m

religio-n.    549

erty, valued at $ 11,700; in 1870, there were thirteen church edi-
fices, capable of seating 4,585 persons, with church property valued
at $15,500.

Methodists.—In July 1791, Jesse Lee preached the first meth-
odist sermon in New-Hampshire, at Portsmouth. On the 26th of Aug-
ust, of the same year, he preached in a private house in Greenland.
Two weeks after this time, he again preached in Portsmouth, stand-
ing upon the Court House steps. He also visited, the same year,
Rindge, Marlborough, Chesterfield, Dublin and some other towns.
In 1794, Joshua Hall was appointed to preach in New-Hampshire,
but the following year the appointment was withheld. On the first
of January, 1795, Mr. Lee again visited Portsmouth, and preached
to an audience of four persons.

The first Methodist society in New-Hampshire was organized at
Chesterfield, in the latter part of 1795. At the Conference of 1796
this reported sixty-eight members and became a regular circuit.
Philip Wager was the first stationed preacher, and reports his cir-
cuit more than fifty miles square.

The New-Hampshire Conference was organized and held its
first session at Barre, Vermont, June 23, 1830. The Vermont
Conference was separated from the New-Hampshire Conference in
1845. The New-Hampshire Conference is divided into three dis-
tricts, viz : Dover, Concord and Claremont districts. O. H. Jasper
Presiding Elder of Dover district; residence at Dover; S. G. Kel-
logg, Presiding Elder Concord district; residence at Tilton; M. T.
fj'    Cilly, Presiding Elder, Claremont district.

frj    The    New-Hampshire Conference Seminary, Tilton. (See Literary

I ]    Institutions.)

I _t    The    number of members reported in the State, in 1798, was 122.

id    The Methodist were recognized by law as a distinct    religious sect

June 15, 1807.

In 1850, there were 103 church edifices, capable of seating 32,600
^    persons, with church property valued at $175,500. In 1860 there

Mp    were 117 church edifices, capable of seating 36,050    persons, with

church property valued at $232,200, and in 1870 there were 118
churches, and church edifices capable of seating 36,351 persons
with church property valued at $475,000.

Presbyterian.—In 1850, the Presbyterian Regular church had
thirteen church edifices eapable of seating 6,500 persons, with
j    church property valued at $ 71,000; iu 1860, there    were sixteen