1636 the ministers met once again, but this meeting did not produce agreement, and Cotton warned about the question of sanctification becoming essentially a covenant of works. When questioned directly, Hutchinson accused
9944-448: Was $ 68,777, and for a family was $ 95,435. Male full-time workers had a median income of $ 64,632 versus $ 41,088 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 38,018. About 2.5% of families and 5.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 7.2% of those under 18 and 4.1% of those 65 or over. Exeter is located in New Hampshire's 1st congressional district , represented by Democrat Chris Pappas (D-Manchester). In
10057-405: Was 2.92. In the town, the age distribution of the population was 22.6% under 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 30.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% who were 65 or older. The median age was 44.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.6 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 84.9 males. For the period 2007–2011, the estimated median annual income for a household in the town
10170-439: Was a strong advocate of Cotton's theology, as was Hutchinson, but their views differed from those of the majority of the colony's ministers, and they soon became embroiled in a major clash over this issue. After his arrival in New England, Wheelwright preached primarily to the Boston settlers who owned land at Mount Wollaston (modern-day Quincy ), still considered a part of Boston at the time, but located about ten miles south of
10283-498: Was admitted to the Boston church on 12 June 1636, with his wife, Mary, and her mother, Susanna Hutchinson. During the year of his arrival, several of the Puritan ministers of Massachusetts had taken notice of the religious gatherings that his relative by marriage, Anne Hutchinson , had been holding at her house, and they also began having questions about the preaching of John Cotton whose Boston parishioners seemed to them to be harboring some theologically unsound opinions. Wheelwright
10396-612: Was born in Exeter near this time, and later in 1822, abolitionist poet James Monroe Whitfield , a nephew of Jude Hall. In the late 1800s, two men had two dry-goods stores on Water Street, John Garrison Cutler and George Harris, who both had very high net worths at the time. In 1827, the Exeter Manufacturing Company was established beside the river, using water power to produce cotton textiles. Other businesses manufactured shoes, saddles , harnesses , lumber, boxes, bricks , carriages , and bicycles. In 1836,
10509-523: Was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1973, principally for its association with Nicholas Gilman, Jr. It has been maintained since 1902 by the Society of the Cincinnati , in which organization the Gilman family took a prominent role. In 1985, a Dunlap Broadside was discovered in the home's attic. The document is one of the first published copies of the Declaration of Independence , printed on
10622-531: Was eminently becoming his sacred calling". Upon receipt of Wheelwright's second letter, Winthrop recommended that he appear in court in person, but this he was not willing to do. The matter then rested until 29 May 1644 when the legislature acted without Wheelwright's physical presence, and made the following pronouncement: that Mr. Wheelwright (upon piticular, solenme and serious acknowledgmt & concession by letter, of his evill carriages & of ye Ct's justice upon him for them) hath his banishmt taken of, &
10735-568: Was entertained by two of his powerful friends, Oliver Cromwell , who had become Lord Protector , and Sir Henry Vane , who occupied key positions in the government. Following Cromwell's death, the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 and Vane's execution, Wheelwright returned to New England to become the minister in Salisbury, Massachusetts , where he spent the remainder of his life. He was characterized as being contentious and unbending, but also forgiving, energetic and courageous. His sincere piety
10848-408: Was favorable, and the parties were in agreement. Cotton, whose theology rested on a covenant of grace, gave satisfaction to the other ministers that sanctification (a covenant of works) did help in finding grace in the eyes of God, and Wheelwright agreed as well. However, the effects of the conference were short-lived, because a majority of the members of the Boston church, Cotton's parishioners, held
10961-437: Was heavily inclined to retract the order of banishment, and again he was offered safe conduct to present his case to the court. John Winthrop had even sent a personal letter to him, to which he responded. In this letter Wheelwright now rested his claim for acquittal on justice, rather than mercy. He was not willing to desert his principles, though he "made a manly concession of his error, to bring about reconciliation and peace, as
11074-411: Was in England attending Jesus College, Cambridge at the time. Bell says of this work, "in tone and temper, it is incontestably superior to the Short Story , and, while devoted especially to the vindication of its author's doctrinal views, agreeably to the school of polemics then in vogue, it contains some key retorts upon his detractors, and indicates a mind trained to logical acuteness, and imbued with
11187-476: Was informed that if he would retract his obnoxious opinions "he might expect favor". To this he responded that if he were guilty of sedition, he ought to be put to death, and if the court intended to sentence him, he should appeal to the king. No further action was taken, and his sentencing was again deferred. The next session of the General Court began on 2 November 1637 at the meeting house on Spring Street in Newtown. Wheelwright biographer Charles Bell wrote that
11300-436: Was installed as the minister on 12 April 1647 by some accounts, or 24 June 1647 by another. The job afforded the 55-year-old Wheelwright with a larger salary than the parish at Wells did, an important consideration given the large size of his family. No longer in a frontier setting, he was now within reach of professional brethren and laymen of culture and social refinement, more aligned with his educational background. While
11413-512: Was likely in Laceby in June 1633 where his daughter Elizabeth was baptized. He then preached at Belleau, Lincolnshire , but was soon silenced by the Church authorities for his Puritan opinions. Wheelwright left England in 1636 with his second wife, her mother Susanna Hutchinson , and his five living children. Wheelwright arrived in Boston in the Massachusetts Bay Colony on 26 May 1636, and
11526-556: Was living when his order of banishment was retracted. He returned to Massachusetts to preach at Hampton (later part of the Province of New Hampshire), where in 1654 his parishioners helped him get the complete vindication that he sought from the Massachusetts Court for the events of 17 years earlier. In 1655 Wheelwright moved back to England with his family, and preached near his home in Lincolnshire. While in England he
11639-404: Was made more aware of its incendiary character, and he then wrote that Wheelwright "inveighed against all that walked in a covenant of works," and concerning those who preached works, he "called them antichrists, and stirred up the people against them with much bitterness and vehemency". The free grace advocates, on the other hand, were encouraged by the sermon, and intensified their crusade against
11752-483: Was never called into question, even by those whose opinions differed greatly from his. John Wheelwright, born about 1592, was the son of Robert Wheelwright of Cumberworth and Saleby in Lincolnshire , England. When his father died in 1612, Wheelwright administered the estate, and was also the heir to some property in Lincolnshire. His grandfather, also named John Wheelwright, died in 1611 at Mumby . In 1611, Wheelwright entered Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge , as
11865-414: Was not an Antinomian . The writing of Wheelwright's Brief and Plain Apology may have commenced as early as 1644 when Short Story was published, but based on datable events the last part was written after his vindication by the Massachusetts court in 1654. In the first half of this work, Wheelwright refers to the author of Short Story as a singular person, clearly thinking that Thomas Weld had written
11978-484: Was not guilty, that he had preached nothing but the truth of Christ, and he was not responsible for the application they [the other ministers] made of it". Winthrop painted a picture of a peaceful colony before Wheelwright's arrival, and how after his fast-day sermon Boston men refused to join the Pequot War effort, Pastor Wilson was often slighted, and controversy arose in town meetings. The court urged him to leave
12091-623: Was originally known as "M’Squamskook", meaning "Falls at the Place of the Salmon" in Abenaki language , and would later become known as "Squamscott". About 100 Pennacook would return to the Squamscott in the spring to fish, and raise corn, pumpkin, and pigeons, and had relations to other Pennacook at Concord, Sewall's Island, and Manchester. They fished at the falls where the Exeter River becomes
12204-501: Was published in London. The author of the work was never stated, though the Reverend Thomas Weld provided the introduction and preface. Scholars through the years have almost unanimously attributed the authorship of this work to John Winthrop, and Cotton said as much in a book he published in 1648. It was hardly a balanced account of events, and Wheelwright's biographer Charles Bell wrote that "it may be characterized as
12317-632: Was purchased in 1747 by Daniel Gilman, a prominent Exeter merchant. It served as the state treasury during the American Revolutionary War when two members of the Gilman family, Col. Nicholas Gilman and his son John Taylor Gilman , later the state's governor, served as treasurers of the state. Also born in the house was Founding Father Nicholas Gilman, Jr. , a signer of the United States Constitution and U.S. senator from New Hampshire. The Ladd-Gilman House
12430-426: Was short-lived, however, as the Bay Colony planted a settlement at Hampton , which included Wheelwright's purchase in its jurisdiction , and this put the banished Wheelwright in Massachusetts territory. He then began looking for a new place to settle, and two of his partners from the 1638 purchase, Samuel Hutchinson and Nicholas Needham, began prospecting the region to the northeast. On 24 September 1641 they obtained
12543-430: Was so that his innocence and the unfairness of his trial be recognized, and that "his views on the process by which the saved acquired grace be accepted as correct, even orthodox". He chose to emphasize seven theological issues which he divided into three "propositions," and four "theses". The three propositions consisted of the substance of Wheelwright's doctrine, which provided the basis for his fast-day sermon. Following
12656-467: Was the deputies who led the case against Wheelwright, and the charge they brought against him was "preaching on the Fast Day a Heretical and Seditious sermon, tending to mutiny and disturbance". After more charges and countercharges, Wheelwright presented a transcript of his fast-day sermon to the court, and was then dismissed for the day. Following his departure, his supporters presented the court with
12769-631: Was the highest percentage of African Americans in any settlement in the state at 4.7%. Many African Americans, such as Jude Hall (namesake of Jude's Pond on Drinkwater Road), earned their freedom fighting in the Revolutionary War , and many settled near the west bank of the Squamscott River after the war. Jude Hall is buried in the Winter Street cemetery. Reverend Thomas Paul of the African Meeting House in Boston
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