Good evening and welcome back. It has been almost 200 years since this body met regularly in this building. We are honored to once again welcome you under our roof. The practice of democracy in Milton has come a long way since those earliest days when you had to be a) a male and b) a church member here in order to vote on any town matters.
According to the 1887 History of Milton commissioned by the town, in May of 1662, “After a united existence with Dorchester of thirty-two years, the residents on the south side of the river, having grown into a vigorous community of twenty-five or more families, expressed a desire to set up for themselves.
“The principal reasons alleged for this separate existence [that is, their wish to become incorporated as a separate town] were their remoteness from church and deprivation of religious privileges.” In other words, they wanted a church of their own, and on this very day, May 7th, 1662, they made their petition for incorporation to the general court. We will have copies of that petition available for those who are interested.
Although there was a meetinghouse in Milton well before Milton became Milton, they needed to be an incorporated community in their own right in order to attract a settled minister. It took them a while, but in 1678 a church was officially gathered and in1680 Peter Thacher (as in Thacher Street) became our first settled minister and stayed for 47 years. From that time until 1818, when First Parish officially separated from the Town of Milton during the tenure of the Rev. Samuel Gile, this was the place where Milton’s town business was conducted. This building is meeting house # 4 and is also celebrating a big birthday this year, its 225th. And did you know that at that time the new Massachusetts Constitution specifically provided that you as Town Meeting members should tax the community to support this church if sufficient support was not provided voluntarily? The members of our Finance Committee miss those days.
The furious theological debate raging across Massachusetts at that time eventually led, in 1833, to the passing of the 11th Amendment to the Massachusetts Constitution, which finally truly separated church and state. The following year the Reverend Gile stormed out of this pulpit after 27 years, marched across the green and founded the First Congregational Church. Next time you gather it will be on Gile Road.
In the intervening decades, democracy has expanded and flourished in both of these institutions, and we are proud to have contributed our part to caring for the wellbeing of all our residents. The Martin and Swift Funds administered by our social worker Diane Ferrari have been providing assistance for Milton families in need for well over a hundred years. Some of you may remember the Milton history lessons provided by our late beloved Jeanette Peverley and now Judith Darrell-Kemp to Milton’s elementary students. And I am sure that others of you have children whose musical skills have been nurtured by the Milton Young Musicians Program so ably coordinated by our long-time music director Emma Jean Moulton.
Every Sunday when we gather here a member of our Parish Committee stands up here to welcome us in and finishes his greeting to any newcomers by saying “This sanctuary is made holy by your presence.” The same is true this evening, and we pray that your deliberations will be thoughtful, civil, and fruitful. Let us pray…