History of Swansea, Massachusetts, 1667-1917; - citizen hylbom blog

118 History of Swansea
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Christ Church
Bishop Eastbum, in his official report of 1846, says: "For
the establishment of the church in this place we are indebted
under God to the zealous labors of the Rev. Amos D. McCoy,
rector of the Ascension, Fall River. '
' The church record states
that " Mr. McCoy officiated in this village on Sunday evenings
and other occasions from the second Sunday in May, 1845,
until November, 1847.
At that time no regular religious services were held in the
community, the "Union Meeting," which dedicated its house
of worship about 1830, having disintegrated. There were then
four communicants of the Protestant Episcopal church
resident in the town, and they were members of St. Mark's,
Warren, R. I., and probably it was at the suggestion of the
rector of that chm-ch (the Rev. George W. Hathaway) that
services were first held in Swansea. The Rev. Alva E.
Carpenter, rector of St. Mark's, Warren, says that, "when the
church here at first organized in the old Union Meeting House,
there were six members transferred from Warren to this
church. Their names were Mrs. Elizabeth Slade, Sarah Slade,
wife of the late Rev. Benjamin H. Chase, Susan Cole, William
Pearse and wife, and Mrs. Menage, wife of the late Daniel
Chase, of Somerset. These were the first communicants of the
church."
The Sunday school was organized and superintended by
Dr. George W. Chevers, (then a practicing physician in Fall
River, and afterwards a successful clergyman of the church),
"who with exemplary self-denial and untiring assiduity devoted
himself to this labor of love. This man, for nine months
previous to January, 1848, conducted lay-reading on Sunday
mornings and afternoons. He also engaged in soliciting funds
toward the erection of the church," and doubtless his labors
went very far toward making the enterprise successful.
Prominent among the first organizers of this parish were
Hon. John Mason, Capt. Preserved S. Gardner, John A. Wood,
John E. Gray, Hon. George Austin, WiUiam Pearse and
Benjamin H. Chase. Of these, only two (the last mentioned)
were ever communicants. Capt. Gardner was formerly a
Baptist. But they were all men of integrity, faithful supporters
of the church, and regular attendants at its services.
William Pearse, John A. Wood and Capt. Gardner, each
at his decease left the parish five hundred dollars as a permanent
fund for the support of the church.
Mr. William Pearse, though residing three miles from the
village, and perhaps more naturally connected with St. Mark's,