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M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 00084 1665
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THE
ARTICLES OF FAITH,
AND THE
COVENANT,
OF
PARK STREET CHURCH,
BOSTON:
WITH A
LIST OF THE MEMBERS.
NEWBERRY LIBRARY CHICAGO
ALLEN AND FARNHAM, PRINTERS.
1859.
D 28441, 0065
11.6. 2 ml
4
1822085
ARTICLES OF FAITH, AND COVENANT,
OF
PARK STREET CHURCH, Boston
WITH A
LIST OF THE MEMBERS.
1859
THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY CHICAGO
--
T
8803381
1:
23441 0925 0
BOSTON. PARK STREET CHURCH. The articles of faith, and the covenant, of Park street church, Boston: with a list of the members. [Boston]Allen, 1859. 54p.
1054
CHELF CAN NL 36-2787
£
HISTORICAL SKETCH
OF
.
PARK STREET CHURCH.
EARLY in the year 1808, a little band of brethren of the Old South Church in this city, moved by the low estate of religion about them, the long absence of re- vivals, and the prevalence of doctrinal errors, formed themselves into a Society for mutual religious improve- ment. In the summer of the same year, encouraged and strengthened by the labors of the Rev. Dr. Kollock, of Savannah, Georgia, then on a visit to Boston, they con- ceived the thought of building a new house of worship and forming a new Church and Society on Evangelical principles. Having received from Dr. Kollock an assur- ance that if they should carry their purpose into execu- tion, he would become their pastor, a subscription was immediately opened for the erection of a place for public worship. In a short time, through great exertions and sacrifices, they had $40,000 pledged for their work, and on the evening of February 6, 1809, a meeting of the subscribers was held to take the necessary steps in form- ing the new organization. A committee was appointed to draw up ARTICLES OF FAITH, and a CHURCH COVE- NANT ; to fix upon a lot of land ; and to procure the plan of a building.
The Articles of Faith and the Church Covenant were adopted February 23, 1809. On the 27th of the same
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month, the Council to organize the Church met at the house of William Thurston, on Beacon Hill. The churches represented were : -
The Church in Charlestown, Rev. Dr. MORSE.
The Church in Cambridge, Rev. Dr. HOLMES.
The Church in Dorchester, Rev. Mr. CODMAN.
The exercises of the occasion were as follows : - Prayer by Rev. Dr. Morse ; the reading of the 4th chap- ter of the Acts of the Apostles, and discourse by Rev. Dr. Morse from Psalm exviii. 25. The Articles of Faith and Government were read by the scribe, and signed in the presence of the Council by nine brethren and twelve sisters. They were then declared duly organized, and Rev. Mr. Codman presented to them the fellowship of the Churches. The same evening, before the Council dissolved, five members were added by profession to the new fraternity.
A call was immediately extended to Rev. Dr. Kollock to become their Pastor, and to Rev. Dr. Griffin, then pro- fessor elect at Andover, to officiate once on each Sabbath. Dr. Griffin at once accepted the invitation, though he did not commence his publie labors with them till the com- pletion of their house.
The corner-stone of the church edifice was laid on the 1st of May, 1809, with the following inscription : -
JESUS CHRIST THE CHIEF CORNER-STONE : IN WHOM ALL THE BUILDING FITLY FRAMED TOGETHER GROWETH UNTO AN HOLY TEMPLE IN THE LORD. THIS CHURCH FORMED FEBRUARY 27TH, AND THIS FOUNDATION LAID MAY IST, 1809.
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The ceremonies were conducted by Rev. Drs. Morse and Holmes. In September, Dr. Kollock declined their call, so great was the opposition to his removing from Savannah. Dr. Griffin was then invited to become their pastor, but declined. Many other calls were given and declined. In the mean time the house of worship was completed at a cost of over $70,000, and dedicated Jan- uary 10, 1810. The sermon was preached by Dr. Griffin from 2 Chronicles vi. 18.
The call to Dr. Griffin was renewed February, 1, 1811, and accepted, and on the 31st of July he was installed. Dr. Griffin's ministry continued three years and nine months. He was succeeded by Rev. Sereno E. Dwight, who was ordained September 3, 1817, and dismissed April 10, 1826, after a ministry of eight years and five months. Rev. Edward Beecher was ordained as pastor in December of the same year, and exercised his ministry three years and ten months. After an interval of two years, Rev. Joel H. Linsley was installed December 5, 1832, and remained in office two years and ten months, After eighteen months, Rev. Silas Aiken was installed March 22, 1837, and dismissed July 12, 1848. Rev. Andrew L. Stone was installed January 25, 1849. The accessions to the Church from time to time, with the du- ration of the pastoral office in each case, are indicated in the table at the close of the list of members.
From the beginning, 1,952 members have subscribed the covenant of this Church, of whom 853 are now with us, 255 so far as our records show, have fallen asleep, and more than 800 have gone out from us to serve the cause of Christ in other walks of Christian labor.
The first general and powerful revival of religion in the history of this Church occurred in 1823, and added to its membership about 90 converts. Another outpour- ing of the Spirit followed in 1826-7, which resulted in
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the addition to the Church of 100 members. In 1831-2, the Church was again largely blessed and increased. In the three years commencing with 1840, a powerful work of grace was enjoyed, which brought to the Church an accession of 250 members.
The connection of this Church with the movements of modern Christian benevolence is worthy of being held in grateful remembrance. The cause of Foreign Missions has been especially dear to it. The American Board, since its organization in 1810, has continued to receive the contributions of this Church. Some of the most effi- cient officers and members of the Board have been fur- nished by this Church. The Foreign Mission Society of Boston was formed in 1811, in the house of a member of this Church. The first foreign mission press furnished to the Board was projected by a member of this Church, and one fourth of its eost was given here. Since the forma- tion of the American Board, about 180 of its missionaries have received in this house their parting instructions and farewell salutations. Here, on the 15th of October, 1819, a little band of seventeen were formed into a Mission Church to evangelize the Sandwich Islands, and the suc- cess of the enterprise is the brightest page of modern missions. For nearly fifty years there has existed in this Church a society of ladies to assist in clothing indigent pious young men while pursuing their studies for the ministry. The value of these contributions forms an aggregate of more than $10,000. In 1826, a move- ment was set on foot by a member of this Church, who devoted his life to the work, to improve our system of prison discipline, and ameliorate the condition of the convicts of the land. In the same year an idea was sug- gested and discussed at the house of one of the members of this Church, which led soon after to the formation in the city of New York of the American Home Missionary
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Society. The agency exerted by this Church in estab- lishing in its present form the Monthly Concert of Prayer for the conversion of the world, in commending to general observance the annual concert of prayer for the Colleges of the land, in promoting the organization of the Ameri- can Temperance Society, and the American Education Society, are matters in its history worthy of grateful com- memoration. In view of such a record the Church may well exclaim, "Ebenezer," -" Hitherto hath the Lord helped us."
PASTORS.
Rev. EDWARD D. GRIFFIN, inst. July 31, 1811, dismissed April 17, 1815. Rev. SERENO E. DWIGHT, ord. Sept. 3, 1817, dismissed April 10, 1826. Rev. EDWARD BEECHER, ord. Dec. 27, 1826, dismissed Oct. 28, 1830. Rev. JOEL H. LINSLEY, inst. Dec. 5, 1532, dismissed Sept. 28, 1835. Rev. SILAS AIKEN, installed March 22, 1837, dismissed July 12, 1848. Rev. ANDREW L. STONE, installed January 25, 1849.
DEACONS.
JOHN E. TYLER, chosen December 8, 1809, died January 26, 1821.
JOSIAH BUMSTEAD, chosen December 8, 1809.
JEREMIAH EVARTS, chosen May 4, 1819, died May 10, 1831.
JOHN C. PROCTOR, chosen May 4, 1819, resigned August 24, 1827.
HENRY HILL, chosen March 2, 1825, resigned April 21, 1837.
NATHANIEL WILLIS, chosen September 19, 1827, resigned Sept. 8, 1947. NATHANIEL DANA, chosen May 14, 1835, resigned February 6, 1847.
DANIEL SAFFORD, chosen June 14, 1837, resigned May 27, 1842.
EDWIN LAMSON, chosen July 12, 1842.
GEORGE RUSSELL, chosen March 10, 1847, died March, 1857.
HENRY HOYT, chosen April 28, 1847.
EZRA FARNSWORTH, chosen December 14, 1853.
TYLER BATCHELER, chosen September 17, 1857.
JACOB FULLARTON, Jr., chosen October 13, 1857.
CHARLES C. LITCHFIELD, chosen October 13, 1857.
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RULES AND REGULATIONS.
1. The weekly prayer meetings of the Church shall be held on Friday evenings; and every such meeting shall be considered a regular Church meeting for the transaction of business.
2. The annual meeting of the Church for devotional exercises shall be held on the last Friday evening of Feb- ruary, except when that interferes with the preparatory lecture, in which case it shall be on the following Friday evening.
3. The annual business meeting of the Church shall be on the last Monday evening of February.
4. The sacrament of the Lord's supper shall be ob- served once in two months, namely, on the 1st Sabbath of .January, March, May, July, September, and November, :after the public services of the afternoon.
5. The preparatory lecture shall be on the preceding Friday evening.
6. The Examining Committee shall satisfy themselves ·of the proper qualifications of all candidates coming either with or without certificates.
7. Persons approved by the Committee shall be an- nounced to the Church on Friday evening three weeks before the preparatory lecture, at which time all certifi- cates shall be read.
8. They who are to be received from the world shall be propounded before the congregation on the second Sabbath preceding the sacrament.
9. On the evening of the preparatory lecture the Church shall be led to a vote on the question of receiving the can- didates, on condition that they shall afterwards subscribe the articles of the Church, and if they have not brought
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certificates, give their public assent to the covenant. The vote shall be taken on each case separately.
10. On the Sacramental Sabbath before the administra- tion of the ordinance, the covenant shall be read in the presence of the congregation to those who are to be re- ceived from the world, to which they shall signify their assent. At the same time, the minister shall declare pub- licly that A, B, and C have been received by certificate from other churches, naming the churches particularly.
11. A general invitation shall be given from the pulpit previous to the Sacrament, to all members of evangelical churches present, in regular standing and full communion, to partake of the ordinance.
12. All members absenting themselves from the wor- ship and communion of this Church for one year or more, shall satisfy the Committee in respect to their reasons for so doing, or apply for a letter to some other church.
13. All requests for letters of dismission and recom- mendation shall be read at the church meeting on Friday evening, and referred to the Examining Committee, and . on the next succeeding Friday evening shall be acted on by the Church. Such letters shall be considered valid one year only from their date.
14. The chairmen of committees on collections shall present in each case written reports of the sums collected. which shall be placed on the files of the Church.
15. The Clerk of the Church shall present a report, at the annual devotional meeting of the Church, of the amount of collections for benevolent purposes during the- year.
16. Members of other churches having communed with this Church for the space of one year, will be re- quired at the expiration of that time to apply for admi --- sion, or assign to the pastor a satisfactory reason for not. doing so.
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17. Every candidate for the pastoral office in this Church, shall be required, prior to his installation, to sub- scribe to the Articles of Faith adopted by the Church, and as soon thereafter as convenient become a member of the Church.
The following table presents a list of the benevolent causes to which the Church regularly contributes, and the time of their annual presentation.
JANUARY, . . Foreign Missions.
FEBRUARY, . Education Society.
MARCHI,
American and Foreign Christian Union.
APRIL,
City Missions.
MAY, .
Bible Society.
JUNE,
Western College Society.
JULY,
Sabbath Schools.
SEPTEMBER, . Seamen's Friend Society.
OCTOBER, .
. Home Missions.
NOVEMBER,
. Tract Society.
DECEMBER,
. Church charities.
ARTICLES OF FAITH AND GOVERNMENT.
Adopted February 23, 1809.
WE, the Subscribers, having agreed to unite in the establishment of a new Congregational Church in Boston, by the name of Park Street Church, think it proper to make a declaration of that Faith which is the bond of our eccle- siastical union, and which we shall expect to find in all those who shall hereafter participate in our religious privileges and communion.
First. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the Word of GOD, and the only perfect rule of Christian faith and practice.
Second. We profess our decided attachment to that system of the Christian religion which is distinguishingly denominated Evangelical ; more particularly to those doctrines, which in a proper sense, are styled the Doctrines of Grace, namely : " That there is one and but one living and true Gop, subsisting in three persons, the FATHER, the Sor, and the HOLY
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GHOST ; and that these Three are the one GOD, the same in substance, equal in power and glory; that Gop from all eternity, according to the counsel of His own will, and for His town glory, foreordained whatsoever comes to ¡pass ; that Gop in His most holy, wise, and powerful providence preserves and governs all his creatures and all their actions; that by the Fall, all mankind lost communion with . Gop, are under His wrath and curse, and liable to all the miseries of this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever; that Gop, out of His mere good pleasure, and from all eter- nity elected some to everlasting life, entered into a covenant of grace, to deliver them from :a state of sin and misery, and introduce them into a state of salvation by a Redeemer; that this Redeemer is the Lord JESUS CHRIST, the eternal Son of Gon, who became man, and continues to be Gon and man in two distinct natures and one person forever ; that the ef- fectual calling of sinners is the work of GOD's Spirit; that their justification is only for the sake of CHRIST's righteousness by faith." And though we deem no man or body of men infallible, yet we believe that those divines that were eminently distinguished in the time of the Reformation, possessed the spirit, and maintained in great purity the peculiar doc-
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trines, of our holy religion; and that these doctrines are in general, clearly and happily expressed in the Westminster Assembly's Shorter Catechism, and in the Confession of Faith owned and consented unto by the El- ders and Messengers of the Churches, assem- bled at Boston (N. E.), May 12th, A. D. 1680.
Third. In regard to our ecclesiastical gov- ernment and discipline, with our sister churches in this Commonwealth we adopt the Congregational form, as contained in the Platform of Church Discipline, gathered out of the Word of God, and agreed upon by the Elders and Messengers of the Churches, as- sembled in the Synod at Cambridge (N. E.), A. D. 1648.
Fourth. In order to admission to member- ship in this Church, it is understood that every Candidate shall be previously exam- ined, and give credible evidence of a ground of the comfortable hope of a personal con- dition of grace, through the renovation of the soul, by the special influences of the HOLY SPIRIT, implying repentance for sin and faith in JESUS CHRIST the Redeemer.
Finally. We hereby covenant and engage, as fellow Christians of one faith, and partakers of the same hope and joy, to give up ourselves unto the Lord, for the observing the ordinances
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of CHRIST together in the same society, and to unite together into one body for the public worship of God, and the mutual edification one of another in the fellowship of the Lord Jesus ; exhorting, reproving, comforting, and watching over each other, for mutual edifica- tion ; - looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great Gop, even our Saviour JESUS CHRIST, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works.
FORM OF ADMISSION.
ADDRESS.
You have presented yourselves in this pub- lic manner before God, to dedicate yourselves to His service, and to incorporate yourselves with His visible people. You are about to profess supreme love to Him, sincere con- trition for all your sins, and faith unfeigned in the Lord JESUS CHRIST: to enter into a solemn covenant to receive the FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST, as they are offered in the Gospel, and to walk in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. We trust you have well considered the nature of these professions and engagements. The transaction is solemn, and will be attended with eternal consequences. Gop and holy angels are witnesses. Your vows will be recorded in heaven, to be exhibited on your
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trial at the Last Day. Yet be not over- whelmed. In the name of CHRIST you may come boldly to the Gov of grace, and provid- ed only you have sincere desires to be His, may venture thus unalterably to commit yourselves, and trust in Him for strength to perform your vows.
Attend now to the
COVENANT.
In the presence of GOD, His holy angels, and this assembly, you do now solemnly dedi- cate yourselves to GoD the FATHER as your chief good ; to the Son of Gop as your Mediator and Head, humbly relying on Him as your Prophet, Priest, and King; and to the HOLY SPIRIT as your Sanctifier, Comforter, and Guide. To this one GOD, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST, you do heartily give up yourselves in an everlasting covenant to love and obey Him.
Having subscribed the Articles of Faith and Government adopted by this Church, you promise to walk with us in conformity to them, in submission to all the orders of the Gospel, and in attendance on all its ordinances, and that, by the aid of the Divine Spirit,
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you will adorn your profession by a holy and blameless life.
This, you severally profess and engage.
[If the candidate have not been baptized, the Ordinance of Bap- tism is to be here administered.]
In consequence of these professions and promises, we affectionately receive you as members of this Church, and in the name of CHRIST declare you entitled to all its visible · privileges. We welcome you to this fellow- ship with us in the blessings of the Gospel, and on our part engage to watch over you, and seek your edification, as long as you shall continue among us. Should you have occa- sion to remove, it will be your duty to seek, and ours to grant, a recommendation to an- other church; for hereafter you can never withdraw from the watch and communion of the saints, without a breach of covenant.
And now, beloved in the Lord, let it be im- pressed on your minds, that you have entered into solemn circumstances from which you can never escape. Wherever you go, these vows will be upon you. They will follow you to the bar of God, and in whatever world you may be fixed, will abide upon you to eternity. You can never again be as you
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have been. You have unalterably committed yourselves, and henceforth you must be the servants of GOD. Hereafter the eyes of the world will be upon you; and as you demean yourselves, so religion will be honored or dis- graced. If you walk worthy of your profes- sion, you will be a credit and a comfort to us ; but if it be otherwise, you will be to us a grief of heart and a vexation. And if there is a wo pronounced on him who offends one of CHRIST's little ones, wo, wo to the person who offends a whole Church ! "But beloved, we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation, though we thus speak." May the Lord guide and pre- serve you till death, and at last receive you and us to that blessed world where our love and joy shall be forever perfect. AMEN.
MEMBERS
OF
PARK STREET CHURCH, BOSTON.
Those with t preceding the name were received by transfer from other churches ; the others were received on the profession of their faith. The letter succeeding the name, shows how the connection was dissolved ; t, by transfer, e, by excom- munication ; d, by death.
February 27, 1809. t William Thurston d 1822 t Elizabeth Thurston / 1822 t John E. Tyler d 1821 t Hannah B. Tyler : 1826 t Caleb Bingham d 1817 t Hannah Bingham d 1820 t Josiah Bumstead t Mary G. Bumstead t William Ladd t 1828 t Mary Ladd t 1828 t Daniel Baxter d 1838 t Sarah Baxter d t Joseph W. Jenkins
t Abigail Jenkins
t Andrew Colhoun t 1842 t Martha Colhoun d 1831 t John Holbrook d Henry Homes d 1845 Aaron Hardy d 1816 Ebenezer Parker t 1830 Asa Ward t 1847 George J. Homer d 1845
t Hannah Haskins d 1819 t Elizabeth Haskins d t Fanny Haskins d t Mary Turner d 1838
March 2, 1810. t Mary Perry t 1822 t Elnathan Duren e 1828 t Dorcas Homes d 1813 t Lucy Ingalls d 1823 t Daniel Beal t 1813 t Mary Beal t 1813 March 26, 1810. t Jonathan Kilton d 1816 t Margaret Kilton d April 8, 1810. t Susanna Freeman d 1832 April 22, 1810. Elizabeth Devens (Gallep) d .
Samuel Train t 1831
April 24, 1810.
t Benjamin Scott d 1825 March 2, 1811. t Daniel Grover d 1847 t Isaac Reed t 1814 Abigail Scott d Mary Ingraham (Russell) d 1834
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Sarah Cheesman (Cushing) t 1841 t Nancy Cushing t 1820
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[Rev. E. D. Griffin, D. D., in- stalled July 31, 1811.] August 30, 1811.
Henrietta Hopkins d 1816 Eleanor Kettell d 1839 t Margaret Aiken d. 1815. t Benjamin Beckford t 1831
t Margaret Beckford ( Kneeland) t 1836
Elizabeth G. Furber d 1824
Robert Cunningham d 1823 t Ann Freeland d 1814 t William W. Lamson e 1814
November 29, 1811.
Asenath Read (Parsons) t 1829 t Nancy Smith t 1814 t Deliverance Adams d 1813 t Kezia Adams (Jones) d 1839
February 28, 1812.
Marin V. Ball d 1826
Sarah Huly t 1822
Amasa Fisk e 1813
Mary Fisk d 1829
Rebecca Ann Morse t 1817
Nabby Cary e 1828
.t Hannah Parker d Mary Richardson e 1816
June 5, 1812.
Elizabeth Greenwood ( Hovey) ( Hannah Spofford d 1833
t Margaret Cooper d
t Mehitable Chadwick t 1825 Pamelia Hollis d
t Elizabeth Harlow : 1825 t Silas Barrett t 1820 Joseph Morton t 1819 Elias Maynard : 1821 Joanna Maynard : 1821 t Elizabeth Duren t 1815 t Deborah Weston
September 4, 1812. Silence Hayden t Eudoxa Nickerson d 1834
Margaret Shipley e 1828 Betsey Nichols d t Naamah Farrington ( 1827
December 4, 1812.
Joshma Coburn
Eunice Coburn
Anna Pratt t 1815
Bathsheba Thomson d
James Steel, Jr. d 1814
t Abigail Kidder d Clarissa Harlow t 1825
t Eunice Beckford ( Hunt ) t 1831
March 5, 1813.
t Nathaniel Willis t 1847 t Hannah Willis d 1844 Catharine Lamson d 1829
June 4, 1813.
t Francis Brown d 1826
t Sarah Withington ( Vose) Thomas L. Paine t Luke Coburn d 1816
September 3, 1813.
Priscilla Karson t 1828
Priscilla Kilham
John D. Furber d 1840
Charles Keith t 1815
Sybil Keith t 1815
Ezra Palmer t 1825
Elizabeth Pahner d 1822
Dolly Everett t 1827
Nancy Emerson t 1814
Harriet Gridley t 1818
Ephraim Wetherbee d 1819
December 3, 1813.
t Sally Sturtevant ( Cushman) Simcon Pahner d 1853 Hannah Stoddard # 1821
March 4, 1814.
t Mary Brown t 1816
t Lewis Davenport d 1821 Rhoda Jones d 1830
t Elizabeth Dempesy e 1829
t Sarah Soren d t Sally J. Soren t
t Ruth Denton t 1817 Phebe Harlow t 1825
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·
t Sylvanus Baldwin t 1817 t Nabby Baldwin t 1817 Elisha Bass t 1826 William Kehrt 1819
December 2, 1814.
t William Bates t 1835 t Gardner Tufts t 1824 t John H. Munroe e 1817 t Hannah Munroe d 1819 t Elizabeth Harlow t 1825 t Mary Hosley ( Hammond)
March 3, 1815.
William Adams t 1827
Elizabeth M. Tyler d 1819
Mary Winn t 1819 Anna Briant t 1824
Betsey C. Parkhurst ( Adams) t 1827 t Richard Pearse d t Danah H. Pearse d Josiah Coburn t 1825
[Dr. Griffin dismissed April 27, 1815.]
May, 1815.
Mary Leo Kimball (Gurney) t 1815
William Kidder t 1817
t Mercy Delano d Sally Adams d Sarah Ashton (Safford) t 1827 Eliza Holmes (Dickinson) t 1847
t Daniel Safford t 1827 Jolin W. Rogers t 1822 Benaiah Briant d 1819 Sarah Coburn t 1825
September, 1815. t John Cleaveland Proctor t 1827 Elizabeth Lakeman e 1820 t Nancy Hohes d
November 26, 1815. Henry Wenzel d 1824
March 3, 1816.
Sarah Parker d 1821 Polly Moore d 1849
Mary Wright t 1839 Martha Rogers t 1822 Mary Chipman (Paine) t
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