A New Church was formed Dec. 24, 1813, which is now styled "The Second Church in Exeter." The ministers invited on the occasion by Letters Missive from "several members of the Religious Society, in the Upper Congregational Society in Exeter," were the Rev. Messrs. Porter of Rye, Holt of Epping, Abbot of Hampton Falls, Webster of Hampton, and French of North Hampton.
Mr. Hosea Hildreth, professor of mathematics and natural philosophy, in the Academy, and who was also a preacher, supplied the pulpit for some time. Mr. Hildreth was ordained in Gloucester, Ms., in 1825; and installed in Westborough, Ms., in 1834. He died in Sterling, Ms., his native place, July 10, 1835, aged 53.
Rev. Isaac Hurd, pastor of the present Second Church, was born in Charlestown, Ms., Dec. 7, 1785; graduated H. C. 1806; studied theology with Rev. Dr. Osgood of Medford, Ms.; and afterwards at Divinity Hall, in Edinburgh, Scotland; and commenced preaching in the city of London. He was ordained pastor of the First Church in Lynn, Ms., Sept. 15, 1813, resigned May 22, 1816, and was, by the unanimous invitation of "The Second Congregational Church, in Exeter," installed their pastor, Sept. 11, 1817. The sermon was preached by the Rev. Daniel Dana, D. D., of Newburyport, from 2 Tim. i: 7.
The father of Mr. Hurd was Joseph Hurd, Esq., of Charlestown, Ms., whose brother, Isaac Hurd, M. D., graduated at H. C. in 1776, and was a physician of celebrity, in Concord, Ms. The Rev. Mr. Hurd married, March 16, 1819, Mrs. Elisabeth Emery of Exeter, whose maiden name was Folsom. One of the sons of Mr. Hurd died in early childhood. His other son, Francis Parkman Hurd, graduated at H. C. in 1839, and received the degree of M. D. from the University of Pennsylvania, in 1845.
Gosport, or Star Island, is one of a cluster of eight small islands usually called The Isles of Shoals, composed of beds of rocks, partly covered with soil. They are about nine miles from Portsmouth Light House, and twenty-one from Newburyport Lights. Five of these islands are within the limits of Maine. Of these, Hog Island is the largest of the whole group, and contains about 350 acres. Of the three in New Hampshire, Gosport, or Star Island, formerly called Appledore, is the largest, and contains 150 acres. White Island, on which the Light House is located, is only one acre. These islands were visited, as early as 1614, by the celebrated navigator, John Smith, who gave them his own name; but they have long been called "The Isles of Shoals." They invited settlement, merely by the advantages they furnished for fishery. This business was prosperous, for about a century, previous to the American Revolution. The population varied from 300 to 600, employing a number of schooners and other craft. A meeting-house, previous to 1641, was erected on Hog Island, where the people from the several islands used to assemble. There was also a Court House on the same island. At a subsequent period, a meeting-house was built on Star Island, where the greater part of the inhabitants have resided.
Rev. Joseph Hull came from England, and settled in Weymouth, Ms., in 1635. He resigned in 1639, and afterwards preached at the Isles of Shoals. He is mentioned as "of the Isle of Sholes," by Dr. Cotton Mather, in his list of the first class of New England ministers. [Magnalia, Vol. I., B. 3.]
Rev. John Brock came to New England in 1637. He commenced preaching in Rowley, and afterward labored, a number of years, at the Shoals. He was esteemed eminently pious. The celebrated Mr. Mitchel of Cambridge said of him, "He dwells as near heaven as any man upon earth." Rev. John Allin of Dedham observed, "I scarce ever knew any man so familiar with the great God as his dear servant Brock." There were several remarkable coincidences between Mr. Brock's prayers and providential occurrences afterward. A man, whose principal property was his fishing-boat, and who had been very serviceable in conveying to the place of meeting the inhabitants of other islands, lost his boat in a storm. He lamented his loss to Mr. Brock, who said to him, "Go home, honest man, I'll mention the matter to the Lord, you'll have your boat to-morrow." Mr. Brock made the matter a subject of prayer. The next day the anchor of a vessel fastened upon the boat and drew it up.
The people were persuaded by Mr. Brock to observe one day in each month, as an extra season of religious exercises. On one occasion, the roughness of the weather had for several days prevented fishing. On the day of meeting, the weather was fine, and the men wished the meeting put by. Mr. Brock, perceiving that they were determined not to attend, said to them, If you will go away, I say unto you, catch fish if you can. But as for you that will tarry and worship the Lord Jesus Christ this day, I will pray unto him for you, that you may take fish till you are weary. Thirty men went away, and five tarried. The thirty caught but four fishes. The five, who tarried, went out afterward and took about five hundred.
Mr. Brock continued at the Shoals till 1662, when he removed to Reading, Ms., where he was settled, as successor of Rev. Samuel Hough, whose widow he married, and where he continued till his death, in his 68th year. For other particulars of Mr. Brock see Magnalia, Vol. II., B. 4, and Am. Quar. Reg., Vol. VIII., p. 140, and Vol. XI., pp. 176, 190.