|
Thirteen children:
2. Mary Sylvester Welles
3. Dr. Benjamin Welles
4. Theodosia Welles
5. Abigail Welles
6. Noah Welles, Jr.
7. Betsey Welles
8. Rebecca Welles
9. William Welles
10. Major Melancthon Woolsey Welles
11. Apollos Welles
12. John Welles
13. James Welles
The Rev. Dr. Noah Welles, of this town, was also educated at the same seminary, where he took the degree of A.B> in 1741; and was ordained over the First Church, December 31, 1746. In this station he continued till his death in 1776. Dr. Welles was early distinguished for his talents. His imagination was vivid and poetical, his intellect vigorous, and his learning extensive. His manners at the same time were an unusually happy compound of politeness and dignity. In his conversation he was alternatively sprightly and grave as occasion dictated, and entertaining and instructive. At the same time he was an excellent minister of the Gospel, exemplary in all the virtues of the Christian life, an able preacher, a wise ruler of the church, and an eminently discreet manager of its important concerns. He was one of the three chosen friends of the later Gov. Livingston, of New Jersey, to whom he addressed, when young, a handsomely written poem, prefixed to his Philosophic Solitude. He was appointed a tutor of Yale College in 1745, chosen one of the fellows in 1774, and died December 31, 1776, at the age of fifty-eight.
"By Noah Welles, who under the conduct of Divine Providence, was called to office by the church and society in said Stamford, and by ordination fixed inthe work of the gospel ministry there. The day of my ordination and solemn investiture according to divine institution, by fasting and prayer, with the imposition of the hands of the Presbytery, the elders of the churches of Christ in the Western Association of Fairfield County -- the Rev. Messrs. Noah Hobart, John Goodsel, Benjamin Strong, Jonathan Ingersol and Moses Mather -- was Dec. 31, 1746. "N.B. In the following records the year begins with the first day of January, being the day after my ordination." "At the head of our ministers, of which the town then only counted five, was that patriot and scholar, Dr. Noah Welles, who since his sermon preached Dec. 19, 1765, to arouse the people over the great outrage attempted against them by the Stamp Act, had missed no opportunity of encouraging his townsmen to a manly resistance against all such oppression; and who, though called to lay down his useful life even at the beginning of the struggle, yet lived long enough to preach his annual Thanksgiving sermon, Nov. 16, 1775. In that sermon, a manuscript copy of which is in my possession, he moved his people to a grateful commeroration of the goodness of their father's God, as shown them "in frustrating the plans of our enemies," especially in their attempts to secure the aid of the Canadians, and Indians and negroesp; in so signally preserving the lives of our exposed people; in granting the markable success attending our military enterprises at Lexington, Charlestown, and more lately to the north, in which, though "engaged with the best British troops," he assures them we were "yet never worsted;" and in inspiring the remarkable union and harmony throughout the colonies in the present struggle for liberty." -- Dwight's Travels, Vol. III, page 499. Edition of 1822, where Dr. Dwight has made the following record, which would be an ornament to the history of the Welles family: "The Rev. Dr. Noah Welles, of this town (Stamford, Conn.) was educated at the same seminary (Yale College), where he took the degree of A.B. in 1741, and was ordained over the first Church, December 31, 1746. In this station he continued till his death in 1776. Dr. Welles was early distinguished for his talents. His imagination was vivid and practical; his intellect vigorous; and his learning extensive. His manners at the same time were an unusually happy compound of politeness and dignity. In his conversation he was alternatively sprighly and grave, as occasion dictated; and entertained and instructive. At the same time he was an excellent minister of the gospel; exemplary in all the virtues of the Christian life; an able preacher; a wise ruler of the church; and an eminently discreet manager of its important concerns. He was one of the three chosen friends of the late Gov. Livingston, of New Jersey, to whom he addressed, when young, a handsomely written poem, prefixed to his philosophic solitude. He was appointed a tutor of Yale College in 1745, chosen one of the Fellows in 1774; received the degree of D.D. the same year from Princeton College; and died Dec. 31, 1776 at the age of 58.
1. Title A discourse delivered at Fairfield, at the funeral of the Rev. Noah Hobart
M.A. late Pastor of the First Church of Christ there; who departed this life
December 6th, 1773. In the 68th year of his age and 41st of his ministry.
2. Title Patriotism described and recommended, in a sermon preached before the
General Assembly of the colony of Connecticut, at Hartford, on the day of the
anniversary election, May 10th, 1764.
3. Title Animadversions, critical and candid, on some parts of Mr. Beach's late
"Friendly expostulation," in a letter, from a gentleman in New-England,
to his friend in Pennsylvania. : [Two lines from Terence]
4. Title The Divine right of Presbyterian ordination asserted, and the ministerial
authority, claimed and exercised in the established churches of New-England,
vindicated and proved: in a discourse delivered at Stanford [i.e., Stamford],
Lord's-Day, April 10, 1763.
5. Title The real advantages which ministers and people may enjoy especially
in the colonies, by conforming to the Church of England; faithfully considered,
and impartially represented, in a letter to a young gentleman.
6. Title A vindication of the validity and divine right of Presbyterian ordination,
as set forth in Dr. Chauncy's sermon at the Dudleian lecture, and Mr. Welle's
[sic] discourse upon the same subject, in answer to the exceptions of
Mr. Jeremiah Leaming, contained in his late Defence of the Episcopal government
of the church.
To contact
Mary S. Van Deusen:
|
25 Sep 1718, Colchester CT
This webpage created by