Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-12-11
rue hay CROP BY COUNTIES.
The Early Ministers OF Pittssord.
REV. ELISHA RICH.


A large proportion of the early settl-
ers of these Vermont townships were
men who placed a just estimate upon
the institutions of religion, and their eff
forts to establish and maintain such in
stitutions were worthy of praise. They
showed that the spirit which actuated
the Puritan fathers was possessed by
their children, and as the result of this,
as soon as the latter coloniZed new re-
gions, they set about making prepare
tons for the support of Christian min
istry. The most of them had been reli-
giously educated, and even those who
made no pretensiOns to personal pietY,
showed great Difference to the outward
forms of religion, and never thought of
living without some one to of1iciate for
them in the sacred office. Their first
places of worship partook of the rude
ness of the patriarchal age, but they had
souls in the work, and their zeal, energy
and personal sacrifices in maintaining
the stated ministratians of the gospel,
might be studied with profit by many of
their descendants.
For some years after the first settlers
located in Pittsford the inhabitants were
so few and scattered that no effort APP
pears to have been made to settle a min
lister. But public worship was not alto
gether neglected for some part of the
inhabitants united with the people of
Rutland in the support of minister,
and the maintenance of church priv
ileges.
Rev. Elisha Rich was the first settled
minister in Pittsford. He was the sec
ond son of Elisha and Mary Rich, and
was born in Sutton, Mass, April 18th,
17'0, and at the age of fourteen years
was apprenticed to a gunsmith, trade
which he learned and practised some
years. He experienced religion at an
early age, and commenced preaching
| the Baptist doctrine. He married Phebe,
| daughter of Nathaniel Batchelder, of
| Brimfield, Mass, and located in Royals
| ton, of which town he was one of the
| early settlers, and the proprietors thereof
| gave him in 1771, the title to $ settlers
| lot" containing two hundred acres, she
| having settled two families thereon, and
| in all respects done and performed the
| duty of two on said lot" He did not
| devote very much of his time to preach
| ing until little later, when he removed
1 to birmingham and was employed for
/ a short time as the minister of the Bap-
| fist church in that town. He removed
to Chelmsford in 1774, where he was
| ordained on the 4th of October, and
| preached two years. About the year
l --,- 4 l,~
| MOUTH VT, where he preached one
wear, and then moved to Clarendon. OF
his labors in the latter town we have
little knowledge, though in 1880, he
took an active part in gathering and or
ganizing the first Baptist church within
the limits of Wallingford, and was its
acting pastor three years, though his
home was in Clarendon.
Elder Rich dealt considerably in real
estate, and often went into the wilder.
ness, selected and purchased choice lots
of land, which he held temporarily fol
speculative purposes. In the month OF
November, 1879, in company with Dea.
Murray, one of his parishioners, he went
to Neshobe (now Brandon) to view loi
of land. Arriving at Pittsford they
were Joined by Deacon Caleb Hendee
and, after an inspection of the land, they
called at the house of George and Aaron
Robbins, and then returned to Pittsford
where Messrs. Rich and Murray were
intending to spend the night. at Deacon
Hendee's. A few minutes after they
had left Messrs. Robbins house, it wa
attacked by the Indians and the two
owners were killed. Most of the othe
inhabitants of .Neshobe were made pris
oners and their houses burned. Abou
ten o'clock that night the news of tina
attack reached Pittsford. The sam
hour Deacon Hendee, with the assistance
of Elder Rich, Deacon Murray ant
, | Richard Hendee, the Deacon's brother
who happened to be there at that time
placed his whole family Gncluding hi
! aged mother on horseback, and travele'