Financial Since the year 1882, when the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society became associated with the Old Colony Branch of the Woman's Board of Missions of Boston, the members directly connected with Central Church have contributed these sums through their various organizations, to wit: the Ladies' Auxiliary, $4,228.00; the Willing Helpers, seniors and juniors, $1,185.00; miscellaneous, $258.91, making a grand total of $5,671.91. PASTORS Rev. Samuel Washburn THE first settled minister of the Central Church in Fall River was the Rev. Samuel Washburn, who was installed April 24, 1844. Mr. Washburn was a preacher of more than ordinary ability. He had a clear, pleasant voice, distinct utterance, and an easy flow of language. His tastes were cultivated and refined; his manners graceful and winning, with such a charm of conversation as made him a brilliant accession to any gathering of scholarly men. He was unusually gifted in his addresses to the Throne of Grace. President Stearns of Amherst, who preached his installation sermon, said of him, "It is no disparagement to his successors to say that he is a rare man, able, zealous, full-hearted, and devoted." His brother ministers characterized him as a preacher sound in faith, apt to teach, and exact in discipline. The early years under Mr. Washburn's administration were largely years of organization. As chairman of the committee, he prepared the first church manual, containing a List of Members, Ecclesiastical Principles and Rules, Confession of Faith, Covenant and Form of Admission to the Church. The Sabbath school took a more definite form at this time, coming under the care and support of the Church. The Church steadily increased, adding to its members, mostly those coming by letter, but some on confession of faith. Mr. Washburn was dismissed at his own repeated request, in January, 1849, having served the Church as pastor four years and eight months. He was afterwards settled over a church in Baltimore, where he remained a few years. He died in New York, September 15, 1853. MRS. HANNAH J. WASHBURN, wife of Rev. Samuel Wash burn, died March 23, 1845. Mrs. Washburn was a highly accomplished, intelligent, amiable, and devoted christian woman. She had traveled much abroad, and stored her mind with a fund of information, valuable to herself, and interesting and profitable to others. To her husband's flock she became strongly attached, and by them was most highly esteemed and loved. Her hand was ever open to the needy, and her heart to the afflicted. She had been in ill health for some time previous to her decease, suffering greatly at times. Her funeral services were held at the Central Church, and were conducted by Rev. Thomas Shepherd, of Bristol. She was buried at Andover, Mass. Rev. Eli Thurston, D.D. DR. THURSTON was born in Brighton, Mass., June 14, 1808. He spent the first five years of his life there, removing to Jamaica Plain in 1813. His father died in 1817, and at the age of nine and a half years he went to make his home with an uncle in Westboro; he remained there until his seventeenth year, when he removed to Millbury, Mass., to learn the trade of gunsmith in the government works. About this time, he entered upon a religious life, and soon felt himself called to the gospel ministry. With characteristic energy, he immediately began his preparations, commencing his studies at Day's Academy, Wrentham, then a popular school. Through untiring effort and aided by friends, he was graduated with honors at Amherst, in the class with Henry Ward Beecher, in 1834, later receiving the degree of doctor of divinity from his alma mater. The following year was passed at Andover Theological Seminary, after which he spent two years of study with Dr. Ide of West Medway, now Millis. During a part of this time, he supplied the pulpit at East Medway. Later, two years were |