Cemetery: Proprietor's Cemetery, Portsmouth New Hampshire

"1713: Mr. Rogers followed the directions of his church and officiated in the new meeting-house. The inhabitants of the south part of the town continued to meet for public worship in the old house, and the committee appointed at the above meeting, invited the Rev. Mr. Emerson, formerly the minister of New-Castle, but who had been dismissed from that parish last year, to settle with them, and offered him one hundred pounds, the strangers' contribution, and the parsonage-house, which terms Mr. Emerson accepted." 10

"1714: As the town considered the proceedings of the meeting held the 9th September last, illegal, at a general town-meeting held the 7th of June, they chose a committee of five persons for calling and settling an orthodox and learned minister on the south side of the mill-dam; and voted to allow him one hundred pounds per annum out of the town-stock, and to provide a house for him at the public charge." 10

"1715: The Rev. John Emerson was installed on the 28th of March, to the pastoral charge of the parish which assembled at the old meeting-house near Pickering's mill-dam. Rev. Christopher Toppan of Hampton, in the presence of Rev. Caleb Cushing, and Rev. Theophilus Cotton, gave him the customary charge. Mr. Rogers did not assist in these services, and it is said that he and his church were dissatisfied with Mr. Emerson's being settled there." 10

"1716: The animosity, excited in the town by the erection of a new parish, still subsisted and produced unpleasant controversies among the inhabitants. The selectmen negleted to pay Mr. Emerson's salary, in consequence of which some of them were arrested. The town resented this proceeding and on the 26th of March voted, 'That if any lawsuit on the like occasion be again commenced, that it be impleaded at the expense of the town, for that he is not the settled minister of the town, pursuant to order of the government and vote fo the town of 1714.'" 10

"1717: The town continued to show their resentment towards Mr. Emerson, and those that abetted him; on the 25th of March they passed the following vote, viz. 'Whereas by virtue of a pretended vote on the 9th of September, 1713, there is a sham agreement made with Mr. Emerson to officiate as a minister at the old meeting-house, the same being clandestinely put upon record, voted, that the same be null, and rased out of the town-book, for that he the said Emerson is not a legal settled minister of this town.'" 10

"1731: The south meeting-house was built on a lot of land presented to the parish by Captain John Pickering. After the frame was raised, Mr. Emerson made a prayer on a stage, erected within it for the purpose. This was the last of his public exercises." 10

"1732: The Rev. John Emerson died the 21st of June, in the sixty-second year of his age, and was buried in the Cotton burial-ground, south of the mill-dam. Mr. Emerson was born at Ipswich, and was graduated at Harvard College in 1689. 'He crossed the Atlantic in 1708, spent some time in the city of London, and was handsomely noticed by Queen Anne.' On the 24th of May, 1703, he was ordained to the pastoral care of the church at New-Castle; but this connexion was dissolved in 1712. He was soon after invited to this town, and continued to officiate in the old meeting-house south of the mill-dam, so long as he was able to preach. He delivered an occasional sermon on the 29th of October, every year after the great earthquake, which happened in 1727, to preserve the remembrance of that alarming event. 'He is said to have been an agreeable companion, and a faithful preacher of the gospel.' It is to be regretted that there were no more harmony and social intercourse between him and Mr. Rogers, during their ministerial labours in this town." 10