Pastors Of The
First Congregational Church
Town of Stillwater
Saratoga County New York

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PASTORS OF THE CHURCH

As has been stated, for a number of years, the same pastor served both Congregational and Presbyterian Churches. The list that follows has been compiled from the Congregational records, as its sole authority. Some of the dates for men who were pastors of both congregations, do not agree with the dates in the list of Presbyterian pastors, as transcribed on page 91; where there are differences, I believe this list of Congregational pastors to be the more authentic. The dates following the pastors' names cover the periods of their pastorates.

PALMER, John, June 28, 1752 to Mar. 10, 1754, and probably later. He was pastor of the Congregational Church at Scotland, Connecticut, and supplied the church at Canaan.

CAMPBELL, Robert, Oct. 20, 1761 to Feb. 19, 1789, the date of his death. He was received a member of the congregation, Sept. 12, 1760; called as pastor, Jan. 13, 1761; and ordained and installed, Oct. 20, 1761.

CAMPBELL, Robert, Jr., 1789 to Aug. 15, 1792. He was received as a member of the congregation, May 30, 1766; served as Church Clerk, 1767 to 1771. After his father's death, consented to preach occasionally, Mar. 5, 1789; called as pastor, Aug. 26, 1789. The date he was ordained or installed does not appear in the records; pastoral relation terminated, Aug. 15, 1798. Thereafter, he continued to act as Moderator, and probably supplied the pulpit when necessary, until about Mar., 1800.

BUSHNELL, Jedediah, Apr. 1, 1798 to Sept. 1, 1798, approximately. He supplied the pulpit. Called, Aug. 15, 1798, but did not accept.

MARSH, Daniel, Mar. 30, 1800 to Apr. 1, 1805. There are the dates of his actual pastoral labors, but not the dates of his pastorate. Apr. 24, 1800, steps taken to unite with Ballston East Line, to secure his permanent settlement. Subscription list dated May 8; installed, Oct. 30, 1800, as pastor of Ballston East Line and Stillwater; granted leave of absence without salary, on Apr. 1, 1805; congregation acted to dissolve the pastoral relation, May 19, 1806; approved by the Presbytery, June 5, 1806.

GLEASON, Luther, May 18, 1808 to June 2, 1810 (?). Voted to call him, Feb. 17, 1808. He was elected permanent Moderator, May 18, 1808; also received as a member of the congregation on that date. He had preached on trial some months before. The date of the termination of his pastorate is uncertain; he was given a letter of dismission June 2, 1810. It appears from the minutes, that he may have preached in the Presbyterian church, until Dec. 1, 1811. He was the first pastor known to have served both churches in Stillwater.

CHEEVER, Samuel, Apr. 3, 1814 to Nov. 1814. His labors commenced Feb. 19, 1814; he died Nov. 28, 1814.

LANSING, Dirck C., Mar. 20, 1815 to about Apr. 1817. Stated Supply.

TUCKER, Mark, Oct. 8, 1817 to Mar. 1, 1824. Preached for the first time as Candidate, June 5, 1817; called separately by each congregation, Aug. 4, 1817; ordained and installed, Oct. 8, 1817.

BLATCHFORD, John, May 18, 1825 to Feb. 1, 1829.

CHEEVER, Ebenezer, Feb. 19, 1830 to Feb. 6, 1833. Commenced his labors Feb. 19, 1830, when he administered his first baptism in the Congregational church; appointing Moderator, Mar. 4, 1830. His name does not appear in the Presbyterian Session records until May 24, 1830. He was Stated Supply until Feb. 21, 1832, when he was installed. Pastoral relation dissolved by the Presbytery, Feb. 6, 1833.

SMITH, Hervey, Nov. 14, 1833 to ----. Cf. this date in abstracts, p. 118. No records available to show when his labors closed. There is no evidence to show that Rev. Hervey Smith also served the Presbyterian church, although the Congregational minutes indicate that he only preached in the Yellow Meeting House a part of the time.

There are no records available to continue this list of pastors further. The two congregations were united from 1838 to July 1842, during the pastorate of Villeroy D. REED, in the Presbyterian church; cf. abstract, p. 124.

CHURCH RECORDS OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

A brief summary of the original church records follows:

Session Records, Vol. A, 1791 to 1834. Contains about 315 pages, in size 8 x 6 1/2 inches; bound in full calf; condition good. All the Vital Records in this volume have been completely transcribed, with the exception of the first membership list (1818 to 1836); cf. Note on page 61. A few of the earliest Session Records have been abstracted. Transcripts and abstracts from this volume occupy pages 41 to 90. Certification of copy on page viii.

Session Records, Vol. B, 1835 to 1856. This volume has been lost for some years. Repeated inquiries in the Village of Stillwater have not brought it to light.

Session Records, Vol. C, 1856 to 1910. Contains about 400 pages, nearly 100 of which are blank; size, 9 3/4 x 7 1/2 inches; bound in sheep skin with tooled edges. One of the covers became detached and it has been reattached in a makeshift fashion. The paper is good; binding poorly repaired. Some lists of names on the first few pages have been transcribed on pages 91 to 94. The book contains principally Session records, from Aug. 27, 1856 to Dec. 25, 1910. Also, revised Membership Lists, dated Nov. 1856, and Jan. 1906; Marriges Mar. 15, 1905 to Dec. 21, 1910; Infant Baptisms, Apr. 1905 to June 12, 1910.

The two volumes of Session Records, A and C, were obtained from Elder John R. Britton of the Session of the First Presbyterian Church of Stillwater, in the month of Nov. 1918. They were returned to him in the month of Feb. 1919.

Note. A few pages from this volume have been copied; they contain a summary of the Ministers and Elders. I assume no responsibility for the authenticity of what follows, as I have not examined the records of the Presbytery, and I have not had time to check up the dates given, with that part of the Session Records that are available.

First Presbyterian Church of Stillwater, organized Sept. 12, 1791.

PASTORS OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH

• CONDICT, Aaron, installed Jan. 15, 1793, dismissed 1795.
• LANSING, Dirck C., installed Nov. 28, 1816, Congregational & Presbyterian Un.

Re-Organized, Mar. 11, 1818

• TUCKER, Mark, installed Oct. 8, 1817, dismissed Mar. 1, 1824, Pastor of the Congreg^l & Presbⁿ Churches.
• BLATCHFORD, John, installed May 18, 1825, dismissed Feb. 1, 1829.
• CHEEVER, Ebenezer, installed Feb. 21, 1832, dismissed Feb. 6, 1833, Supply from May 24, 1830.
• TOBEY, William, installed Jan. 14, 1834, dismissed May 1834, Supply, 4 mo.
• ROBINSON, Samuel, installed Aug. 15, 1834, dismissed July 6, 1835.
• BENEDICT, Henry, installed Dec. 7, 1837, dismissed Dec. 1838, Supply Corresponding M.
• REED, Villeroy D., installed Dec. 18, 1839, dismissed Apr. 30, 1844.
• SEELYE, Edward E., installed June 1844, dismissed May 1, 1851.
• KING, David, installed June 30, 1852, dismissed May 15, '53, Supply from Feb./52.
• MERRILL, Franklin, installed July 15, 1853, dismissed Aug. 29, 1858.
• ROBERTS, Melville, installed July 6, 1859, dismissed June 28, 1860, S. S. *Call not unanimous & rejected. S. S. from*
• JOHNSON, W^m M., installed May 1, 1861, dismissed Sept. 18, 1867.
• GAMBLE, Saml. S., installed Feb. 1868, dismissed Apr. 21, 1870, Commenced his labors Dec. 1, 1867.
• THORNE, C. C., installed Feb. 1, 1871, dismissed Feb. 18, 1873, Not instaled until May 1872.

This record is incomplete as proved by the records of the First Congregational Church of Stillwater. The names below should be added in this hiatus and the dates for Rev. Mr. Lansing corrected. For additional information, see the abstracts of the minutes of the Congregational Church, and the summary on p. v.

Luther Gleason, May 19, 1808 to Dec. 1811 (?).

Samuel Cheever, Apr. 3, 1814 to Nov. 1814; died Nov. 28, 1814.

Dirck C. Lansing, Mar. 20, 1815 to about Apr. 1817.

The Session Records, from which the dates are supplied, give his name as "Rev. B. Roberts."