The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-05-24

REV. L S wooDwoRTH. A FORMER PASTOR
on" He did, and then made his famous
~journev to the other side OF the $ .ekonk.
when the I1dians met him with the
greeting, "Whatchaer n, an.
Shorti after this, in 1913. n new band
of worshiper> penetrated into this
try and settled there. They were Con-
g~regationalisis from the older COLONY,
AID under the leader ship Of Rev: Samu !
Newman. They purchased OF Massasoit
the territory. ten miles squ, IRE, ana called
it from the s%criptural Significance. Reho-
both. This co " pr .sed what il 10 " Swan
sea, Attlehorn, Darlington. Cumberland,
Warren, Seekonk, Pawtuckrt II East
Providence; TIE Indian name for this
was Seekonk, from the two Indian words,
Seeki. black, and Onk. goose: meaning
black goose. as The river at that time was
the home of thousands of thoss birds.
A Log Church Built.
The little colony soon built a church
of logs, with matched roof, on the site
II the present ''proprietor's tomb" in
the graveyard. and called it the Church
of II hobot1 -" Under The guidance of
Rev. Mr.. Newm in-who, as was the GUS
tom of the time,-was the governor as
we'll ms spiritual adviser, the COLONY grew
rapidly.
As Mr.. Newman is the central figure
OI tUt CuuTCI nlSIOTN, III WOuNl bc well W
know the story OK his life. Rev. Samuel
Newman was born May IL. 1902. at Ban
bury. Oxford county. He re eived his
eariy education at 81. r. imand's in Ban
bury, and graduated from Trinity col
lege, Oxford. VITA honors Mt the age OF
land, spending four years at Dorchester,
after which lie emigated TO America
and was made pastor of the church at
Weymouth In in 1889. Il 1642 he aud his
fol ow rs came to RehoDoth.
Samuel Newman died in 1868. and for
five years the church was without n per-
manent pastor, although Rev. Mr..
Lynes, Rev. John Miles aud Rev. Mr..
Burkley each occupied hat position
temporarily. FIR I'M 1868 10 1878 Noah
Newmsu, youngest son OF Rev. Samuel,
was pastor.
Succession OF New Pastors.
At his death in 1878, Rev. Samuel
Angler occupied the pulpit until 1892,
who was succeeded by Rev. Thomas
Greenwood. The next pastor was Rev.
joan Greenwood. sou of Thomas. The
succeeding pastors were Johu Ellis. a
graduate Of Harvard. and chaplain in
the Continental army. and afterwards
nine years in the legislature of Massa-
chuseJts convocatlon which adopted the
national constitutions; Rev. Ephraim
Hyde, "a graduate of Yale; Rev. Jonn
Ellis, Rev. John Hill, Rev. James o.
Barney, Rev. Sa nuel X. Evans, Rev. Hi
ram f.. Johnson. X v. Leverett 3. Wood
worth n the prescLt pastor. Rsv. l.. u.
Ferris, who WAS H. stalled June 3, 1888.
The ma 10 OIL the church has Lesn
Oh luged several times, from the Church
oil Rehoboth to Church of the First Pre-
ciuct of Rehob 9TH, and In 1912 became the
Congregational Church in Seekouk. In
1886, by "a ole OF the cnurcn, the name
was changed To the Newman Congrega-
Sional Church of Seekopk an East
Providence. The little old log building
nat first was begun in 1913 and was
flushed In 1647 lasted ifty-nine years. In
IT'S a new church war built
tlirty feet to the ~ Of the old
| one. This building had Two 80. 3
Of galleries and was quite "A
marvel OF architecture In It's day. 1t
was pulled down in 1914 and the pres
ent edifice erected in 1908 at ut n cost Of
~. vi. 1t was the same az today ex-
oeot the tower which at that time was
| crowned with a tall spire and clock. In
1890 the church building was raised anu
a brick vestry built underneath. and the
interior as refurnished aud renovated.
This old mother hurcn has many chi
dren, among which are tue Congrega-
tional clurcn OF Kehoboth, OF North At
tlsboso[First Baptist church of East
P~rJvidence, Congregational OF Barring
ton, Congregational Of Riverside, Luz
theirs Corner, Broad way -Four Corners.
East Providence.
Present Membership.
At present the church has a member
shin of 2lO. The church deacons are