He was a deacon of the Baptist Church in Townshend.
James H. Phelps, Collections Relating to the History and Inhapitants of the Town of Townshend, Vermont, (Brattlleboro, VT: George E. Sellect, 1877), p. 260-262:
"The first record of any definite step looking to the formation of this [Baptist] church is from the pen of Samuel Gray ... On the 15th of June, 1827, a number of brethren and sisters, of whose names twenty-four are recorded, met in the dwelling house of Edward White: after a season of prayer, in which Bros. Bixby, Manning, Cutler and Graves participated, an organization was effected by the the choise of Rev. J. Wellman, chairman, and J.M. Graves, clerk. The record reads: "Took measures to ascertain the views of the brethren and sisters present, relative to the formation of a Baptist church in the northeast part of the town. Having ascertained that Bros. S. Manny, W. Fisher, S. Gray, A. Austin, H. Austin, A. Bixby, A. Carpenter, E. White and A. Tourtelotte; and Sisters Mary Austin, R. Austin, L. Austin, Lois Austin, H. Gray, M. Perry, E. Fisher, T. Fisher, S. White, E. Tourtellotte, P. Reeves, P. Bixby, A. Bixby and K. Manning, would be inclined to unite in Chiristian covenant int he vicinity, and they request the privilege of so doing, by organizing a new church, it is the opinion of this convention that a Baptist church of Christ may with propriety be organized in said northeast part of Townshend....
"... On Independence Day of 1827 ... the following brethren and sisters, with letters of dismission from their respective churches, presented themselves for membership in a new church: from Andover, Samuel Manning; [from] West Townshend, Abraham Tourtelotte, Desire Manning, lois Austin, Clara Wright and Thirza Fisher; [from] Westminster, Philander Reeves; [from] Brookline, Asa, Horace, Mary, Rebecca and Lovina Austin, Hannah Gray, Samuel Gray, Archelaus Bixby, Abishai Carpenter, Parmelia and Ataline Bixby. The following presented themselves, promising to procure letters, not having yet received them: Edward and Sarah White of Jamaica, Wm. and Electa Fisher from Mt. Holly, Prudence Farr from Windham, and Susannah Huzzy from Brookline. The following, recently baptized, also presented themselves: -- Ebenezer Wiswell, Anna Wiswell, Syril White, Sally Smith, Sarah T. Bixby, Sally Smith, Sarah T. Bixby, Lydia Dunton and Tappan Reeves. After due consultation and the examination of the Articles of Faith and Covenant, which were a transcript of those of the First Baptist Church of Roxbury, Mass., it was unanimously voted to comply with the request made, and recognized the above-named thirteen brethren and eighteen sisters, as constituting a Baptist church...
"On the 19th of the following October, a committee was chosed to draft rules of discipline, Deacon Wm Fisher was elected treasurer, and Bre[thren] Manning and Bixby were chosed to circulate a subscription paper.... The first death within the church was that of Mary Edwards, who entered into rest Oct. 1st... The same month Samuel Murdock and wife Louisa, J. Blandin, Jr., and Mary Blandin, Susanna, wife of Jesse Gray, and Susan Gray, were received by letter...
"[From 1827 to 1831], the church steadily increased in membership from the thirty-one at organization to fifty-two... And here occurs one of the bright sports of its history. October 15th, Dea. Fisher, Samuel Gray, A. Bixby, J. Blandin and Deacon Manning were chosen, "at the request of our Congregational brethren," to accompany a like committee on their part in endeavoring "to ascertain the religious feelings of each family of the several school districts." On the 13th of the next month, in which Willard R., Sophia and Mary Fisher were baptized, Wm. Fisher, Samuel Gray and j. Blandin, jr., were appointed to confer with a like committee of the Congregation church in making arrangements for a protracted meeting. The sequel was a revival, in which both churches participated; Mr. Chamberlain preached out one-half of his engagements in the village ... The ministry of Mr. Chamberlain was a successful one; for, while the additions during these years were not numerous, they were of those whose influence has continued during nearly a half century. Among the fifteen he baptized were Lucius and Mary Dyer, Melinda Gray, Hannah and Emily Taft, Ezekiel p. Taft, thirza Wood and Deborah Murdock..."
See pages 267 - 282 for a list of church membership. The core of the early church membership was drawn from families residing in northeastern Townshend. Of the 31 consituent members of the Baptist Church, 17 can be found buried in Wiswell Cemetery. They include: Abram Tourtellot, Louisa (Nichols) Austin, Thirza Fisher, Mary (Wiswell) Austin, Rebecca Austin, Hannah (Wiswell) Gray, Archelaus Bixby, Permelia (Blandin) Bixby, Edward White, Sarah (Tourtellot) White, William Fisher, Electa (Chase) Fisher, Ebenezer Wiswell, Cyril White, Sarah T. (Bixby) Derry, Lydia Dunton and Anna (Gleason) Wiswell. Many of their relatives and later members of the church are also found there.
James H. Phelps, Collections Relating to the History and Inhapitants of the Town of Townshend, Vermont, (Brattlleboro, VT: George E. Sellect, 1877), p. 260-262:
"The first record of any definite step looking to the formation of this [Baptist] church is from the pen of Samuel Gray ... On the 15th of June, 1827, a number of brethren and sisters, of whose names twenty-four are recorded, met in the dwelling house of Edward White: after a season of prayer, in which Bros. Bixby, Manning, Cutler and Graves participated, an organization was effected by the the choise of Rev. J. Wellman, chairman, and J.M. Graves, clerk. The record reads: "Took measures to ascertain the views of the brethren and sisters present, relative to the formation of a Baptist church in the northeast part of the town. Having ascertained that Bros. S. Manny, W. Fisher, S. Gray, A. Austin, H. Austin, A. Bixby, A. Carpenter, E. White and A. Tourtelotte; and Sisters Mary Austin, R. Austin, L. Austin, Lois Austin, H. Gray, M. Perry, E. Fisher, T. Fisher, S. White, E. Tourtellotte, P. Reeves, P. Bixby, A. Bixby and K. Manning, would be inclined to unite in Chiristian covenant int he vicinity, and they request the privilege of so doing, by organizing a new church, it is the opinion of this convention that a Baptist church of Christ may with propriety be organized in said northeast part of Townshend....
"... On Independence Day of 1827 ... the following brethren and sisters, with letters of dismission from their respective churches, presented themselves for membership in a new church: from Andover, Samuel Manning; [from] West Townshend, Abraham Tourtelotte, Desire Manning, lois Austin, Clara Wright and Thirza Fisher; [from] Westminster, Philander Reeves; [from] Brookline, Asa, Horace, Mary, Rebecca and Lovina Austin, Hannah Gray, Samuel Gray, Archelaus Bixby, Abishai Carpenter, Parmelia and Ataline Bixby. The following presented themselves, promising to procure letters, not having yet received them: Edward and Sarah White of Jamaica, Wm. and Electa Fisher from Mt. Holly, Prudence Farr from Windham, and Susannah Huzzy from Brookline. The following, recently baptized, also presented themselves: -- Ebenezer Wiswell, Anna Wiswell, Syril White, Sally Smith, Sarah T. Bixby, Sally Smith, Sarah T. Bixby, Lydia Dunton and Tappan Reeves. After due consultation and the examination of the Articles of Faith and Covenant, which were a transcript of those of the First Baptist Church of Roxbury, Mass., it was unanimously voted to comply with the request made, and recognized the above-named thirteen brethren and eighteen sisters, as constituting a Baptist church...
"On the 19th of the following October, a committee was chosed to draft rules of discipline, Deacon Wm Fisher was elected treasurer, and Bre[thren] Manning and Bixby were chosed to circulate a subscription paper.... The first death within the church was that of Mary Edwards, who entered into rest Oct. 1st... The same month Samuel Murdock and wife Louisa, J. Blandin, Jr., and Mary Blandin, Susanna, wife of Jesse Gray, and Susan Gray, were received by letter...
"[From 1827 to 1831], the church steadily increased in membership from the thirty-one at organization to fifty-two... And here occurs one of the bright sports of its history. October 15th, Dea. Fisher, Samuel Gray, A. Bixby, J. Blandin and Deacon Manning were chosen, "at the request of our Congregational brethren," to accompany a like committee on their part in endeavoring "to ascertain the religious feelings of each family of the several school districts." On the 13th of the next month, in which Willard R., Sophia and Mary Fisher were baptized, Wm. Fisher, Samuel Gray and j. Blandin, jr., were appointed to confer with a like committee of the Congregation church in making arrangements for a protracted meeting. The sequel was a revival, in which both churches participated; Mr. Chamberlain preached out one-half of his engagements in the village ... The ministry of Mr. Chamberlain was a successful one; for, while the additions during these years were not numerous, they were of those whose influence has continued during nearly a half century. Among the fifteen he baptized were Lucius and Mary Dyer, Melinda Gray, Hannah and Emily Taft, Ezekiel p. Taft, thirza Wood and Deborah Murdock..."
See pages 267 - 282 for a list of church membership. The core of the early church membership was drawn from families residing in northeastern Townshend. Of the 31 consituent members of the Baptist Church, 17 can be found buried in Wiswell Cemetery. They include: Abram Tourtellot, Louisa (Nichols) Austin, Thirza Fisher, Mary (Wiswell) Austin, Rebecca Austin, Hannah (Wiswell) Gray, Archelaus Bixby, Permelia (Blandin) Bixby, Edward White, Sarah (Tourtellot) White, William Fisher, Electa (Chase) Fisher, Ebenezer Wiswell, Cyril White, Sarah T. (Bixby) Derry, Lydia Dunton and Anna (Gleason) Wiswell. Many of their relatives and later members of the church are also found there.
He was a deacon of the Baptist Church in Townshend.
James H. Phelps, Collections Relating to the History and Inhapitants of the Town of Townshend, Vermont, (Brattlleboro, VT: George E. Sellect, 1877), p. 260-262:
"The first record of any definite step looking to the formation of this [Baptist] church is from the pen of Samuel Gray ... On the 15th of June, 1827, a number of brethren and sisters, of whose names twenty-four are recorded, met in the dwelling house of Edward White: after a season of prayer, in which Bros. Bixby, Manning, Cutler and Graves participated, an organization was effected by the the choise of Rev. J. Wellman, chairman, and J.M. Graves, clerk. The record reads: "Took measures to ascertain the views of the brethren and sisters present, relative to the formation of a Baptist church in the northeast part of the town. Having ascertained that Bros. S. Manny, W. Fisher, S. Gray, A. Austin, H. Austin, A. Bixby, A. Carpenter, E. White and A. Tourtelotte; and Sisters Mary Austin, R. Austin, L. Austin, Lois Austin, H. Gray, M. Perry, E. Fisher, T. Fisher, S. White, E. Tourtellotte, P. Reeves, P. Bixby, A. Bixby and K. Manning, would be inclined to unite in Chiristian covenant int he vicinity, and they request the privilege of so doing, by organizing a new church, it is the opinion of this convention that a Baptist church of Christ may with propriety be organized in said northeast part of Townshend....
"... On Independence Day of 1827 ... the following brethren and sisters, with letters of dismission from their respective churches, presented themselves for membership in a new church: from Andover, Samuel Manning; [from] West Townshend, Abraham Tourtelotte, Desire Manning, lois Austin, Clara Wright and Thirza Fisher; [from] Westminster, Philander Reeves; [from] Brookline, Asa, Horace, Mary, Rebecca and Lovina Austin, Hannah Gray, Samuel Gray, Archelaus Bixby, Abishai Carpenter, Parmelia and Ataline Bixby. The following presented themselves, promising to procure letters, not having yet received them: Edward and Sarah White of Jamaica, Wm. and Electa Fisher from Mt. Holly, Prudence Farr from Windham, and Susannah Huzzy from Brookline. The following, recently baptized, also presented themselves: -- Ebenezer Wiswell, Anna Wiswell, Syril White, Sally Smith, Sarah T. Bixby, Sally Smith, Sarah T. Bixby, Lydia Dunton and Tappan Reeves. After due consultation and the examination of the Articles of Faith and Covenant, which were a transcript of those of the First Baptist Church of Roxbury, Mass., it was unanimously voted to comply with the request made, and recognized the above-named thirteen brethren and eighteen sisters, as constituting a Baptist church...
"On the 19th of the following October, a committee was chosed to draft rules of discipline, Deacon Wm Fisher was elected treasurer, and Bre[thren] Manning and Bixby were chosed to circulate a subscription paper.... The first death within the church was that of Mary Edwards, who entered into rest Oct. 1st... The same month Samuel Murdock and wife Louisa, J. Blandin, Jr., and Mary Blandin, Susanna, wife of Jesse Gray, and Susan Gray, were received by letter...
"[From 1827 to 1831], the church steadily increased in membership from the thirty-one at organization to fifty-two... And here occurs one of the bright sports of its history. October 15th, Dea. Fisher, Samuel Gray, A. Bixby, J. Blandin and Deacon Manning were chosen, "at the request of our Congregational brethren," to accompany a like committee on their part in endeavoring "to ascertain the religious feelings of each family of the several school districts." On the 13th of the next month, in which Willard R., Sophia and Mary Fisher were baptized, Wm. Fisher, Samuel Gray and j. Blandin, jr., were appointed to confer with a like committee of the Congregation church in making arrangements for a protracted meeting. The sequel was a revival, in which both churches participated; Mr. Chamberlain preached out one-half of his engagements in the village ... The ministry of Mr. Chamberlain was a successful one; for, while the additions during these years were not numerous, they were of those whose influence has continued during nearly a half century. Among the fifteen he baptized were Lucius and Mary Dyer, Melinda Gray, Hannah and Emily Taft, Ezekiel p. Taft, thirza Wood and Deborah Murdock..."
See pages 267 - 282 for a list of church membership. The core of the early church membership was drawn from families residing in northeastern Townshend. Of the 31 consituent members of the Baptist Church, 17 can be found buried in Wiswell Cemetery. They include: Abram Tourtellot, Louisa (Nichols) Austin, Thirza Fisher, Mary (Wiswell) Austin, Rebecca Austin, Hannah (Wiswell) Gray, Archelaus Bixby, Permelia (Blandin) Bixby, Edward White, Sarah (Tourtellot) White, William Fisher, Electa (Chase) Fisher, Ebenezer Wiswell, Cyril White, Sarah T. (Bixby) Derry, Lydia Dunton and Anna (Gleason) Wiswell. Many of their relatives and later members of the church are also found there.
James H. Phelps, Collections Relating to the History and Inhapitants of the Town of Townshend, Vermont, (Brattlleboro, VT: George E. Sellect, 1877), p. 260-262:
"The first record of any definite step looking to the formation of this [Baptist] church is from the pen of Samuel Gray ... On the 15th of June, 1827, a number of brethren and sisters, of whose names twenty-four are recorded, met in the dwelling house of Edward White: after a season of prayer, in which Bros. Bixby, Manning, Cutler and Graves participated, an organization was effected by the the choise of Rev. J. Wellman, chairman, and J.M. Graves, clerk. The record reads: "Took measures to ascertain the views of the brethren and sisters present, relative to the formation of a Baptist church in the northeast part of the town. Having ascertained that Bros. S. Manny, W. Fisher, S. Gray, A. Austin, H. Austin, A. Bixby, A. Carpenter, E. White and A. Tourtelotte; and Sisters Mary Austin, R. Austin, L. Austin, Lois Austin, H. Gray, M. Perry, E. Fisher, T. Fisher, S. White, E. Tourtellotte, P. Reeves, P. Bixby, A. Bixby and K. Manning, would be inclined to unite in Chiristian covenant int he vicinity, and they request the privilege of so doing, by organizing a new church, it is the opinion of this convention that a Baptist church of Christ may with propriety be organized in said northeast part of Townshend....
"... On Independence Day of 1827 ... the following brethren and sisters, with letters of dismission from their respective churches, presented themselves for membership in a new church: from Andover, Samuel Manning; [from] West Townshend, Abraham Tourtelotte, Desire Manning, lois Austin, Clara Wright and Thirza Fisher; [from] Westminster, Philander Reeves; [from] Brookline, Asa, Horace, Mary, Rebecca and Lovina Austin, Hannah Gray, Samuel Gray, Archelaus Bixby, Abishai Carpenter, Parmelia and Ataline Bixby. The following presented themselves, promising to procure letters, not having yet received them: Edward and Sarah White of Jamaica, Wm. and Electa Fisher from Mt. Holly, Prudence Farr from Windham, and Susannah Huzzy from Brookline. The following, recently baptized, also presented themselves: -- Ebenezer Wiswell, Anna Wiswell, Syril White, Sally Smith, Sarah T. Bixby, Sally Smith, Sarah T. Bixby, Lydia Dunton and Tappan Reeves. After due consultation and the examination of the Articles of Faith and Covenant, which were a transcript of those of the First Baptist Church of Roxbury, Mass., it was unanimously voted to comply with the request made, and recognized the above-named thirteen brethren and eighteen sisters, as constituting a Baptist church...
"On the 19th of the following October, a committee was chosed to draft rules of discipline, Deacon Wm Fisher was elected treasurer, and Bre[thren] Manning and Bixby were chosed to circulate a subscription paper.... The first death within the church was that of Mary Edwards, who entered into rest Oct. 1st... The same month Samuel Murdock and wife Louisa, J. Blandin, Jr., and Mary Blandin, Susanna, wife of Jesse Gray, and Susan Gray, were received by letter...
"[From 1827 to 1831], the church steadily increased in membership from the thirty-one at organization to fifty-two... And here occurs one of the bright sports of its history. October 15th, Dea. Fisher, Samuel Gray, A. Bixby, J. Blandin and Deacon Manning were chosen, "at the request of our Congregational brethren," to accompany a like committee on their part in endeavoring "to ascertain the religious feelings of each family of the several school districts." On the 13th of the next month, in which Willard R., Sophia and Mary Fisher were baptized, Wm. Fisher, Samuel Gray and j. Blandin, jr., were appointed to confer with a like committee of the Congregation church in making arrangements for a protracted meeting. The sequel was a revival, in which both churches participated; Mr. Chamberlain preached out one-half of his engagements in the village ... The ministry of Mr. Chamberlain was a successful one; for, while the additions during these years were not numerous, they were of those whose influence has continued during nearly a half century. Among the fifteen he baptized were Lucius and Mary Dyer, Melinda Gray, Hannah and Emily Taft, Ezekiel p. Taft, thirza Wood and Deborah Murdock..."
See pages 267 - 282 for a list of church membership. The core of the early church membership was drawn from families residing in northeastern Townshend. Of the 31 consituent members of the Baptist Church, 17 can be found buried in Wiswell Cemetery. They include: Abram Tourtellot, Louisa (Nichols) Austin, Thirza Fisher, Mary (Wiswell) Austin, Rebecca Austin, Hannah (Wiswell) Gray, Archelaus Bixby, Permelia (Blandin) Bixby, Edward White, Sarah (Tourtellot) White, William Fisher, Electa (Chase) Fisher, Ebenezer Wiswell, Cyril White, Sarah T. (Bixby) Derry, Lydia Dunton and Anna (Gleason) Wiswell. Many of their relatives and later members of the church are also found there.
Inscription
Dea. WILLIAM FISHER DIED Sept. 24, 1851 AE. 71
Gravesite Details
Year of birth is calculated from his age at death.
Family Members
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