The early Methodist preachers were zealous laborers. They visited many towns and preached many sermons in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, no records of these dedicated individuals have been preserved. Most likely the first Methodist preacher in Grafton County was Lorenzo Dow, who preched in Hebron in 1797.
The Bridgewater (now Bristol) Circuit included Bridgewater, Plymouth, Hebron, Groton, Alexandria, Hill, Danbury, Salisbury, Andover, Holderness, New Hampton, Sanbornton, and Northfield. Reuben Jones was the circuit preacher. In the reorganization of 1803, the Bridgewater Circuit of the New York Conference was in the Vermont District, with Rev. Joseph Crawford presiding elder. Rev. Elijah Hedding was the circuit preacher. (In the early days of New Hampshire Methodism, New Hampshire was included in the New London District of the New York Conference.) In 1804 the New England Conference was severed from the New York Conference.
The first 35 appointments to the circuit were:
1801 Asher Smith ` 1802 Reuben Jones
1803 Elijah Hedding 1804 Lewis Bates & Caleb Dustin
1805 Martin Ruter & Benj. Bishop 1806 Joel Winch
1807 Joseph Farrar 1808 William Hunt
1809 Leonard Frost 1810 Warren Bannister & Joseph Lull
1811 Abner Clark & Leonard Bennett 1812 John W. Hardy & Richard Emery
1813 John Payne & John Lewis 1814 John Wilkinson
1815 Jon. Worthen & Hezekiah Davis 1816 Leonard Frost
1817 Job Pratt 1818 Orin Roberts & Damon Young
1819 Amasa Cowles 1820 Charles Baker
1821 Wilder B. Mack 1822 Caleb Dustin
1823 Caleb Dustin 1824 James Templeton
1825 Joseph Kellom & David Stickney 1826 Amasa Buck & Moses Saunderson
West Plymouth and Plymouth appointees from 1827 to 1837, and the Pastors, were expected to supply one or more preaching stations in neighboring towns and in Plymouth village after 1831:
1827 Joseph Kellom & Sereno Fisk 1828 Joseph Kellom & Jonas Scott
1829 William D. Cass & James Huckins 1830 William D. Cass & Charles G.
Chase
1831 Wm. Nelson & Matthew Newhall 1832 Matthew Newhall & Otis Dunbar
1833 Schuy. Chamberlain & Israel Jones 1834 Schuy. Chamberlain & Israel
Jones
1835 Jon. Hazelton & Dan'l Robinson 1836 Dan'l. Robinson & Salmon
Gleason
1837 William Nelson, Holman Drew, and Lorenzo D. Blodgett
Appointments to West Plymouth from 1838 to 1850:
1838 William Nelson 1839 Henry J. Wooley & Wm. Nelson
1840 William Nelson 1841 Moody P. Marshall
1842 George F. Wells 1843 John Gould & James M. Hartwell
1844 John Gould 1845 Daniel Lee
1846 Josiah A. Scarritt 1847 Josiah A. Scarritt
1848 James G. Smith 1849 No appointments
1850 James G. Smith
In 1859, Truman Carter was appointed to West Plymouth and
Rumney.
Appointments to Plymouth from 1838 to 1904:
1838 Elliot Fletcher & Sam'l G. Scott 1839 Lorenzo D. Barrows
1840 Lorenzo D. Barrows 1841 Joseph C. Cromach
1842 Moses Chase 1843 Moses Chase
1844 Ebenezer Peaslee 1845 Ebenezer Peaslee
1846 James G. Smith 1847 James G. Smith
1848 Benj. Brewster & Sullivan Homan 1849 Sullivan Holman
1850 George W.H.Clark 1851 George W.H. Clark
1852 Elihu Scott 1853 Amos S. Tenney
1854 Horatio N. Taplin 1855 Robert S. Stubbs
1856 Robert S. Stubbs 1857 Elijah R. Wilkins
1858 Elijah R. Wilkins 1859 Charles H. Chase
1860 Charles H. Chase 1861 Orlando H. Jasper
1862 Orlando H. Jasper 1863 Nelson Green
1864 Nelson Green 1865 Hiram L. Kelsey
1866 Hiram L. Kelsey 1867 Lewis Howard
1868 Lewis Howard 1869 Silas E. Quimby
1870 Silas E. Quimby 1871 Morris W. Prince
1872 Morris W. Prince 1873 Morris W. Prince
1874 Otis Cale 1875 Edward C. Bass
1876 Joseph E. Robins 1877 Joseph E. Robins
1878 Joseph E. Robins 1879 James H. H. Haines
1880 James H. H. Haines 1881 James H. H. Haines
1882 Daniel C. Knowles 1883 Daniel C. Knowles
1884 William E. Bennett 1885 William E. Bennett
1886 Thomas Tyrie 1887 Thomas Tyrie
1888 Thomas Tyrie 1889 Roscoe Sanderson
1890 Roscoe Sanderson 1891 David E. Miller
1892 David E. Miller 1893 George M. Dorr
1894 George M. Dorr 1895 George M. Dorr
1896 John A. Bowler 1897 John A. Bowler
1898 John H. Emerson 1899 Willis M. Cleveland
1900 Willis M. Cleveland 1901 Willis M. Cleveland
1902 Robert T. Wolcott 1903 Robert T. Wolcott
1904 Robert T. Wolcott
PRESIDING ELDERS FROM 1801 TO 1903
1801 TO 1802 John Brodhead 1803 Joseph Crawford
1804 to 1806 John Brodhead 1807 to 1808 Elijah Hedding
1809 to 1810 Martin Ruter 1811 to 1814 Solomon Sias
1815 to 1818 David Kilburn 1819 to 1822 Jacob Sanborn
1823 to 1826 Benj. R. Hoyt 1827 to 1829 John F. Adams
1830 to 1831 John W. Hardy 1832 ro 1835 Eliazer Wells
1836 to 1839 Benj. R. Hoyt 1840 to 1843 Charles D. Cahoon
1844 Justin Spalding 1845 to 1846 Russell H. Spalding
1847 to 1849 Justin Spalding 1850 to 1851 Reuben Dearborn
1852 to 1855 William D. Cass 1856 to 1859 Lewis Howard
1860 to 1862 James Pike** 1863 to 1866 Elisha Adams
1867 to 1869 Lorenzo D. Barrows 1870 to 1873 Silas G. Kellogg
1874 Theodore L Flood 1875 to 1876 James Pike
1877 to 1880 John W. Adams 1881 to 1884 Moses T. Cilley
1885 to 1889 George W. Norris 1890 to 1895 Samuel C. Keeler
1896 George M. Curl 1897 to 1902 Oliver S. Baketel
1903 George M. Curl
** William D Cass, last half of last year.