1. to choose a moderator
2. to see if the Parish will name the apartment usually called Basement Story, Essex Hall as named by the ladies who finished it
3. to see if the Parish will give liberty to individuals (belonging to said Parish) to build a row of horse sheds from the chapel to the meeting house on their parish land,
4. to see if the parish will instruct their committee to fence, or permanently bound out their land on the south west end of the Pickering Grant
5. to see what instructions they will give their committee respecting the bounding out and improvement of the land called the Pickering Grant,
6. to see what order[?] they will take with respect to wood standing on parish land sold some seven years ago to Adam Boyd,

1. to choose a moderator
2. to choose all necessary parish officers
3. to hear report of their parish committee
4. to see what sum of money will be raised for the support of Rev. Doct. Crowell
5. to see if they will alter, repair & improve the South end of their Meeting House
6. to see if they will sell their land lying in front of Jonathan Low Wm. H. Mears, Francis Burnham, and Abel Goodhues premises.
7. to see what instruction they will give their committee respecting the Basement story of their meeting house.
8. to see if they will permit an organ to be placed in the gallery of their Meeting House.
9. to see if they will instruct their committee to sell the loose stone lying around their Meeting House.

Essex May 29th 1851 For value received I promise in behalf of the first Parish in the Town of Essex to pay Hannah Burnham or order the sum of three hundred one dollars seventy five cents on demand with interest $301.75 in. 89.05 paid
[signed] Caleb Cogswell } treasurer of the first Parish in Essex.

Essex, Dec. 15, 1851. This is to certify that the bearer Everett Burnham is a member of the church of which I am pastor, and sustained an unblemished moral and religious character.
[signed] R. Crowell

1. to choose a moderator
2. to choose all necessary parish officers
3. to see what sum of money they will raise for the support of Rev. Doct. Crowell
4. to hear a report of a committee raised at the last annual meeting for the purpose of repairing the south end of their meeting house,
5. to see if they will fill out the corners of their meeting house and raise money for the same,
6. to see if they [will] sell or lease their land in front [of] Jona. Low, W.H. Mears, & Francis Burnham
7. to see if they will instruct their committee to prosecute trespassers on land owned by them in front of Jona. Low, W.H. Mears, & Francis Burnham
8. to see if they will renew their instructions given to a committee raised at the last annual meeting respecting the repairs on the South end of their meeting house.

The committee appointed to take into consideration the 2d article of the warrant have attended to that duty & would submit the following report.

They find the distance between the meeting house & chapel will accommodate 9 sheds of sufficient & capacity for horses & carriages. The expense for grading, furnishing the material & building will cost about $265, say $40 for stone work (grading) $225 for lumber & labor.
[signed] U. G. Spofford

The first Parish in the Town of Essex having at a Parish meeting held on the 20 inst. voted to build or cause to be built nine sheds convenient for horses & carriages on the Sabbath on their land between their meeting house & the chapel, provided the same can be let for a term of 7 years for such a sum as will pay nine per cent on the actual cost of the same- Therefore, we the subscribers hereby respectively agree to hire each one of said sheds when they are completed for the times and at the rate above specified.
[signed] Francis Burnham, Philemon S. Eveleth, Michael Burnham, John Mears, John Burnham, Daruy [Darius] Cogswell, Caleb Haskell, Issachar Burnham, Daniel Norton

Norman Story [signed] sold wood for the first parish in Essex to the following: Ebenezer Stanwood $6.00, Uriah G. Spofford $46.50, John F. Burnham $13.37½, William F. Burnham $5.00; Norman Story rec'd $1.00

Parish committee, Essex, Mass. To E. B. Rossiter, Dr.
To services as organist from Nov 12th/54 to Feb 4th/55.

12 Sabbaths & Thanksgiving day	$13.00
Traveling expenses	7.80
	20.80

Recd payment [signed] E. B. Rossiter, Essex Feb. 3rd 1855

List of hymns and dates. First Congregational Church of Essex. Record book belonging to Sarah D. Proctor, first organist of the first pipe organ.

Received of Mr. Caleb Cogswell seven dollars for supplying the desk in Essex on the day of the annual fast, April 10, 1856
[signed] David T. Kimball

Boston, July 29th 1856. First Religious Society in Essex to Saml. Chisum Dr.
For printing 400 handbills $4.00
[signed] Saml. Chisum

First Parish in Essex to Caleb Cogswell, Dr.

July 3d 1854	To hinges for blinds and hanging same	$ .75
	To fitting doors and fitting on springs	.75
	To Parish tax for 1854	.51
	To Parish tax for 1855	.66	2.67
1856 May 31st	To 1 pr hinges put on blinds, repairs on outer doors	.75
	To Parish tax for 1856	.35
1857 April 22d	To hinges & fasts for blinds, knobs & screws	.62
	To 1 days work	1.50	5.89

Recd payt [signed] C. Cogswell

This may certify that Francis Cogswell became a member of the Christian Church in Salem, Mass., in the year 1830 and that he continued to be a member in good & regular standing until said Church was disbanded.
[signed] by order & behalf of the church - John Masury, clerk.

Essex June 11th 1859
the 1st parish of Essex to Constantine Burnham to blowing on the organ 11 times 1.10
Commencing March 26 ending June 4
[signed] Constantine Burnham