especially and tenderly, the lambs of the flock,' in whom he always felt the deepest interest.

"The assemblage was then summoned to partake of a most excellent collation, prepared with exquisite taste by the ladies. The tables were loaded with viands and decorated with garlands and rare bouquets. We have never seen a better or more tasteful display, on any similar occasion. Having discussed these to the heart's content, and passed a longer period in agreeable intercourse, the company separated, well pleased with the evening's entertainment."

As has been seen in the preceding pages of this work, Mr. Williams served for a time as Captain of Company G., 1st Conn. Heavy Artillery. He was afterwards principal of a Female Academy at Saugerties, N. Y. Still later, he was for several years principal of the Young Ladies' Seminary in Waterbury; and is now at the head of the Board of Education of the State of Vermont.

The church remained without a settled pastor till the summer of 1862. Rev. Charles E. Robinson began to supply the pulpit in the early part of 1861. He received a call to settle as pastor, April 25, 1862-accepted it May 5th, and was installed June 10th. There were seventeen admissions to the church during his ministry. On the 27th of January, 1864, he tendered his resignation, on the ground of ill-health.

On the 4th of February, 1864, the church passed the vote which immediately follows, and he soon after left, though he was not formally relieved of his charge till the 3d day of November following, by a Council of churches, as he had accepted a call to settle over a church in Troy, N. Y., where he has since remained; in the full performance of the duties of his ministry. The degree of Doctor of Divinity was bestowed upon him at the late Commencement (1871) of Williams College.

WOODBURY, Feb. 4th, 1864.

"We, the First Congregational Church, having received the resignation of our Pastor, Rev. C. E. Robinson, feel ourselves compelled, owing to the circumstances under which we are providentially placed, to accept the same. We had cherished the pleasing hope and anticipation that the connection, so promising in its commencement, would be as lasting as life, and that we should be permitted to labor together for our dear Lord, many years. Sel

dom has any pastor so entirely possessed the confidence and love of an entire church and society as has our present Pastor, and it is with deep regret that we now come to the painful conclusion that we must give him up and dissolve the interesting relation of Pastor and People. Such, however, seems to be the orderings of our Heavenly Father, and we would cheerfully submit. We shall follow our Pastor with great interest and solicitude, and our earnest prayers, wherever his lot may be cast, and shall feel that, that church which shall secure his stated labors among them will be peculiarly favored of Heaven."

Rev. Charles Little, upon invitation, begun to supply the pulpit in the summer of 1865. He remained with the church without installation, but with the approval of the Consociation, about two years, and did a good, an earnest, and a faithful work. Thirty persons were added to the church, and two deacons were ordained during his ministrations; Philo M. Trowbridge, Nov. 3, 1865, and James H. Linsley, Aug. 31, 1866.

Mr. Little had spent most of his professional life in the missionary field. After serving the church faithfully, till the fall of 1867, he removed to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he is still engaged in his holy calling. On parting with him, the church passed the following unanimous vote, Sept. 22, 1867:

"Whereas, Rev. Charles Little has faithfully labored with us for the past two years, and his labors have been greatly blessed by a good Providence, therefore

"Resolved, That we take pleasure in testifying to our high appreciation of, and full confidence in the character of Mr. Little, both as a man and a minister of the Gospel, and that our best wishes and heartfelt sympathies will follow him wherever he may go to labor, in the wide harvest-field of the Lord."

Oct. 13, 1867, both the First and North Congregational churches being without a settled pastor, the church

"Voted, That we will unite with the North church and also the Methodist church, in extending an invitation to Rev. Mr. Potter, to labor with us during the first week in December."

Mr. Potter came at the time stated. He is 66 a Revivalist" preacher, who does not settle over any church, but goes wherever

he deems the "Lord calls him," to evangelize the people. Great good followed his labors here. As a result of it, about twenty numbers were added to this church, and various members to all the other churches, making the total not less than seventy-five.

The church gave a call, January 16, 1868, to Rev. Horace Winslow, then of Newington, Conn., to settle in the work of the ministry. There were various negotiations in regard to the matter, which resulted in engaging his services for a year. He did a very acceptable work, and twenty-four members were added to the church. So great was the desire of the people to retain him, at the end of the year, that almost the entire congregation (every one found at home by the canvassers) signed an earnest request that he would remain among them. But believing a wider field of usefulness opened to him at Willimantic, Conn., he reluctantly concluded to settle there, where he still remains. He has, however, spent his vacations here, so that the people have not entirely lost the benefit of his counsel and his services.

Mr. Winslow was born, May 18, 1814, at Enfield, Mass., to John H. Winslow and wife, Elizabeth (Mills), graduated at Hamilton College, N. Y.; studied theology at Union Seminary, New York city; settled first at Lansingburg, N. Y.; second, at Rock ville, Conn., Oct, 1845, and dismissed, Nov., 1852; third, at New Britain, Conn., Dec., 1852, dismissed Dec., 1857; fourth, installed at Great Barrington, Mass., in 1858; and in 1862, he accepted an appointment as chaplain to the 5th Conn. Vols., under the command of Gen. Banks, at Virginia. After serving several months as Chaplain, he resigned, and was installed, Dec, 1, 1863, at Binghampton, N. Y.; preached next at Newington, Conn., then at Woodbury, as before stated; and then settled in Willimantic, Conn., where he at present resides.

He married Charlotte H., daughter of Capt. Jonathan Pettibone, of Simsbury, born, July 23d, 1824, and married 8th May, 1850. They have children, as follows:-Fanny Hamilton, b. Oct. 25, 1851; Lillian, b. 25th July, 1854, and Mary, b. 1861.

1

Rev. Gurdon W. Noyes, of Fair Haven, was called by the church, Oct., 1869, to settle,and was installed over the church, Dec. 8, 1869, and still continues his ministrations, to the acceptance and profit of the people. Fifteen members have been added to the chureh under his administration.

1 Andrews' Hist, of New Britain, Conn.

Mr. Noyes was born in Stonington, Conn., Aug. 13, 1818, being the 12th son of his father, and one of 17 children. He is a great grandson of Rev. James Noyes, of Stonington, who was Moderator of Synod at the formation of the Saybrook Platform, and one of the first donors to the foundation of Yale College. The latter was son of Rev. James Noyes, who came from England in 1634, and is the ancestor of the Noyes family in Connecticut. He was born in 1608, in Choulderton, Wiltshire, England. His father was a very learned man. He came to this country because he could not comply with the ceremonies of the Church of England. He was married to Miss Sarah Brown, not long before he came to this country. He preached in Mystic, Conn., and Newbury Mass.

The family of Noyes is one of Norman descent, and originated in England with William de Noyes, one of the followers of the Duke of Normandy in his conquest of England, in 1006. The family settled in Cornwall, Eng., in the reign of Charles I. William de Noyes, of St. Barian, was Attorney General, and his son, Humphrey, was a Colonel in the Royal army, and married the heiress of Lord Sandys.

Gurdon W. Noyes was graduated at Amherst College, Mass, in 1846, and at the Union Theological Seminary, N. Y, in 1849. He was settled over the Presbyterian church in Porthmouth, Va., Dec. 19th 1849; over the Cong. church, at Cornwall, Vermont, in 1852; over the South Cong. Church, in New Haven, Conn., in 1853; over the Second Cong. Church in Fair Haven, Aug. 1861; and over the First Church of Woodbury, in 1869, as seen in the preceding pages.

This old pioneer church has received into its membership since its origin, 1,535. Within its folds, 3,010 have been baptized, and twenty-three deacons have been ordained, only three of whom survive, viz: Eli Summers, who has held the office forty-two years, Philo M. Trowbridge and James H. Linsley. Its present membership is 186, 58 males, and 130 females. The oldest living members, by date of admission, are Mrs. Julia Blackman, admitted in 1813, Mrs. Truman Orton and Mrs. James Preston, 1814. The oldest male members are Stoddard Strong, 1821, and Deacon Summers, 1822. Edmund Trawbridge, aged 85, is the oldest in years. Forty seven persons were admitted in 1850, of whom only seven have died- -a small per centage for twenty-one years.

At the date of the writing of the former edition of this work, Rev. Samuel R. Andrew, one of the four most revered and suc

cessful ministers of this church, was still living, and it was scarcely time to pronounce fully upon his life and character. Since then, May 26, 1858, he has passed hence to a bright re-union with "his Father and his God," to whom he had rendered a life-long and filial service. Few men have lived whose memory is so embalmed in the hearts of surviving parishioners and friends. The following notice of him, which appeared in the "New York Observer," after his death, will give an idea of his life and character :

"Died, at New Haven, Conn., May 26th, Rev. Samuel R. Andrew, aged 71 years. Mr. Andrew was long the honored pastor of the First Congregational church in Woodbury, Conn. For the last twelve years he has resided in New Haven, and for some eleven years he has been the Secretary to the corporation of Yale College. His intellect was strong, clear, comprehensive and discriminating. His judgment was pre-eminently sound and wise. His taste was pure and classical. His style in writing and in conversation, was lucid, chaste, and often elegant. His sensibilities were exquisitely susceptible to beauty in nature, in literature, and in character. His thoughts were always just, and often rich and original. They were never tame and commonplace; and yet the movements of his intellect were so harmonions, and its structure so symmetrical, that superficial observers failed to do justice to its strength and superiority.

"This was conspicuous in the circle of clergymen of which he was one of the brightest ornaments, when he was in his prime; in ecclesiastical councils, where his opinions never failed to be weighty and wise; in brief conversations on important themes, in respect to which he would sum up all that needed to be said in a few brief but pithy sentences; in his written reviews and essays, of which many were given to the public, and all, whether printed or not, were carefully elaborated and chastely expressed; and in the thoughtful and elevated sermons, by which he moulded his people by a constantly refining influence, and impressed them with a wellfounded respect for his intellect, and an unchanging confidence in his wisdom.

"He was a laborious student, and a close and comprehensive thinker. He pc.dered the Scriptures well and interpreted them with an enlightened but believing spirit. He was an independent thinker in theology. The opinions which he held, he boldly but quietly declared and defended. Every man who knew him felt