ecclesiastical history, when church and State were united, and the
minister was the greatest man of the parish, becomes of importance.

As early as 1640, in the church of Boston, "a motion was made by such
as have farms at Rumney Marsh, that our Brother Oliver may be sent to
instruct our servants, and to be a help to them, because they cannot
many times come hither, nor sometimes to Lynn, and sometimes no where at
all." The piously disposed people of Boston evidently commiserated the
destitute condition of their poor dependents, and were desirous of
ministering to their spiritual wants.

[Illustration: THE RESIDENCE OF THE HON. THOMAS STRAHAN.]

[Illustration: AN INTERIOR IN THE HON. THOMAS STRAHAN'S RESIDENCE.]

[Illustration: GERRISH'S BLOCK.]

For many years the inhabitants of this section received the benefit of
irregular preaching from Brother Oliver and other kindly disposed
ministers from neighboring parishes. The wishes of Governor Bellingham
to provide for their wants had been frustrated, as before narrated.
Prior to 1706, the people were nominally connected with some church in
Charlestown or Boston. In that year, at the March meeting of the town of
Boston, a committee was appointed to consider what they should think
proper to lay before the town relating to petitions of sundry of the
inhabitants of Rumney Marsh about the building of a meeting-house.
Action was postponed, from year to year, until August 29, 1709, when it
was voted to raise one hundred pounds, to be laid out "in building a
meeting-house at Rumney Marsh." The raising of the frame was in July of
the following year.