October 2nd

Today's birthdays:

Anne Morehead daughter of Alexander Morehead in Northumberland Co, VA.

1789 Lydia Wolfe daughter of John & Elizabeth (Cornwell) Wolfe.  She died 1875.

1897 Donald Austin in Wayne Co., IL son of Wilco & Nora (Boswell) Austin.  He died 1980 in Morton, IL and is buried in Mt.Zion/Farnsworth Cemetery in Wayne Co. IL

 

Janice Fitzgerald d/o James & Dorothy (Hughes) Fitzgerald

James Meckley husband of Connie Jones

A single anniversary: 

1664 Rev. James Fitch & Priscilla Mason in Norwich, CT.  James born 1622 in Bocking, England was the son of Thomas & Annie (Reve) Fitch.  The family immigrated to New England in 1638.  In 1646 James moved from Hartford, CT to Saybrook, CT where he served as the first minister.  He married 1) Abigail Whitfield in 1648 and they had six children.  He moved his family to Norwich, CT in 1660.  Priscilla the daughter of Captain John & Anne (Peck) Mason was born 1641 in Windsor, CT.   They had eight children.  Rev. James died 1702 in Lebanon, CT.

Grave inscription in Latin reportedly written by James’ son Jabez. ”In Hoc Sepulcro Depositae Sunt Reliquiae Viri Vere Reverendi D: Jacobi Fitch: Natus Fuit Apud Bocking in Comitatu Essexlae in Anglia, Anno Domino 1622 Decembr 24 Qui Post-Quam Linguis Literatis Optime Instructus Fuisset In Novangliam Venit Aetat. 16 Et Deinde Vitam Degit Harteordlae Per Sepennium Sub Institutione Virorum Ceeeberimorum D: Hooker Et D: Stone Postea Mtnere Passorali Functus Est Apud Saybrook Per Annos 14 Illinc Cum Ecckesiae Maiori Parte Norvicum Migravit Et Ibi Ceteros Vitae Annos Transegit In Opere Evangelico In Senectute Vero Prae Corporis Infirmitate Necessario Cessabat Ab Opere Publico : Tandemque Recessit Liberis Apud Lebanon Ubi Semianno Fere Exacto Obdormivit In Iesu Anno 1702 Novebr 18 Etat 80 Vir, Ingenii Acumine, Pondere Judicii, Prudentia Charitate, Sanctis Laboribus, Et Omnimoda Vitae Sanctitate Peritiaquoque Et Vi Concionandi Nulli Secundus.”

James Fitch Tombstone

Translated “In this grave are deposited the remains of that truley reverend man, Mr. James Fitch. He was born in Bocking, in the County of Essex, in England, the 24th day of December, in the year of our Lord 1622; who after he had been most excellently taught the learned languages came into New England at the age of sixteen, and then spent seven years under the instructions of those very famous men, Mr. Hooker and Mr. Stone. Afterwards he discharged the pastoral office fourteen years at Saybrook. Thence he removed with the major part of his Church to Norwich, where he spent the other years of his life in the work of the gospel.

In his old age indeed he was obliged to cease from his public labors by reason of bodily indisposition and at length retired to his children at Lebanon, where after spending nearly half a year, he slept in Jesus in the year 1702, on the 18th day of November, in the 80th year of his age. He was a man as to the smartness of his genius, the solidity of his judgement, his charity, holy labors, and every kind of purity of life, and also as to his skill and energy of preaching, inferior to none.”