is son, David Burpee. In the
church records we have the following minute bearing upon the subject,
the meaning of which, however, does not seem perfectly clear:--

"At a meeting of the Subscribers for the support of the Preached
Gospel held at the meeting house in Sheffield on the 15th day of
December, 1788--

Chose Mr. Daniel Jewett Chairman.

"2ndly. Voted that the meeting house be set on the public lot in
Sheffield.

"3rdly. Voted to remove the meeting house in Maugerville to the
public lot in Sheffield if the proprietor thereof consents
thereto.

"4thly. Chose Messers. Nathan Smith, Silvanus Plumer, Eben Briggs,
Elijah Dingee and Jacob Barker, Esq., managers to remove the
same."

The meeting house was removed early in the spring, placed upon a stone
foundation, a steeple erected, and many improvements made.

If the Rev. Seth Noble had remained he would doubtless have had a
grant of the lot reserved for the first settled minister in the
township, but his removal in the year 1777 not only lost him the lot
but caused it to pass eventually to the Rev. John Beardsley, rector of
the church of England congregation.

Some years after he left Maugerville Mr. Noble wrote to his former
congregation respecting this lot but they gave him rather a tart
reply: "You was indeed told," said they, "that there was a lot of land
in Maugerville reserved by Government to be given to the first settled
minister in fee simple, and had you continued as such undoubtedly you
would have obtained a grant of it. But when you left this country you
then (in the eyes of the government) forfeited all pretentions to that
privilege and the man that would ask for it in your behalf would only
get abuse. By your leaving us the dissenters have lost that privilege
and the Church of England minister gets the lot. Though we must
observe that during Mrs. Noble's residence here she had the
improvement of it which was worth about five pounds per annum."[65]

[65] The lot here referred to was No. 60 in Upper Maugerville, now
owned by Alexander and Walter Smith. Rev. Seth Noble was a
warm sympathizer with the revolutionary party in America and
in consequence was obliged to leave the River St. John in
1777. His wife remained at Maugerville for more than two years
afterwards.

Lot No. 90, reserved as a glebe for the Church of England, is that on
which Christ Church in the Parish of Mauge