This is the gravestone of Deacon Jonas Mead. He was born in Greenwich on April 13, 1784 and died in town on August 2, 1871.
His epitaph reads:
How blest the righteous when he dies
When sinks his weary soul to rest
How mildly beam the closing eyes
How gently heaves the expiring breast.
Many of my neighbors, family members and readers know that I founded a non-profit, The Historic Mead Family Burying Grounds Association, Inc. The Association maintains and preserves three small ancestral family cemeteries in Greenwich. It also preserves and disseminates histories of these sites and others where family ancestors are interred.
In 2009 I set up a YouTube channel for the Association. Go to this link for a short movie presentation I created and uploaded on Deacon Jonas Mead. The script of a tribute to him are include and reposted below.
Deacon Jonas Mead was a farmer who lived along the coastline in the Byram section of Greenwich. He was active in the temperance movement, a deacon in the Second Congregational Church and an ardent abolitionist who was a conductor on the Underground Railroad. He was a vice-president of the Fairfield Anti-Slavery Society and entertained noted abolitionist's including Dr. Erasmus Hudson, an agent for the state anti-slavery society, at his Greenwich farm. When the Liberty Party of Connecticut was formed in 1841, Deacon Jonas ran for the State Senate. He ran again for office in 1847. Despite being 77 years old when the Civil War erupted, it is noted in the history of the Fairfield County Anti-Slavery Society that he lived long enough to witness the end of slavery in America.
A Tribute: Deacon Jonas Mead
Second Congregational Church, Greenwich, Connecticut:
Thursday, January 11, 1872
At a meeting of the Church duly notified from the pulpit held in the Lecture Room this evening, Rev. Horace James, Moderator, on motion of Deacon P. Button the following Memorial of the late Deacon Jonas Mead was unanimously adopted and ordered on the minutes:
Whereas in the appointment of a permanent Clerk in the place of Deacon Jonas Mead, deceased it seems eminently proper that we should enter on the records of the church a testimonial of our appreciation of the Christian character and long and faithful services of our departed Brother.
Therefore resolved that while we mourn his removal from us by death yet feeling sure that our loss is his infinite gain we cheerfully acquiesce in the Divine Will, and would express our devout gratitude to God for his goodness to this Church in giving to our departed Brother the grace and strength which enabled him so wisely, so faithfully and so long to labor for the good of the church and for the glory of Christ in the salvation of men.
Resolved, that we have great occasion to rejoice in and to be grateful for, a Christian life hallowed and made sweet and precious to our hearts as we remember our beloved Brother in the various relations which he sustained to this church and which are embraced in part in the following record.
He united with this Church at the age of thirty years July 31, 1814 devoting himself to a life of Christian labor in the early vigor of manhood. He was made Deacon nine years afterwards in 1823, and about the same time took charge of the books of the Church as stated Clerk.
He was for many years Superintendent of the Sunday School, and served in it as a faithful teacher until the very close of life performing the duties of teacher, Clerk and Deacon for about half a century. During this long period he was in almost constant service as our delegate to other religious bodies or as the most efficient worker on committees to plan and labor for the discipline efficiency and spirituality of this church with which he was in
Covenant so long.
The record of his life will show that instantaneous obedience at whatever personal sacrifice to every call of duty from the Church from suffering humanity from Providence or the word of God was his eminent characteristic and when the Master called him from the Church below he was equally ready for the higher duties of the Church above.
The call came August 2, 1871 when he was fully ripe, being in his 88th year, and we buried him with the prayer and in the hope that we may through grace like him strive to be faithful here and be counted worthy to join him in his duties there.
On motion of Dea. Button, L.P. Hubbard was elected Clerk of the Church to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Dea. Jonas Mead. On motion of Dea. James H. Knapp Mr. Benjamin Wright was unanimously elected Assistant Clerk.
A communication was presented by the Moderator inviting the Church to be represented at a meeting of the Conference of Congregational Churches of Brooklyn, New York and vicinity to be held in Plymouth Church (Rev. H. W. Beechers) on Thursday the 18th inst. at 3 PM. L. P. Hubbard, Dea. Moses Cristy, Sanford Mead, William C. Churchill, Shadrach M. Brush and Joseph G. Mead were appointed Delegates to accompany the Pastor to said meeting.
Adjourned., L.P. Hubbard, Clerk
Second Congregational Church, Greenwich, Connecticut:
Thursday, January 11, 1872
At a meeting of the Church duly notified from the pulpit held in the Lecture Room this evening, Rev. Horace James, Moderator, on motion of Deacon P. Button the following Memorial of the late Deacon Jonas Mead was unanimously adopted and ordered on the minutes:
Whereas in the appointment of a permanent Clerk in the place of Deacon Jonas Mead, deceased it seems eminently proper that we should enter on the records of the church a testimonial of our appreciation of the Christian character and long and faithful services of our departed Brother.
Therefore resolved that while we mourn his removal from us by death yet feeling sure that our loss is his infinite gain we cheerfully acquiesce in the Divine Will, and would express our devout gratitude to God for his goodness to this Church in giving to our departed Brother the grace and strength which enabled him so wisely, so faithfully and so long to labor for the good of the church and for the glory of Christ in the salvation of men.
Resolved, that we have great occasion to rejoice in and to be grateful for, a Christian life hallowed and made sweet and precious to our hearts as we remember our beloved Brother in the various relations which he sustained to this church and which are embraced in part in the following record.
He united with this Church at the age of thirty years July 31, 1814 devoting himself to a life of Christian labor in the early vigor of manhood. He was made Deacon nine years afterwards in 1823, and about the same time took charge of the books of the Church as stated Clerk.
He was for many years Superintendent of the Sunday School, and served in it as a faithful teacher until the very close of life performing the duties of teacher, Clerk and Deacon for about half a century. During this long period he was in almost constant service as our delegate to other religious bodies or as the most efficient worker on committees to plan and labor for the discipline efficiency and spirituality of this church with which he was in
Covenant so long.
The record of his life will show that instantaneous obedience at whatever personal sacrifice to every call of duty from the Church from suffering humanity from Providence or the word of God was his eminent characteristic and when the Master called him from the Church below he was equally ready for the higher duties of the Church above.
The call came August 2, 1871 when he was fully ripe, being in his 88th year, and we buried him with the prayer and in the hope that we may through grace like him strive to be faithful here and be counted worthy to join him in his duties there.
On motion of Dea. Button, L.P. Hubbard was elected Clerk of the Church to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Dea. Jonas Mead. On motion of Dea. James H. Knapp Mr. Benjamin Wright was unanimously elected Assistant Clerk.
A communication was presented by the Moderator inviting the Church to be represented at a meeting of the Conference of Congregational Churches of Brooklyn, New York and vicinity to be held in Plymouth Church (Rev. H. W. Beechers) on Thursday the 18th inst. at 3 PM. L. P. Hubbard, Dea. Moses Cristy, Sanford Mead, William C. Churchill, Shadrach M. Brush and Joseph G. Mead were appointed Delegates to accompany the Pastor to said meeting.
Adjourned., L.P. Hubbard, Clerk
No comments:
Post a Comment