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Samuel
Merrill, 1928, reprint 1983
Newbury
in the Seventeenth Century - Chapter VI,
pp55-65
Queen
Anne's Chapel
This
was the situation when Deacon Abraham2 Merrill
and many others in the West Parish--about forty-five families--who
opposed the Pipestave Hill site for a meeting house, determined
to go over to the Church of England. A petition was sent
to the Bishop of London asking for a minister, and another
petition, signed by Abraham Merrill and twenty-one others,
was presented to Gov. Dudley protesting against being
"forced to contribute to the support of the tolerated
dissenting Teachers."
Gov.
Dudley took the part of the petitioners in the controversy.
The building which had been begun was finished in 1712,
and was called Queen Anne's Chapel. It was fifty by thirty
feet in size, and was used for religious services until
1766. This was the second Episcopal Church in Massachusetts.
Abraham2 Merrill was chosen one of the first
wardens, 30 March, 1714.
John3
Merrill, son of Abraham2, was an active partisan
of his father, and was imprisoned in 1712 for non-payment
of a rate assessed by the West Parish. The long controversy
may be considered to have reached its end in 1714, when
the West Parish voted not to levy rates upon Episcopalians
to pay for maintenance of the ministry.
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