The Congregational Church in Plymouth was organized in April 1764, according to the Ward genealogy published in 1851. It is the oldest church in Grafton County, according to Stearns History of Plymouth, published in 1905.
Nathan Ward was the first person to preach at the newly organized Plymouth Congregational Church in 1765. Mr. Ward was ordained over the church in Plymouth, at Newburyport, Massachusetts, on July 11, 1765.
The town voted “to give the Rev. Mr. Ward 50 pounds in money and 30 cords of wood the present year for his salary.”
In April 1798, the committee invited Mr. Daniel Hardy to preach for several months. An offer was extended, but for unknown reasons Mr. Hardy was not installed as the Congregational Minister. (The church records for that period have not been preserved).
The following year the committee invited Rev. Drury Fairbank to preach as a candidate. He accepted the call as permanent replacement for Rev. Ward and his salary was set at 100 pounds (about $333.33). after a salary dispute, Mr. Fairbanks was dismissed, at his request, in March of 1818.
Rev. Jonathan Ward, a son of Rev. Nathan Ward, succeeded Mr. Fairbanks. He remained here until 1829, without installation. He delivered his final sermon on September 20, 1829.
Following Rev. Ward’s departure, Rev. James Hobart preached for about six months as a temporary replacement. Rev. George Punchard, whose installation had been delayed for six months due to a severe illness, took over in the spring of 1830. I 1842, his health once again began to deteriorate, and he lost his voice. He stepped down from the pulpit for another six months, but then found he was unable to return to his pastoral duties. In December 1844, he offered his farewell sermon. In 1880, in the month of April, he died.
During Mr. Punchard’s illness and immediately after he left Plymouth, Rev. Enoch Corser supplied the pulpit. He preached here in 1843, 1844, and early in 1845. During his pastorate in Plymouth, Rev. John U. Parsons preached a few times, as did Rev. John Wilde of Conway and Rev. Mr. Saunderson. None of them were extended an invitation for the full-time position. Rev. Corser went on to preach at Epping and London after leaving Plymouth, and he died in 1868.
The church invited Deacon David C. Webster to find a candidate for the position and he submitted the name of Rev. William Reed Jewett, inviting him up to Plymouth to preach for four Sundays. Mr. Jewett accepted the offer as permanent pastor in April 1845. He remained a faithful pastor here for seventeen years before his dismissal by mutual consent in 1862. He died in Andover, Massachusetts in 1882.
In October of 1862, Rev. Henry Allen Hazen began preaching at the Congregational Church. Although his ministry here began under the cloud of the Civil War, it ended triumphantly when the war ended and peace was restored. By his request, he was dismissed in July of 1868. Serving several other churches after leaving Plymouth, Rev. Hazen retired in 1879 and moved to Auburndale, Massachusetts. He died of apoplexy on August 4, 1900, during a visit to his hometown of Hartford, Vermont.
The year after Rev. Hazen departed became a season of temporary supply in the pulpit. Cyrus Richardson, at the time a senior at Andover, preached a few times and impressed the congregation enough that an offer was extended by the church council. He accepted the offer and Mr. Richardson was ordained and installed September 30, 1869. He remained until May 1873 when he accepted an offer from the Congregational Church in Keene, New Hampshire.
Another Andover student was installed in June 1873. He was George Hale Scott and he was a devoted pastor during his tenure here. In 1878, his heath failed and he was given four months leave of absence, without any salary loss. A letter was sent in August 1881, and on September 9th of that year, he was dismissed with regret.
A third senior from Andover Seminary was chosen, ordained and installed. Rev. Henry Porter Peck began his ministry here on June 1, 1882. On January 2, 1900, Rev. Frank G. Clark replaced Rev. Peck, who had moved on to Windsor, Connecticut. Unfortunately, Rev. Clark experienced failing health and it was with sorrow that he left in 1904.
Rev. Clark was succeeded by Rev. Clifton W. Wilson, who began his ministry here in July, 1904. He was still ministering when Stearns History of Plymouth was published in 1905.
The Pastor and
the Deacons for many years constituted the church committee.
Since 1863, the following persons are former auxiliary members of the
committee:
William H. Reed Simeon Sanborn James McQuesten
William G. Cook Charles Hazelton Jason Clark
Arthur Ward George P. Cook Frederic W.A. Robie
Henry Cummings Frederick W. Ballou Lemuel L. Draper
Perley Fossett William Thornton William H. Raymond
John H. Whitten Alfred Cook John Keniston
Alvah M. Merrill Horace Alden Joseph W. Atwood
The members in 1905 were J.E.S. Fifield and Solon Evans.
DEACONS OF THE PLYMOUTH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
John Willoughby from the beginning until his death in 1834
Francis Worcester from 1768 until his death in 1800
Joshua Fletcher from 1794 until 1818, when he worshipped in Bridgewater
Benjamin Goold 1801 until his death in 1804
Jotham Cummings, Jr. from 1801 until 1811, when he moved away
Asa Robbins from 1805 until his death in 1835
Ebenezer Bartett from 1805 until his death in 1832
James Morrisson from 1831 to 1836
Alvah McQuesten from 1834 until 1867
David Clough Webster from 1856 to 1862
Washington George from 1863 until 1876
William Wallace Russell, Jr. from 1868 until 1892
Simeon Sanborn from 1872 to 1878
Jason Clark from 1878 until 1895
George Punchard Cook from 1879 until at least 1905 (when Stearns was published)
Lemuel L. Draper from 1880 until 1899
Alfred Cook from 1893 until at least 1905
Scenva Speare 1899 (resigned in 1900)
William G. Hull from 1900 until at least 1905
Since 1891 the Deacons have been elected for a term of four years and are eligible for re-election.
Rev. Drury Fairbank 1800 to 1818
Jonathan Cummings 1818 to 1819
Rev. Jonathan Ward 1819 to 1829
William Green 1829 to 1845
Rev. William Reed Jewett 1845 to 1862
Charles Hazelton 1862 to 1864
Rev. Henry A. Hazen 1864 to 1867
Deacon William W. Russell 1867 to 1879
William H. Raymond 1879 to 1884
Deacon William W. Russell 1884 to 1892
Mrs. Martha C. (Ward) Russell 1892 to 1897
Mrs. Annie A. (Huckins) Blaisdell from 1897 to at least 1905