Deerfield — The Second Congregational Society (Orthodox)

Extracted from "History of the Connecticut Valley in Massachusetts, Volume II," by Louis H. Everts, 1879.


      was organized at Bloody Brook, June 30, 1818. As early as 1767 money was occasionally voted to hire preaching in the south part of the town during the bad traveling, and for several years before 1783, President Timothy Dwight, of Yale College, then a young man, was employed to preach there. Rev. Benjamin Rice, the first pastor, was born in Sturbridge in 1784; graduated at Brown University in 1808, at Andover Theological Seminary in 1811; pastor at Skaneateles, 1813-17; installed here Feb. 10, 1819; dismissed 1827; pastor at Gloucester, Me., 1828-35; at Buxton, Me., 1835-42; preached at Winchendon, Mass., 1843-46. Mr. Rice married Harriet Barrett, of Sharon, Conn.; (2d) Elmira Whipple, of Charlton; (3d) Lucy Whitney, of Winchendon. He died July 12, 1847.
      Tertius S. Clarke was born in Westhampton in 1799; graduated at Yale College in 1824 (D.D. Hamilton College, 1856); studied theology at Auburn; ordained Oct. 3, 1827; dismissed April 1, 1833; pastor at Haddam, Conn., 1835-37; at Stockbridge, 1837-50; at Penn Yan, N. Y., 1850-53; at Franklin, N. Y., 1853.
      Rev. William M. Richards, A.M., was born at Hartford, Conn., in 1805; graduated at Williams College in 1832; studied theology at Auburn; ordained Nov. 25, 1835; dismissed Sept. 6, 1843; pastor at Norwich, N. Y., 1844-45; at Oxford, N. Y., 1846; at Hamilton, N. Y., 1847-50; at Morrisville, N. Y., 1850-52; removed to Waukegan, Ills., 1852.
      Rev. Abraham Jackson was born in Carver in 1793; graduated at Bangor Theological Seminary; ordained pastor at Machias, Me., 1821; dismissed 1834; pastor at Kingston, 1834; at Walpole, N. H., 1838-45; installed at Bloody Brook, Oct. 22, 1845; dismissed 1847; preached a year or two at Machias, and until 1852 at Quechee, Vt., and after that at Windsor, Vt. He became a Unitarian after leaving here, and was at Waverly, Iowa, in 1872, without a charge.
      Rev. Moses K. Cross was born in Danvers in 1812; graduated at Amherst College in 1838, and at the Theological School of Andover; ordained pastor at Palmer in 1842; dismissed 1849; installed pastor here, Sept. 4, 1850; dismissed.
      Rev. P. K. Clark graduated at Yale College in 1838, where he was tutor; installed June 29, 1859; dismissed Sept. 26, 1865.
      Rev. Edward O. Bartlett, chaplain in the war of the Rebellion; installed Jan. 17, 1867; dismissed ----, 1868; settled in Providence, and was successor of Dr. Todd at Pittsfield; now pastor at Lynnfield.
      Rev. Simeon Miller came from the First Church in Holyoke; installed April 13, 1870; dismissed 1872.
      Rev. Charles S. Brooks graduated at Amherst College in 1863; installed Jan. 14, 1873; dismissed April 17, 1877; settled pastor in Putnam, Conn.
      Rev. Spencer R. Brownell graduated at Amherst College in 1872; teacher in Japan several years; ordained tenth pastor of this church, July 2, 1878.




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03 Aug 2005