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Subject: Woonksechocksett - usually abbreviated to Chocksett.
Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 15:29:35 EDT

Subject: Chocksett
Source: The Birth, Marriage and Death Register, Church Records and Epitaphs
of
Lancaster, Mass. 1643 - 1850 by Henry S. Nourse, A.M., Lancaster, 1890.

p.374
Chocksett didnt become Sterling until 1781 (see Chandler
below)

The southern part of the additional grant to Lancaster was known by its
Indian name,
Woonksechocksett - usually abbreviated to Chocksett. There a "second church"
was gathered and Rev. John Mellen was ordained pastor over it Dec 19, 1744.

In the political ferment that preceded the rebellion against monarchy, all
the pulpits
about Lancaster were shaken, and Mr. Mellen's was overturned. A long and
bitter
wrangle, the details of which occupy half the pages of the church book,
resulted in
dismissal to the pastor Nov 14, 1774. He served in the relations of minister
to the
less radical members of the parish until its incorporation as a town with the
name of
Sterling, April 25, 1781. Rev. Reuben Holcomb's returns of Lancaster
marriages
appear on previous pages as copied into the town's book. If Mr. Mellen kep a
record
of deaths, it was prob. given in to the town clerks from time to time, but no
death list
of his appears in the church book.

The records of the Second or West Precinct Church open with the usual
covenant
the subscribers to which, eighteen in number were:

John Mellen, Pastor
David Osgood
Joseph Moors
Jonathan Osgood
Benjamin Houghton, Jun.
Josiah Wilder
Jonathan Bayley
Thomas Burpee
Edward Newton
Josiah Richardson
Thomas Fairbanks
Oliver Moors
Reuben Rugg
Daniel Powers
Edward Robbins
William Goss
David Nelson
Samuel Bayley.

January 13th, 1744-5
Admitted into ye church ye several persons whose names are as follows:

Ebenezer Prescott
Samuel Gibbs
Samuel Sawyer
Shubal Bayley
Jonathan Nelson
Jonathan Wilder
James Kendal
Josiah Kendal
Daniel Robbins
Hezekiah Whitcomb
Jonathan Fairbanks
Jonathan Powers
p.375
Benjamin Houghton
James Houghton
Joseph Bennet
John Wilder
Benjamin Wilder
Samuel Burpee
Thomas Burpee, Jun.

February 3d, 1744-5
Admitted into ye Church ye several persons whose names are as follows:

Jacob Kilburn
Thomas Ross
Ezekiel Kendal
John Glazier
Zacheus Boynton
Anna Boynton, his wife.
Samuel Kendal
Phebe Kendal his wife.
Ezra Houghton
David Jewett
Esther Jewett his wife.

Admitted March 3d - John Snow
Admitted March 17th:
Ephraim Sawyer
Amos Rugg
Mary Rugg, his wife.
Isaac Kilburn
Mary Houghton wife of James Houghton
Abigial Wilder ye wife of John Wilder.

March 18th 1744-5
Choice was made of our brother, Jonathan Osgood for ye first Deacon and our
brother Oliver Moores for second Deacon.

April 21st - admitted into ye church ye two persons, namely: James Ross &
Esther
Glazier ye wife of Jo. Glazier.

Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth

John Chandler
Name and boundary changes of cities and towns,Massachusetts   1996
Sterling came from Lancaster 1781 (Chocksett)
Sterling part to W_Boylston 1808

http://ftp.rootsweb.com/pub/roots-l/genealog/genealog.towns-ma

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