The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-06-26
OLD SAYBRO0K CHURCH,
TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS WILL RE CELEHRITED JULY I.


 an Old Glastonbury Pastor-Dr. Chese-
 brough, Formerly of Yale Corporation,
 to Preach the Historical Sermon-Gov-
 ernor Bushnell of Ohio Expected to At
 tend A Massachusetts Bacon tho
 Church's Present Pastor.
 The First Congregational church in Saybrook will celebrate its two hun dred and flftieth anniversary, July l, with betitting ceremonies. The histor- ical address will be delivered by the Rev. Dr. Amos Sheffield Chesebrough, who is one of the oldest Congregational clergymen in the state. Frederick w. Sheffield of Utica, N. Y, will also de- liver one of the addresses. It is expect ed that Governor Bushnell of Ohio, who is a descendant of the Saybrook Bush nells, vii be present, adding to the list of distinguished representatives of this ancient community.
 The Saybrook church was founded in 1646, the first pastor being the Rev. Thomas Fitch. Prior to this period the religious services were held in the old fort, the remains of which were to be found in the neighborhOod of the Con- necticut river until within a few years. They were demolished practically, to- gether with the tomb of Lady FenWick, by the layout of the Valley railroad. Lady Fenwick arrived in this country in July, 1639. She found it necessary to go to Hartford and unite with the First church there in order to have her infant child, Elizabeth, baptized The sacraments of the church under the strict Congregational notions of the time could not be administered except in the visible church, It was for this reason that Lady Fenwick was obliged to go to Hartford for the purpose of having her child baptized. There were two chaplains,, the Revs John Higgin- son and Thomas Peters, who conducted the services in the fort during the time from the settlement of the place until the church was founded in 1646. The Rev. James Fitch, who originally ocCu- pied the pastoral office in the church, took a colony to Norwich, where he es tablished the First church in that city.
 The Rev. Thomas Buckingham, one of the ancestors of Governor William A. Buckingham and of the Rev. Dr. Buckingham of Springfield, Mass, was the second pastor of the church. He was settled In 1870 The original de- Alterations relating to the establish ment of Yale college were held In the parsonage that was occupied by the pastor of the church. He also took an active part in formulating the Saybrook platform, and was a leading force in the Congregationalism of the time. The pastorates of the three ministers succeeding Thomas Buckingham cov- cred period of 134 years, bringing the history of the church down to 1914. These pastors were Azariah Mather, William Hart and Frederick William Hotchkiss. Pastor Hart was an an cestor of Professor Samuel Hart of Trinity college, and the father in law of his successor, the Rev. Frederick William Hotchkiss. These two pastors were the shepherds of the Saybrook flock for one hundred years, the period extending from 1736 until 1888. The Rev Ethan B. Crane succeeded Mr. Hotchkiss, and was himself succeeded by the Rev. James Beattie, who was n- stalled in 1851. The Rev. Salmon Me- Call took the pastorate in 1853.
 The present pastor of the church, the Rev. Edward Everett Bacon, was born in central New York August 1, 1S45, of a Massachusetts rather than a Con- necticut line of Bacons His mother was a Terry-a Connecticut name though her family were all of New York state. He received his college course at Hamilton college, Clinton, N Y., (class of 1S73), being a classmate of Rev. William DeLoss Love, jr., of the Pearl street Congregational church. His theological course was pursued at Andover, Mass, class of 1877, in the same class with Rev. Prof. Alex Mer- riam of the Hartford Theological sem inary He had the care of the Congre- gational church in Norway, Me, for l.lree and a half years, and at West brook, Me, for over twelve years. He was settled by the old Saybrook church in November, 1894 His wife was Miss Clara Hoppin daughter of the Hon. B. F. Hoppin, of Chicago, H. His broth CT is Mr N. B. Bacon of Toledo, O.-an architect, and a brotherin-law of President Cleveland.
 The Rev. Amos Sheffield Chese- brough, who will deliver the historical address, is of Colonial and Revolution ary ancestry, being descendent in the sixth generation from WilhaIn Chese- brough the first settler of Stonington. He was born in that town August 22, 1913. He graduated from Yale college in the class of 1885, being classmate Of Prof. Thacher of Yale and Prof. Brock lesby of Trinity. He taught two years in Hadley and West1el1. Mass, and studied theology ir Kew Haven. His first pastorate was at Chester, in this state from 1Si1 10 1858, when ne re- signed on account of impaired health. After a rest of five years. during which he preached for a time in Meriden and other places, and made pedestrian tour in Europe, he was settled in Glas- tonbury in July, 1858, remaining there until November, 1868, when impaired health again compelled him to resign. Afterwards he served the church in Vernon six years, and the church in Durham eight years, retiring from ac- tive service in the ministry in 1884, at the age of seventy-One, and becoming a resident of Saybrook, the native place of his wife. who was Miss Harriet Chapman. of one of pioneer families of that town.
 Dr. Chesebrough was elected mem Der of the corporation of Yale univer- sity in 1875, resigning from the office in 1884, and was honored with the degree