USA > Massachusetts > Worcester County > Mendon > Centurial history of the Mendon association of Congregational ministers, with the Centennial address, delivered at Franklin, Mass., Nov. 19, l851, and biographical sketches of the members and licentiates > Part 6
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84. Sylvester Graham, Oct. 31, 1826.
85. * Charles Jarvis Warren, Oct. 30, 1827. (47.)
86. Cyrus Whitman Conant, Oct. 30, 1827. 87. William Harlow, Oct. 30, 1827.
88. * Elam Smalley, Oct. 28, 1828. (49.)
89. Gilbert Fay, Oct. 28, 1828.
90. John Forbush, Dec. 31, 1829.
91. Varnum Noyes, April 27, 1830.
92. Isaac Erwin Heaton, Oct. 28, 1834.
93. Thomas Edwards, Aug. 16, 1836.
94. £ Eli Thurston, Aug. 16, 1836.
95. Charles Turner Torrey, Oct. 25, 1836.
96. Elnathan Davis, Oct. 25, 1836.
97. John Dwight, Jan. 25, 1837.
79
LICENTIATES.
98. * Mortimer Blake, April 24, 1838. (56.)
99. Edmund Dowse, April 24, 1838.
100. * Charles Chamberlain, Aug. 21, 1838. (75.)
101. * Samuel Hunt, Aug. 21, 1838. (76.)
102. * Daniel Jefferson Poor, Aug. 20, 1839. (55.) 103. William Phipps, jr. Aug. 20, 1839.
104. Jonathan Grout, April 28, 1840.
105. Joseph Homes Bailey, Aug. 16, 1842.
106. * Preston Pond, jr. August 16, 1842. (73.)
107. Richard Cecil Spofford, Aug. 16, 1842.
108. Horace Deane Walker, Oct. 18, 1842.
109. Abraham Jenkins, jr. Aug. 15, 1843.
110. Edward Pratt, Dec. 19, 1843.
111. Malachi Bullard, jr. Dec. 19, 1843.
112. Allen Lincoln, April 16, 1844.
113. William Makepeace Thayer, Oct. 16, 1844.
114. James M. Bacon, Dec. 17, 1844.
115. Josiah Lyman Armes, Aug. 12, 1845.
116. Ezra Newton, jr. April 14, 1846.
117. Hiram Clark Daniels, Aug. 11, 1846.
118. John Wheeler Harding, April 11, 1848.
119. Frederick Augustus Fiske, Aug. 14, 1849.
120. Henry Lobdell, Aug. 13, 1851.
121. John Edwin Corey, Nov. 19, 1851.
MEMBERS.
A LIST of the members of Mendon Association, with the dates of their admission and dismission. Those starred died in connection. Those marked (+) were dismissed on re- moval elsewhere.
1. * JOSEPH DORR,
2. * NATHAN WEBB,
3. * AMARIAH FROST,
4. * ELISHA FISHI.
Original members, Nov. 8, 1751, O. S.
80
HISTORICAL APPENDIX.
5. 1 David Thurston, admitted May, 1754.
6. * David Hall, D. D.
7. f Aaron Hutchinson, May 10, 1757.
8. ¡ Caleb Barnum, June 4, 1764.
9. * Ebenezer Chaplin, Oct. 8, 1765.
10. * Isaac Stone, May or June, 1772.
11. * David Sanford,
12. * Nathaniel Emmons, D. D., between 1773 and 1781. 13. * Elijah Fitch,
14. t Josiah Spaulding, 1772 ; dismissed 1787.
15. 1 John Crane, D. D., Oct. 7, 1783 ; dis. Oct. 6, 1818 .*
16. | David Avery, Oct. 3, 1786 ; dis. 1796.
17. ¿ Caleb Alexander, Oct. 3, 1786 ; dis. 1803.
18. * Timothy Dickinson, June 1, 1790.
19. ; Edmund Mills, June 7, 1791 ; dis. Oct. 6, 1818 .* 20. 1 John Robinson, June 5, 1792 ; dismissed 1815.
21. * Nathaniel Howe, June 5, 1792.
22. ¡ Samuel Judson, Oct. 2, 1793 ; dism. Oct. 6, 1818 .*
23. * John Wilder, June 3, 1794.
24. ¡ Benjamin Wood, Oct. 11, 1797 ; dism. Oct. 6, 1818 .* 25. * John Cleveland, March 12, 1799.
26. ¡ Nathan Holman, Dec. 10, 1800; dismissed 1825. 27. ; Otis Thompson, .
28. * David Long, June 9, 1801.
29. * Elisha Fiske, June 8, 1802.
30. ¡ Samuel Austin, D. D. " ; dismissed 1805.
31. t William Warren, Oct. 9, 1804.
32. į Preserved Smith, June 15, 1808 ; dismissed, 1812. 33. ¡ David Holman, June 13, 1809 ; dism. Oct. 6, 1818 .* 34. ¡ Elisha Rockwood, Oct. 9, 1810. "
35. 1 Samuel Wood Colburn. 36. Jacob Ide, D. D., May 16, 1815.
37. t Alvan Cobb,
"; dism. April 29, 1834.
* See note, at the end of this list.
81
LIST OF MEMBERS.
38. * Josephus Wheaton, Oct. 8, 1816.
39. Thomas Williams, June 3, 1817; dism. Oct. 25, 1825; and readmitted, April 15, 1851.
40. * Calvin Park, D. D., June 5, 1821.
41. ¿ Daniel Thomas, 66 42. 1 John Ferguson, June 18, 1822.
43. ¡ Moses Thacher, Oct. 21, 1823.
44. t James Ormsbee Barney, Oct. 19, 1824.
45. t Willard Pierce, April 26, 1825.
46. ¡ Charles Fitch, April 25, 1826.
47. ¿ Charles Jarvis Warren, Ap. 29, 1828; dis. Ap. 29, 1834.
48. ¡ Preston Cummings, Oct. 28, 1828.
49. 1 Elam Smalley, D.D., Oct. 27,1829; dis.Aug.19,1840. 50. ¡ Amos Augustus Phelps, Oct. 26, 1830.
51. ¡ Harrison Greenough Park, Oct. 29, 1833.
52. t Asahel Bigelow, Oct. 28, 1834; dis. Aug. 21,1838.
53. David Sanford, April 30, 1838.
54. ¿ Tertius Dunning Southworth, Aug. 20, 1839 ; dis. Oct. 8, 1850.
55. Daniel Jefferson Poor, April 28, 1840.
56. Mortimer Blake, Aug. 18, 1840.
57. 1 Moses Gill Grosvenor, Oct. 19, 1841.
58. Thomas T. Richmond, April 18, 1843.
59. Timothy Dwight Porter Stone, Aug. 15, 1843. 66 60. 1 David R. Barnes,
61. Sewall Harding, Oct. 17, 1843.
62. Andrew Hunter Reed, "
63. Horace James, Dec. 19, 1843.
64. t Tyler Thacher, Aug. 20, 1844; dis. Oct. 8, 1850.
65. j Smith B.Goodenow, Dec.17,1844 ; dis. Oct.12,1847. 66. Charles Simmons, April 18, 1843.
67. 1 Calvin White, Aug. 12, 1845.
68. ¡ Oramel W. Cooley, Aug. 22, 1848; dism. Nov. 19, 1851.
82
HISTORICAL APPENDIX.
69. 1 Henry Lewis Bullen, April 12, 1848.
70. William Barnes, Oct. 10, 1848.
71. Joshua Thomas Tucker, Aug. 14, 1849.
72. Preston Pond, jr. Jan. 8, 1850.
73. George Harrison Newhall, Oct. 8, 1850.
74. Charles Chamberlain,
75. Samuel Hunt, Jan. 14, 1851.
76. John Haskell, “
77. Asa Hixon, April 15, 1851.
NOTE. In 1818, Oct. 6th, six members obtained a dismission, for the purpose of forming another Association. Their request is thus recorded :
NORTHBRIDGE, OCT. 5, 1818.
BRETHREN,
We, the subscribers, members of Mendon Association, wish, on account of local conveniences, to form another Association by ourselves, and with such others as may wish to unite with us; and ask, that the body with which we are now connected will grant us this request.
At the same time, we wish to have it understood, that we retain the same fraternal affection which has ever subsisted among us. We remain yours, brethren, with affection and esteem,
JOHN CRANE, EDMUND MILLS, SAMUEL JUDSON, BENJAMIN WOOD, ELISHA ROCKWOOD, DAVID HOLMAN.
Thus and then originated the Harmony Association.
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83 .
LIST OF TOWNS, ETC.
LIST OF TOWNS,
Which have been ministerially connected with the Mendon Association.
Abington. Attleboro'.
Milford.
Milbury.
East.
Northbridge.
Dedham, South.
Rehoboth.
Dighton.
Seekonk.
Douglas.
Stoughton.
Dover.
Sutton.
Foxboro'.
Taunton, West.
Franklin.
Upton.
Grafton.
Uxbridge.
Holliston.
Walpole.
Hopkinton.
Westboro'.
Mansfield.
Worcester, Southi.
Medfield.
Wrentham.
Medway, West.
North.
East.
Village.
Total, 33.
Mendon.
.
PRESENT TERRITORIAL EXTENT.
Dover.
Medway Village.
Foxboro'.
Mendon.
Franklin.
Milford.
Holliston.
Walpole. Wrentham.
Mansfield.
Medfield.
North.
Medway, West.
East.
Total, 14.
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
OF THE
MEMBERS OF MENDON ASSOCIATION.
-
THE authorities for these sketches are the Quarterly Reg- ister, Hist. and Geneal. Register, Panoplist, Mass. Hist. Col- lections, Ordination and Funeral Sermons in the Library of Brown University, and elsewhere, newspaper obituaries, and an extensive. correspondence with the persons themselves, or their successors and descendants. For this last valuable assistance, the compiler would here express his acknowledg- ments.
He has taken the liberty of rearranging articles, when needful, to adapt them to one common form. Dates are given in the style of their own time of occurrence. The sketches are as complete as he had the means of making them, without delaying the publication of the work too long beyond its occasion. And he would take this opportunity to request any corrections or additional information, which may be with those into whose hands this book may fall, to be for- warded to him, to be placed in the care of the Association for future use. Particularly, genealogical items will be valu- able.
1. REV. JOSEPH DORR,
Was the youngest son except one, of Rev. Edward and Elizabeth Dorr, and was born in Roxbury about 1689 .* He
* Rev. Edward Dorr had the following children : Ist. Edward, born
85
REV. JOSEPH DORR.
graduated at Harvard 1711, and received the degree of A. M. in course. He was ordained over the church in Mendon, 25 Feb. 1716, and continued in the ministry there until his death, 9 March, 1768, aged 79.
Mr. Dorr's predecessor in the pastoral office, was Rev. Grindal Rawson, (youngest son and child of Edward Rawson, the famous secretary of the Massachusetts Colony from 1650 to 1686,) whose daughter, Mary, he married 9 April, 1724. Her mother was Susanna, daughter of Rev. John Wilson of Medfield, and granddaughter of Rev. John Wilson, the first minister of Boston. By this alliance he also became con- nected with the celebrated John Hooker, and Edmund Grin- dal, the renowned Archbishop of Canterbury, of the reign of Queen Elizabeth .*
Mendon Association certainly had good Puritan blood in the family of its first moderator.
Mr. Dorr's children were :-
1. Mary, b. 6 June, 1725, the wife of Rev. Moses Taft. (See Licentiates, No. 2.)
2. Joseph Jr., b. 24 May, 1730. (See Licentiates, No. 4.)
3. Katharine, b. 8 March, 1732, and married Rev. Ezekiel Emerson. (See Licentiates, No. 9.)
4. Susanna, b. 4 Sept., 1784, and married Rev. Amariah Frost. [See Members, No. 3.]
Mrs. Dorr was born 22 June, 1699, and died 9 April, 1776, aged 77.
Nov. 15, 1683. 2nd. Ebenezer, b. 25 Jan., 1687. 3d. Joseph, b. about 1689, or 90, (birth not recorded.) 4th. Edward, b. Oct. 19, 1692. Church Records of Roxbury. Of the father, no notice has been found. He is not mentioned amongst the ministers of Roxbury by Farmer, and yet his great grandson, E. Frost, M. D., of Meriden, N. H., asserts him to be a clergyman. Was Edward, the minister of Hartford, the maternal uncle of Dr. E. D. Griffin, his eldest son, and did the title of Rev. belong to the son instead of the father ?
* Hist. and Geneal. Register, Vol. III, p. 201 and 310.
8
86
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
Rev. Mr. Dorr's character is thus summarily expressed upon his tombstone. " He was endowed with good sense. His temper was mild and placid. He excelled in the virtues of meekness, patience, temperance, sobriety, gravity, bene- volence, and charity ; was a good scholar, a learned divine, and exemplary Christian."
The above facts are all which an extensive inquiry has elicited respecting the projector and first moderator of our Association. That he sympathized with the revival of 1740, and with Edwardean sentiments, is a rational inference from the fact of his signature to the "testimony" in favor of that work of grace. The ministerial character of his family argues its decided piety and intelligence. Nothing is known of his publications, or of the success of his ministry.
2. REV. NATHAN WEBB
Graduated at Harvard, 1725; was ordained over the church in Uxbridge, 3 February, 1731; and died there in the pastoral office, 14 March, 1772, in the 67th year of his age, and 41st of his ministry. He was consequently born about 1707 ; where, it has not been ascertained. He married Elizabeth ( Pratt ?)
His widow subsequently married, November, 1773, Isaac Coit, Esq., a very respectable citizen of Plainfield, Ct., a widower of 59, and without children. He died, still without issue, 23 April, 1776. His widow, formerly Mrs. Webb, then married, 30 November, 1779, a Rev. Mr. Jones of Western .*
The following is the inscription upon Mr. Webb's grave- stone : -
* Letter of Rev. R. C. Learned, Canterbury, Ct.
-
87
REV. AMARIAH FROST.
SACRED TO THE MEMORY OF THE REVEREND AND LEARNED NATHAN WEBB, PASTOR OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST,
IN UXBRIDGE :
Who, after a laborious life in the Gospel Ministry, Resigned his Ministerial office in God's Sanctuary for the sublime Employments
of Immortality, March 14, 1772 ; In the 67th year of his age, And the 42nd year of his Ministry. MEMENTO MORI .*
3. REV. AMARIAH FROST
Was the son of Mr. Samuel and Elizabeth (Rice) Frost, and was born in Framingham, 4 October, 1720. He gradu- ated at Harvard 1740, and A. M., was ordained over the second church in Mendon, (now Milford,) 21 December, 1743, and died 14 March, 1792, aged seventy-two years.
The following interesting document, in his own hand- writing, is copied from the church-records of Milford :-
" A record of my genealogy, as far as I can trace it back according to the best accounts received by tradition :
"JOHN FROST of England, in the time of the Nonconform- ists, wherein a great number were silenced in England, was one of them. Two of his sons came to America, - fled for refuge to this then savage wilderness, to escape the more savage oppression and enjoy the freedom of Englishmen- Samuel Frost, my father, of Framingham, in the county of Middlesex, and province of Massachusetts Bay, in New England, was a descendant of the fifth generation, (ut puto ).t
* Letter of Rev. J. J. Abbot, Uxbridge.
i Dr. Elias Frost, of Plainfield, N. H., furnishes the following grounds of this " puto."
1. Rev. John Frost, the silenced non-conformist, whose two sons, Nicholas and Edmund, came to America, about 1635 ; of whom, Nicholas settled in Portsmouth, N. H.
2. Edmund Frost settled at Cambridge, and was ruling elder in Rev.
88
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
My mother was a Rice, the daughter of Dea. Rice of Fra- mingham aforesaid, and was descended from the Walkers of England, (mother's side). I, Amariah Frost, of Mendon, (Millriver,) now Milford, in the county of Worcester, was born at Framingham, in the county of Middlesex, 4 October, 1720. Married Esther Messinger, daughter of Rev. Henry Messinger, of Wrenthan, county of Suffolk, (now Norfolk,) 27 April, 1747."
By this marriage, Rev. Mr. Frost had five children; the first, Esther, died young. The others were as follows : -
2. Amariah, b. 5 Feb. 1750. H. U. 1770, and preached some time in Ward. He died in Sanford, Me.
3. Sarah, b. 24 May, 1751; and married Rev. Hezekiah Taylor of New Fane, Vt.
4. Olive, b. 19 February, 1753; and married Dr. Samuel Willard, an eminent physician of Uxbridge.
5. Elizabeth, b. 6 September, 1754; and married Dr. Isaac Brigham of Milford.
Rev. Mr. Frost's wife died 5 January, 1778. He then married Susanna, the youngest daughter of Rev. Joseph Dorr, of Mendon, and had two children. The first, Mary, died young. The second, Elias, was born 10 January, 1782. Fitted for college at Leicester, and with Dr. Crane of North-
Thomas Shepard's church ; and who had children, - 1. John, born in England. 2. James, Dea. at Billerica, and died 12 August, 1711, aged 74. 3. Samuel ; and 4. Joseph.
3. John Frost, the child immigrant, supposed to have a son, Thomas, who took 300 acres of land in Framingham in 1700.
4. Thomas Frost had sons, Thomas, jr, and doubtless Samuel.
5. Samuel Frost, the fifth generation from Rev. John, the non-con- formist, and father of Rev. Amariah Frost of Milford. He married Elizabeth Rice, and had seven children. 1. Keziah, born 1 Dec. 1711. 2. Bezaleel, born 8 September, 1713. 3. Samuel, born 13 Dec. 1715, and married Rebecca How. 4. Amasa, born 24 Jan. 1717. 5. Ama- riah, born 4 Oct. 1720. 6. Elizabeth, born 10 May, 1724, and married Isaac Cutler. 7. Lois, 2 Oct. 1732, and married Phinehas Goodenow.
89
REV. ELISHA FISH.
bridge. Graduated at Brown University, 1804. A. M. and M. D. in 1824. He has since extensively practised medicine in Plainfield, N. H., where he now resides.
Rev. Mr. Frost was again deprived of his wife, 21 June, 1783 ; and he married Mrs. Sarah Adams, who survived him.
Mr. Frost was reputed an excellent man, and one of the most popular preachers of his age. It is a sufficient indica- tion of his reputation, and of his attainments, to state, that he was extensively resorted to as an instructor of young men, fitting for college and for the ministry.' A list of his pupils is not preserved. But among them were, his son Amariah, Thomas Haven, son of Rev. Elias Haven of Franklin, and settled in Reading 2d church, and Hezekiah Taylor, afterwards of New Fane; and also Alexander Scammel, one of the aids of General Washington in the Revolution.
None of his works were published, save the charge at the ordination of Mr. T. Dickinson, Holliston, - the last charge he ever gave.
4. REV. ELISHA FISH
Was the son of Mr. Moses Fish, a respectable farmer of Groton, Ct. He was born 1719; graduated at Harvard 1750, and A. M., and was ordained over the church in Upton, 5 June, 1751. He continued in the pastoral office forty-four years, and died 6 August, 1795, aged seventy-six years. He married Hannah Fobes, the daughter of Dea. Fobes of Westboro', by whom he had nine children, six of whom survived him, viz :
1. Martha, married - Page.
2. Abigail, married Elijah Warren.
3. Elisha, jr., (v. Licentiates, No. 13.)
4. Holloway, (v. Licentiates, No. 24.)
5. Henry, married a Holmes.
8*
90
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
6. Eunice, married Rev. Mr. Langdon, and now lives with Wm. Fay of Cincinnati, her son-in-law.
Mr. Fish's characteristics have been thus laconically summed up; " He was a grave and good man of the Puritan stamp ; gave himself wholly to the ministry ; was soundly orthodox ; governed his own household, the church of God, and his own tongue and passions." *
The following extracts from his funeral sermon, by his long-tried and intimate friend, Dr. Emmons, may be consid- ered just : -
" The better to prepare him for His own service, God was pleased to give him, for a long time, most clear and distress- ing views of the enmity, malignity, and total corruption of the human heart.
" Being persuaded it was his duty to preach the Gospel, he surmounted peculiar difficulties, and obtained a liberal education. And as soon as he had finished his academical course, he immediately offered himself as a candidate to the work, to which his heart had been long and zealously attached.
" Being understandingly and heartily attached to the pe- culiar doctrines of grace, he made them the common subjects of his public discourses. He made a point of explaining the Gospel, and of giving his hearers a clear, connected, and extensive view of the great scheme of redemption. He possessed the rare talents of a good casuist.
" He annually visited every family in his whole congrega- tion, in order to know the state of his flock.
" He carried his religion into all places and into all com- panies. His house appeared like a bethel ; especially on the Sabbath, for which he maintained and inculcated a most sacred reverence. His veracity and integrity were never, perhaps, so much as called in question.
* Letter of Rev. W. Warren, Upton.
91
REV. DAVID THURSTON.
" His occasional publications served the cause of liberty and religion. And his vigorous exertions in ecclesiastical councils did essential benefit to the churches of Christ. ". Mr. Fish seldom wrote his sermons.
5. REV. DAVID THURSTON
Was the second son of Daniel and Deborah (Pond) Thurston, of Wrentham, where he was born, 9 May, 1726 .* He graduated at the college of New Jersey, Princeton, 1751. He received an invitation to settle in West Medway, 5 March, 1752, which he accepted 29 April, and was ordained 23 June, 1752. Rev. Nathan. Bucknam, of the first church, preached the ordination-sermon. Owing to the ill health of Mr. Thurston, and some difficulties, supposed to grow out of the revival of 1740, with which some did not sympathize, he was led to ask a dismission. This event took place 22 Feb. 1769, after he had been settled nearly 17 years. Mr. T. was never resettled. In the spring of 1772, he removed with his family to Oxford, where he purchased a farm, for which he paid £700.i
He subsequently removed to Auburn, and finally to Sutton, where he died 5 May, 1777. He was the father of five children.
1. Susan, married and died in Oxford, September, 1798. Her children are in New York State.
2. Paul, settled in Harvard, and died September, 1797. Some of his descendants are living in Maine. -
3. Elihu, with his brother,
4. Abijah, were in the Continental army. Both belonged
* His father was born 20 November, 1693, and was the son of Tho- mas and Esther Thurston, one of the first settlers of the town .- Rev. HI. James, Wrentham.
Rev. L. Wright's Century Sermon.
92
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
to the same company, and were killed in the same battle, August, 1777.
5. Nathan, died in Oxford, about 1817, and left a numer- ous and respectable posterity .*
The inscription on Rev. Mr. Thurston's tombstone in Auburn is as follows, verbatim :
IN MEMORY OF THE REV. MR. DAVID THURSTON, WHO DIED MAY 5th 1777, IN THE 51st YEAR OF HIS AGE.
WAS PASTOR OF THE 2nd CHURCH IN MEDWAY MANY YEARS.
Sweet is the memory of those For whom Christ died ; yea, has arosc, And broke the bonds of Death and hell, That they with Him in Heaven may dwell.t
During the ministry of Mr. Thurston, 79 persons were admitted to the church, and 23 owned the covenant with reference to baptism.
No materials are in our possession for forming an opinion of Mr. Thurston's literary abilities. He is remembered as not efficient enough to combat and overcome the difficulties in his infant church. He yielded to them, and escaped by resignation. No writings of his are known to exist, as any in- dex to his attainments as a theologian, or skill as a preacher.
6. REV. DAVID HALL, D. D.
Was the son of Joseph Hallt and his wife Hannah (Mil- ler) Hall, and was born in Yarmouth, 5 August, 1704;
* Letter of Mr. Geo. F. Daniels, Oxford.
* Letter of Mr. D. Green, Auburn.
į Dr. Hall descended from John Hall, who came from Coventry in the north of England, about 1630; first settled in Charlestown, then
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93
REV. DAVID HALL.
graduated at Harvard 1724, and A. M., and received the honorary degree of S. T. D., Dartmouth, 1777. In Nov. 1729, Mr. Hall commenced supplying the pulpit in Sutton, just vacated by Rev. Mr. Mckinstry. On the 7th of March, the church gave him a call to settle, which the town agreed to March 26th, and he was ordained over the church in Sutton, 15 Oct. 1729. Rev. Mr. Williams, of Weston, preached. He labored here until his death, 8 May, 1789, in his 85th year, and the 60th year of his ministry.
Dr. Hall married, 24 June, 1731, Elizabeth Prescott, daughter of Doct. Jonathan and Rebecca (Bulkley) Prescott of Concord. She was daughter of Peter Bulkley, Esq., and grand-daughter of Rev. Peter Bulkley. They had 12 children.
1. David, born 5 May, 1732 ; married Mary Barrett of Stowe ; merchant in Sutton ; removed to Windsor, Vt .; and died in Woodstock, Vt., while on a visit.
2. Elizabeth, born 17 February, 1734. Married to Col. John Hale of Sutton, physician ; settled in Hollis, N. H., where she died, over 90 years of age.
3. Rebecca, born 1 September, 1736. Married 30 Oct. 1760, to Rev. Aaron Putnam of Pomfret, Ct. ; was killed by a fall from her carriage, 17 July, 1773. Left two children, Rebecca, second wife of Doct. Samuel F. Morse of Sutton, and Aaron P. jr.
4. Mary, born, 14 December, 1738. Married to Col. John Putnam of Sutton, and had eleven children, of whom was Doct. John P. of Upton.
5. Hannah, born 3 August, 1740. Married to Capt. Asa
Yarmouth. He married Miss Larned, or, says another Ms., Bethiah Larnard, and had twelve sons. John, the eldest, had three sons, Joseph, John, and Nathaniel. Joseph married Hannah Miller, daughter of Rev. John Miller, first minister of Yarmouth, and had Joseph, Daniel, Josiah, David, above, Hannah, Priscilla, and Margary. - Letters of Rev. D. B. Hall, Cleaveland, N. Y., and Rev. G. Lyman, Sutton.
94
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
Grosvenor of Pomfret, Ct., and died at Reading, 1834, aged ninety-four.
6. Sarah, born 15 Dec. 1742. Married to Gen. Jonathan Chase of Cornish, N. H., his second wife. Her daughter married to Doct. Smith, Medical Prof. at New Haven, and was the mother of Doct. D. S. C. H. Smith, of Sutton, now resident in Providence, R. I.
7. John, born 3 March, 1745 ; died 14 March following.
8. Benjamin, born 27 Feb. 1746. Married Elizabeth Moseley of Sutton. Died at St. Albans, Vt., at the house of his son, about 1833.
9. Lucy, born 19 March, 1749. Married to Capt. Samuel Pain of Randolph, Vt.
10. Joseph, born 8 September, 1751; H. U. 1774; mar- ried Chloe Grosvenor, daughter of Ebenezer G. of Pomfret, Ct. For 30 years town-clerk, and for 50 years school teacher in Sutton. Died 6 April, 1840, aged 89.
11. Jonathan, born 20 January, 1754. Physician in Pom- fret, Ct.
12. Deborah, born 5 March, 1756. Married 9 May, 1776, to Rev. Daniel Grosvenor, of Grafton, brother of Joseph's wife. Died, it is believed, in Petersham. She was mother of Rev. Moses G. Grosvenor. [See Members, No. 57.]
Mrs. Hall, wife of Dr. Hall, died in Sutton, 7 Aug. 1803, aged 89 .*
A brief sketch, such alone as this work allows, cannot do justice to the labors and character of Dr. Hall.
At his settlement, the church, of only 49 members, was in a low state, and had just passed through serious troubles with the former minister, a rigid Scotch Presbyterian. Ini- quity abounded, and piety was dim. But a mighty work of grace soon began, which resulted in the addition of two hundred and sixty-one members to the church, out of a popu-
* Letter of Rev. G. Lyman, Sutton.
95
REV. DAVID HALL.
lation of about four hundred inhabitants .* Other periods of interest followed at different dates.
With such rich fruits before him, Dr. Hall became an earnest laborer in the vicinity, during the revival of 1740. He was amongst its most powerful instruments ; and his labors were greatly blessed. His diary from 1751 and onwards, shows him to have been an eminently spiritual Christian, and full of the one idea of bringing souls to Christ. He was a pungent and popular preacher, and had great power over his hearers.
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