Vermont AHGP

Part of the American History and Genealogy Project

Congregationalists in the Town of Cabot

Dea. Edward Chapman, the third settler, was a Baptist, and held meetings nearly every Sabbath in town, and was occasionally called to Danville and Peacham to preach. Cabot, also, was visited occasionally, by Dr. Crossman, Baptist missionary from Unity, New Hampshire, and by Rev. Mr. Ainsworth.

Officers elected:
Thomas Osgood, clerk
Oliver Walbridge, treasurer
Joseph Fisher, Horace Beardsley, Thomas Osgood, assessors;
Clement Coburn, John Edgerton, Reuben Atkins, committee
Moses Stone, collector

The first vote of the society was to instruct Dr. Beardsley to engage the services of Rev. Mr. Joslin a certain period of time, not exceeding 4 months.

The Congregational Church was organized at the old Center schoolhouse, Oct. 25, 1801, the Rev. Mr. Ransom, of Rochester, and the Rev. Mr. Hallock, missionary from Connecticut, being present.

Original Members

Clement Coburn, who had been deacon of the Congregational church in Charleston, Massachusetts, was first deacon and moderator; Evans Beardsley the first clerk elected. For the first 22 years they had no settled minister.

They always maintained worship on the Sabbath, every brother considering himself pledged to assist as called upon. For the first 6 years meetings were held in the Centre school-house, or at a dwelling house near the Centre; often in Esquire Mercer's barn and the barn of Oliver Walbridge.

Rev. Moses Ingalls, the first pastor and first settled minister, was ordained and installed over the church, October 27, 1823. He was engaged to preach one-half of the time at salary of $200, 5 of it payable in cash, in produce or neat stock, to be delivered in the month of October. He was dismissed April 20, 1825. The next two years the church was served by supplies. Reverends Wright, of Montpelier, Worcester, of Peacham, French, of Barre, and Hobart, of Berlin.

Cabot Vermont | AHGP

Source: History of Washington County Vermont, Collated and Published by Abby Maria Hemenway, 1882.

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