Biographical Outlines on our Pastors
to 1920

	All information is from yearbooks of the Maine General Conference [of Congregational Churches], the National Council of Congregational Churches, and the General Council of Congregational Christian Churches, as found in Moulton Library at Bangor Seminary.
Rev. Jotham Sewall Rev. Alexander McLean
	Founding Ministers, 1805 Missionaries with the Massachusetts Missionary Society (Sewall later with the Maine Missionary Society). Jotham Sewall, shown at left, was born in York, Maine on January 1, 1760, the youngest child of Henry and Abigail Titcomb Sewall. He was ordained a missionary on June 18, 1800 with Rev. Alexander McLean of Bristol giving the charge. [From Memoir of Rev. Jotham Sewall of Chesterville, Maine, by his son Rev. Jotham Sewall, Boston, 1853.]
Rev. Josiah Tucker
	Born in Milton, Mass., 1791. Graduated from Andover Theological Seminary (now Andover Newton), 1819. Served with the Maine Missionary Society 1819-35 beginning with the Madison church. Served in Bingham 1836-41, and preached the dedicatory sermon for the Free Meeting House in 1836. Later moved to Ervingside (Orange), Mass., serving the church there till 1844. Returned to Maine in 1844 to serve once again with the Maine Missionary Society. Was Colporteur of the American Tract Society in Maine. Retired in 1852 to Taunton, Mass., his mental capacities failing; “continued to preach as he was able.” Died in a state hospital September 9, 1856.
Rev. Cyrus Stone
	Served in Bingham in the early 1840’s; later removed to Boston. No other information has yet been found.
Rev. Levi Loring
	Born in 1784; originally a schoolteacher. Taught for seventeen years until serving as assistant to the Rev. Paul Coffin at the Buxton church, beginning October 22, 1817. After Coffin’s death in 1821, Loring was sole pastor till 1835. Later served in Anson and Athens “six or seven years,” then three to four years as a home missionary in Cornville, Solon, Bingham and Madison. Moved to Massachusetts in 1846 and “for two or three years” preached in vacant churches in North Abington, Hingham and “other places.” Returned to Maine in 1851, supplying briefly in Acton and Shapleigh. Served as pastor at First Church in Biddeford (Pool) from 1851 to 1856. Retired to Athens in 1856 to live with his son; “continued to preach to destitute and feeble churches in that vicinity the gospel which he so firmly believed and so ardently loved to proclaim.” Died in Athens January 1, 1860, two days after suffering what was presumably a stroke.
Rev. Henry Smith
	Served in Bingham 1844-45; died in office. No other information available.
Rev. Sidney Turner
	Born in 1810; originally from the Portland area, and a mechanic by profession. Graduated from Bangor Theological Seminary in 1837. Took a leave of absence from active ministry for several years, “disturbed in respect to some of the essential doctrines of the gospel, but at length the truth seemed to be clearly revealed to him; and with re-doubled zeal and humility, did he renew the construction of himself to Christ, and to the advancement of His kingdom.” Preached in Sebago, New Gloucester, Westbrook, New Portland and Phillips between 1842 and 1845; 1846 in Flagstaff; and from 1847 to 1858 was pastor in Bingham, also preaching occasionally in Solon and Madison Mills (downtown Madison). “A man of feeble constitution, of warm and affectionate sympathies, a kind husband, neighbor and friend. As a Minister of the Gospel, his soul was in his work.” Turner kept no horse, hence walked all over the county to perform his duties; it was said “this did much to undermine his constitution and bring on the disease (consumption [tuberculosis] of which he died --- after being laid by from his labors for some months.” Died in Bingham May 30, 1859.
Rev. George W. Fargo
	Served in Bingham for a brief time after the Rev. Mr. Turner’s death. Graduated from Bangor Seminary; served in Solon and South Solon in addition to Bingham, and lived in South Solon for a time. No other information available.
Rev. George W. Hathaway
	Born in Freetown, Mass., Dec. 11, 1807. Graduated from Williams College, 1827; Andover Theological Seminary, 1830. Acting pastor in Canton, Mass., 1832; West Bridgewater, Mass., 1832-33. Ordained at Bloomfield (Skowhegan), Maine, 1833; apparently lived in Bloomfield for a number of years thereafter, though not as pastor of the church. Served as Representative to the Maine Legislature 1857, 1863-66. 1871; Superintendent of Schools for Somerset County, 1869-70. Married Mary Susannah Weston of Skowhegan in 1835; had eight children. Mary died in 1849; he married her sister, Anna Lucretia Locke, a year later. Was pastor in Grinnell, Iowa 1860-61; served as chaplain of the 19th Maine Regiment in the Civil War, 1863-65; later moved to California, pastoring the Compton, Calif., church 1877-82. Died in Los Angeles July 1, 1891 of “senile atrophy.”
Rev. J. Kendall Deering
	Supplied in Bingham 1863-65; later lived in Gilead. No other information available.
Rev. Henry O. Thayer
	Born in Paris, Maine, December 12, 1832. Ordained in Bingham July 26, 1866. Pastor in Bingham 1865-67; Woolwich 1867-89; Limington and East Baldwin, 1889-93; Gray, 1893-95. Later moved to New York and died in Jackson Heights, New York City, March 28, 1927 at the age of 94.
Rev. William H. Rand, M.D.
	Pastor in Bingham 1869-70. Ordained in 1872; later lived in North Hampton, N.H., and Lowell, Mass., serving as a physician. Last listed in 1892.
Rev. Albert Henry Thompson
	Born in Chelsea, Mass., January 27, 1849; graduated from Amherst College, 1879, and Yale Divinity School, 1875. Supplied in Georgetown, Mass., 1875-77; pastor in Bingham, 1877-79. Ordained in Bingham February 26, 1879. Later served in Cromwell, Iowa, 1879-80; Wakefield, N.H., 1880-88 (there wrote “The History of Carroll County”); Raymond, N.H., 1888-1916. Married to Arvilla Hardy Pitman, Lowell, Mass., January 13, 1885; three children. Died of angina, Raymond, N.H., January 29, 1916.
Rev. Thomas F. Millett
	Born September 8, 1835; ordained in the Free Baptist denomination, 1879, probably a graduate of Cobb Divinity School at Bates College (a Free Baptist seminary). Became a Congregationalist in 1885. Served in Bingham 1884-89; Eliot 1890-94. Died in Gorham March 31, 1927.
Rev. Gilbert Munro Hamilton
	Born Dundela, Ontario, December 30, 1862. Attended Bangor and Auburn (N.Y.) Seminaries. Ordained in Bingham October 2, 1891; pastor in Bingham, 1891-92; Northwood, N.H., 1893-95; Wakefield, N.H., 1895-1900; Richford, N.Y., 1900-04; Washington Mills Church, New York City, 1904-07; Summer Hill, N.Y., 1909-15; Java, N.Y., 1915-19; Westmoreland, N.Y., 1919-23. Died in Providence, R.I., July 1, 1957, at the age of 94.
Rev. James C. Gregory
	Born in Norwalk, Conn., April 14, 1861; graduated from Williams College, 1889; Andover Theological Seminary, 1892. Ordained in Farmington, Maine, September 27, 1892. Pastor in Bingham, 1892-1901; Gorham, Maine, 1901-05; Millinocket, 1905-07; East Millinocket (founding minister), 1909, while serving as a home missionary with the Maine Missionary Society (1907-10); Presque Isle, 1910-22; assistant pastor at Woodfords Church, Portland, 1926-30; Hampstead, N.H., 1930-33. Served as Secretary of Benevolence of the Maine Congregational Conference, 1922-26. Died at Hampstead, N.H., April 17, 1933.
Rev. George F. Wright
	Born in Stoughton, Mass., August 26, 1834. Attended the Revere Lay College, Revere, Mass.; also Meadville Theological Seminary and Harvard Divinity School. Ordained July 14, 1875 at East Dennis, Mass. Pastor in Halifax, Mass., 1873-74; East Dennis, 1875-76; Northwood, N.H., 1876-77; Riverpoint Church, West Warwick, R.I., 1877-80; Tyngsborough, Mass., 1881-82; Scotland, Conn., 1882-85; Gorham and Randolph, N.H., 1885-88; North New Portland, Maine, 1888-1903; Bingham, 1901-02; Scotland, Conn. (again), 1903-05; Grassy Hill Church, Lyme, Conn., 1906-08. Married Miriam Fuller of South Walpole, Mass., August 22, 1859; four children. Died of a stroke in Bingham, February 23, 1908.
Rev. William A. Richmond
	Born in Trowbridge, Wiltshire, England, May 23, 1867; graduated from Bangor Seminary 1900. Ordained at Freedom, Maine, July 26, 1900; Pastor in Freedom 1900-03; Bingham, 1903-08; Fort Fairfield, 1908-16; Gorham, N.H., 1916-20; Bridgton, 1920-29; Yarmouth, 1929-42; South Bridgton, 1942-44. Married Georgia Colby of Bingham, 1908; 1 son, Colby Harrison. Died in Naples, Maine, August 22, 1948.
Rev. Thomas Burton Hatt
	Born in Robbinston, April 26, 1865; attended the Revere Lay College. Ordained in Caratunk June 3, 1896. Pastor in Caratunk and West Forks, 1895-96; East Madison, 1896-1901; Jonesport, 1901-05; North Anson, 1905-09; Bingham, 1909-20; Island Falls, 1920-24; Dixfield, 1924-41; Hampden, 1931-36. Died at Hampden, November 28, 1936.
Rev. Charles Wilbur Robinson
	Born in Fitchburg, Mass., August 10, 1871; graduated from the Boston University School of Theology, 1896. Ordained in Dawson, N.D., January 18, 1901. Pastor, Dawson and Tappan, N.D., 1900-01; First and Bethel churches, Lakota, N.D., 1901-03; Ashton and Athol, S.D., 1903-05; Stonington, Me., 1905-09; Southwest Harbor, 1909-12; Brownville, 1912-18; South Gardiner and Pittston, 1918-20; Bingham and Solon, 1920-22; Andover, 1922-25; Bethany Church, South Portland, 1926-27. Died in South Portland, January 19, 1932.

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