Medfield, Mass. First Parish Unitarian Church
Collection History
Please note that as of January 2022, the Medfield, Massachusetts. First Parish Unitarian Church records, 1697-1880, and all future digital collections are now hosted on the library's new digital archive.
The First Parish Church in Medfield dates back to the beginning of the town itself in 1651, when settlers from Dedham and Braintree, Mass. requested the incorporation of a new town by the General Court. They founded the Medfield Church of Christ in the same year, calling Rev. John Wilson as their first pastor. The second minister was Rev. Joseph Baxter, a Harvard graduate and native of Braintree, Massachusetts, who served from 1697-1745. During his ministry the church membership grew from 65 to 375, and a second meeting house was constructed in 1706.
During the pastorate of the fourth minister Rev. Thomas Prentiss, which lasted from 1770-1814, a third meetinghouse was built, dating to 1789. As of 2019, a heavily remodeled version of this building is still standing, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1809 the inside of the church was refurbished, with seats in the body of the meeting house being taken up and replaced with pews, as well as the creation of a segregated gallery seating area.
In 1813 the town and the parish began to be legally separated. The members of the church incorporated as The First Parish. In 1816 the trustees of the Medfield Ministerial Fund, Inc. were granted a charter and by-laws by the General Court. The first Sunday school was organized in 1818, officiated entirely by women, with the wife of Rev. Thomas Prentiss playing an active role in its administration.
In 1827 a group of members of the First Parish petitioned for permission to withdraw from the First Parish, which was becoming increasingly Unitarian, in order to form an Orthodox church. An ecclesiastical council was called and granted their request. The Orthodox Church of Medfield was organized officially on February 6, 1828 with 17 total members, and is still active today as the United Church of Christ in Medfield.
The original First Parish church was subsequently known as the First Parish Unitarian church from 1828 onwards. The meeting house was extensively remodeled again in 1839, including a complete reorientation of the front of the building from east to south, and the construction of a larger spire. During the hurricane of 1938, the taller spire which had been added when the building was remodeled in 1839 was destroyed, and remains un-replaced. By the 1970s the congregation had diminished to 10 members and was in danger of dissolution. Growth increased in the following decades, however, to the extent that the Unitarian Universalist Association granted the church an award in recognition of their revitalization. The First Parish UU of Medfield continues to serve the community in Medfield today.
For additional information, please see the finding aid.
Digital Materials
This bound volume contains the administrative records of the church as well as the vital records of the church's members. The volume contains meeting minutes, records of important votes, marriage records, baptismal records, necrologies, lists of admitted members and founding documents such as the church covenant.
These loose records include legal documents such as deeds, documents relating to the office of the ministry, correspondence of various kinds, and meeting minutes.
| 1709 | from Rev. Joseph Baxter | to the First Parish in Medfield | correspondence regarding Rev. Baxter's dissatisfaction with his ministry |
| 1731 September 3 | by the town of Medfield | to Joseph Baxter | deed granting land |
| 1742 May 19 | town meeting minutes | ||
| 1762 May 19 | from John Fisher | to John Baxter | deed granting land |
| 1748 | ecclesiastical council minutes | ||
| 1770 August 26 | from Rev. Thomas Prentiss | to the Church of Christ in Medfield | correspondence with acceptance of ministerial call |
| 1770 October 1 | church meeting minutes | ||
| circa 1770 | from Rev. Thomas Prentiss | to the Church of Christ in Medfield | correspondence with acceptance of ministerial call |
| 1788 August 30 | from David Whitmarsh Jr. | to Nathaniel Bosworth | deed granting land |
| 1812 | from "N.B." | to "Captain Turner" | personal correspondence in which the writer details their provision of the sloop Experiment with a barrel of sweet potatoes and provides instructions for cooking them. |
| 1813 May 7 | church meeting minutes | ||
| 1817-1860 | church meeting minutes | ||
| 1840 March 9 | parish meeting minutes | ||
| 1840 April 13 | parish meeting minutes | ||
| 1842 March 12 | from Jonathan Bishop (Justice of the Peace) | to members of the Congregational Society in Medfield | court summons |
| undated | from Thomas Baxter | to John Baxter | correspondence [fragmentary] |
| undated | unattributed sermon [fragmentary] |
These records consist relations of faith by parishioners seeking to join the church in Medfield. The documents are organized alphabetically by last name. In some cases, female parishioners are identified only under their husband's name.
| Allen, Aaron | relation | 1739 July 19 |
| Allen, Eleazer (wife of) | relation | 1726 April 3 |
| Allen, Joseph (wife of) | relation | 1731 July 11 |
| Allen, Patience | relation | 1788 April 13 |
| Adams, Jeremiah (wife of) | relation | 1720 June 26 |
| Bullard, Eleazer | relation | undated |
| Bullard, Josiah (wife of) | relation | 1739 July 29 |
| Bullard, Ebenezer | relation | 1738 August 20 |
| Bullard, Ebenezer (wife of) | relation | 1742 July 18 |
| Bullen, Keziah | relation | 1741 December 6 |
| Clap, Stephen (wife of) | relation | 1729 June 8 |
| Clark, Mehetabel | relation | 1742 July 18 |
| Clark, Phebe | relation | 1741/2 January 31 |
| Clark, Rowland | relation | 1742 March 28 |
| Clark, Ruth | relation | 1720/1 February 26 |
| Clark, Sarah | relation | 1727 February 18 |
| Cook, Nathan | relation | 1742 July 18 |
| "Leutenant Dwight" (wife of) | relation | 1714/5 January 16 |
| Fales, Peter | relation | 1704/5 April 9 |
| Fales, Peter | relation | 1725 December 26 |
| Fisher, Josiah (wife of) | relation | 1742/3 January 2 |
| Fisher, John (wife of) | relation | 1738 July 2 |
| Harding, Abraham | relation | undated |
| Kingsberry, Samuel (wife of) | relation | 1724 October 24 |
| Lovel, Alexander | relation | 1731 March 14 |
| Lovel, Hannah | relation | 1727 May 14 |
| Lovel, Hope | relation | 1741/2 January 3 |
| Lovel, Lydia | relation | 1728 April 21 |
| Lovel, Nathaniel | relation | 1711 April 8 |
| Morse, Nathaniel | relation | 1733 June 17 |
| Mason, Abigail | relation | 1735/6 February 1 |
| Mason, Joseph | relation | 1742 September 26 |
| Partridg, Elizabeth | relation | undated |
| Partridge, Samuel (wife of) | relation | 1706 May 5 |
| Partridge, William Jr. | relation | 1728 March 31 |
| Partridge, William Sr. | relation | 1727/8 February 4 |
| Plimpton, Benjamin | relation | undated |
| Plimpton, William (wife of) | relation | 1730 May 17 |
| Rocket, Josiah | relation | 1697 September 12 |
| Rocket, Mary | relation | 1697 August 1 |
| Sparhawk, Timothy | relation | 1742 March 28 |
| Thurston, Joseph | relation | 1737/8 March 3 |
| Wight, Mercy | relation | 1743/4 February 19 |
| unknown | relation | 1766 February 9 |
| unknown | relation | 1693 July 17 |
These loose documents relate to individual parishioners, and include letters regarding dismissals, admonitions, and excommunication of Medfield church members.
| 1713 December 4 | Baxter, Rebekah | notice of death [copy] |
| 1775 March 17 | Parkman, Lydia | request for dismission from the Church of Christ in Medfield |
| 1801 | Boyden, Joseph | admonition |
| 1801 November 21 | Boyden, Joseph | reply to admonition |
| 1802 February 14 | Boyden, Joseph | admonition (2nd) |
| 1802 August 8 | Boyden, Joseph | excommunication |
| 1810 June 9 | Peplow, Hannah | request for dismission |
| 1813 May 7 | Smith, Sarah | admonition |
| undated | Clark, Abigail | letter of recommendation by Walpole Church |
This collection consists of loose financial records relating both to the church and its parishioners, including receipts, lists of subscribers, and a fragment of a will.
| 1725 November 17 | from Rev. Joseph Baxter | to Samuel Sewall | receipt |
| 1744 October 10 | from Rev. Joseph Baxter | to the town of Medfield | letter with calculations for salary |
| 1753 February 2 | by Edward Davis | to John Baxtor | receipt |
| 1765 October 28 | by John Fisher | to John Baxter | receipt |
| 1832 | by Jonathan Fiske | Heirs of John Baxter | receipt |
| undated | lists of subscribers for payments toward the spire of Unitarian Meetinghouse | ||
| undated | lists of subscribers for payments toward the purchasing of an organ for First Congregational Meetinghouse in Medfield | ||
| undated | by John Baxter | to his heirs | will of John Baxter [fragment] |
This collection of loose documents consists of manuscript sermons, unattributed but written largely in the same hand. The sermon dates align with the ministry of Rev. Jonathan Townsend (1745-1776) and it is likely that he is the primary author. Verse text, dates of preaching, and place of preaching are ennumerated below.
- Matthew 4:7 – "Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God..."
first preached at Medfield, 24 February 1744/5 - Psalms 116:4 – "Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul..."
first preached at Medfield, 29 June 1746 - James 4:13-14 – "Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain..."
first preached at Medfield, 3 January 1747/8 - James 4:15 – "For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that..."
first preached at Medfield, 3 January 1747/8 - Amos 2:4-5 – "Thus saith the Lord; For three transgressions of Judah, and for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have despised the law of the Lord, and have not kept his commandments, and their lies caused them to err, after the which their fathers have walked..."
first preached at Medfield, 28 January 1747/8 - James 3:15 – "This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish..."
first preached at Medfield, 17 May 1747 - Mark 6:3 – "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon?"
first preached at Medfield, 22 May 1748 - Deuteronomy 32:5 – "They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation..."
first preached at Medfield, 25 June 1750 - James 1:21 – "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls..."
first preached at Medfield, 5 August 1750 - James 1:21 – "Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls..."
first preached at Medfield, 12 August 1750 - James 3:17-18 – "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy..."
first preached at Medfield, 15 March 1752 - Proverbs 22:17-22 – "Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge..."
first preached Medfield, 28 June 1752 - Matthew 13:36-44 – "Then Jesus sent the multitude away, and went into the house: and his disciples came unto him, saying, Declare unto us the parable of the tares of the field..."
first preached at Medfield, 21 January 1753 - James 1:27 – "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world..."
first preached at Medfield, 12 August 1753 - James 1:27 – "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world..."
first preached at Medfield, 12 August 1753 - James 4:8
first preached at Medfield, 31 March 1754 - James 5:12 – "But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation..."
first preached at Medfield, 29 June 1755 - James 5:12 – "But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation..."
first preached at Medfield, 13 July 1755 - Romans 10:9-10 – "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved..."
first preached at Medfield, 25 January 1756 - Exodus 20:8-11 – "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy...""
first preached at Roxbury, 1 February 1756 - Amos 4:7-8 – "And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest..."
first preached 20 June 1756 - 1 Peter 5:7 – "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you..."
first preached 14 November 1756 - Psalms 103:19 – "The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all..."
first preached at Roxbury, 13 March 1757 - James 5:7 – "Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord..."
first preached at Medfield, 12 June 1757 - Romans 2:13 – "For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified..."
first preached October 1757 - Luke 2:10-11 – "And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people..."
first preached at Roxbury, 25 December 1757 - James 1:12 – "Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him..."
first preached 8 January 1758 - Matthew 22:1-14
first preached at Roxbury, 18 March 1759 - Joshua 1:7-8 – "Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper withersoever thou goest..."
first preached at Medfield, 27 May 1759 - James 4:6 – "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble..."
first preached at Medfield, 19 August 1759 - 1 Corinthians 15:58 - "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord..."
first preached at Roxbury, 23 September 1759 - James 4:4 - "...know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God..."
first preached at Medfield, 25 November 1759 - James 4:4 - "...know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God..."
first preached at Medfield, 25 November 1759
Church correspondence, 1776-1817
These loose documents consist of official correspondence both to and from the church in Medfield, largely constituting letters of invitation to ecclesiastical councils and the ordinations of new ministers.
| 1745 October 22 | from the Church of Christ in Needham | to the Church of Christ in Medfield | parishioner transfer of Jonathan Townsend |
| 1776 June 4 | from the Church of Christ in the 2nd precinct in Dedham | to the Church of Christ in Medfield | invitation to ecclesiastical council for ordination |
| 1779 August 13 | from the Church of Christ in Pepperell | to the Church of Christ in Medfield | invitation to ecclesiastical council for ordination |
| 1780 May 24 | from the Second Church of Christ in Dedham | to the Church of Christ in Medfield | invitation to ecclesiastical council for ordination |
| 1787 September 19 | from the First Church of Christ in Hingham | to the Church of Christ in Medfield | invitation to ecclesiastical council for ordination |
| 1797 May 2 | from the Congregational Society in Wrentham | to the Church of Christ in Medfield | invitation to ecclesiastical council for ordination |
| 1799 December 14 | from the Church of Christ in Walpole | to the Congregational Church in Medfield | parishioner transfer of Sarah Adams |
| 1808 August 10 | from the First Church of Christ in Medway | to the Church of Christ in Medfield | invitation to ecclesiastical council |
| 1808 December 20 | from the Church of Christ in Upton | to the Church of Christ in Medfield | invitation to ecclesiastical council |
| 1817 February 5 | from the Church of Christ in Sudbury | to the Church of Christ in Medfield | invitation to ecclesiastical council for ordination |
| 1817 March 17 | from the Second Congregational Society in Charlestown | to the Church of Christ in Medfield | invitation to ecclesiastical council for ordination |
| undated | from the First Church of Christ in Medway | to the Church of Christ in Medfield | parishioner transfer of James Bryden |
This collection of prayer requests likely dates to the 17th-18th centuries, with the names of parishioners making the request and a brief description of the desired prayer. They include prayers for safe passage, protection of relatives during military service, bolstering of personal faith, and sanctification of deaths occurring in the family.
Special Thanks
These digital resources have been made possible in part by the Council on Library and Information Resources, through a Digitizing Hidden Collections grant.
Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this resource do not necessarily represent those of the Council on Library and Information Resources.
