After Mr. Woodbridge's death, much legislation was entered into for the purpose of securing a new minister, and several votes were taken relating to subscribing and raising money to pay the salary of one. Special men were appointed by the town to ‘hold out’ the contribution box on the Sabbath Day to collect money to pay such salary, or help do so, and I find that some of them acted and some refused. The amount usually paid for preaching was fifteen or sixteen shillings per Sabbath.
The difficulties in the ministerial line remained unsettled for a long time. The heirs of Benjamin Woodbridge brought suit against the town for forty pounds which it was claimed was due him, and many attempts were made to settle with them; this was finally done, the expenses of the suit increasing the amount to forty-one pounds. ten shillings.
On April 6, 1711, the town voted to choose a committee for the keeping of a day of fasting and prayer in order to seek the help of God in the choice of a minister; and William Brattle, John Hancock, Benjamin Colman, and John Fox, as ministers, were chosen to carry on this work. Finally, in June of this year, Rev. John Tufts agreed to ‘dispense ye word of God amongst them for some time’ and accept the forty-five pounds per year and strangers' money which had been voted should be paid for such services, he finding his own ‘entertainment’; and so for a time the matter was settled, apparently, but a little later appears the following in the records:—
