Rev. Elias Hutchins of New Portland, Maine

This is one of many of  the biographical sketches I plan to post to this list on Free Will Baptist minister from ME, VT, & NH
(Copy from  "Free Baptist Cyclopaedia"  Historical & Biographical  by  Rev G. A. Burgess. A. M. & Rev. J. T. Ward, A.M.   Free Baptist Cyclopaedia Co. 1889, page 283-284 

More to follow I hope!!  Some will  illustrations.  
For an illustraction of Rev. Elias Hutchins of New Portland, Maine  (size 76k) see
http://files.usgwarchives.net/me/somerset/newportland/ministers/hutchins.gif




                                                          283                 HUTCHINS
Hutchins, Rev. Elias, was  born in New 
Portland, Me on 5 June 1801. He was 
converted there in the fall of 1818,
and was baptized by his uncle, Rev. 
Samuel Hutchins, joining  with the 
first church. Feeling no great ecstasy 
in his religious life, he at one time requested 
that his name be erased from the church roll. 
After some misgivings he yielded to a call to 
preach, and 8 Jan 1823, he was licensed by the 
Farmington, Q. M. at Vienna. He preached 
a few times at the age of eighteen; he now 
began in earnest the work of proclaiming 
Christ. Purchasing a horse and saddle, he 
entered upon an itinerant ministry of two years in the
Farmington  and Edgecomb,   Q. M's.
Feb. 1, 1824, he was ordained at Wilton
as an evangelist.  In November, 1826,
he set out on a two years' tour among the
churches in Ohio and Indiana.       The
principal field of his labors was in Marion,
Clark, and Warren Counties, O., and in
Dearborn and Switzerland Counties, Ind.
The churches were encouraged and a
goodly member of souls saved.  In the
fall Of 1828 he had an extensive revival
in Sandwich, N. H., which continued
through the winter.
The Winter Of 1829 he spent among
our people in North Carolina.  Many of
the slaves flocked to hear him preach.
In the summer of 183o he went to Ohio
and Indiana, and remained there till lie
returned to New England, in the autumn
of 1831, to spend a year in New Hampshire
and Maine.  When his life -was
despaired of in the winter of 1831, it
seemed that God raised him up in answer.
to prayer.   In the fall of I832 he re-
turned to 'North Carolina, accompanied
by his wife, having the previous summer
married Miss Lucy Ambrose, of  Sandwich, NH. 
They were joyfully received, and he was 
offered a house and slave with which 
to make a home.  The offer was declined, 
and he returned to the North and soon closed 
his itinerant labors.


                                                   HUTCHINS                       284

In October, 1833, He became pastor of
the church in North Providence., R. 1.
In April, 1838, he resigned this charge
and assisted the Rev.  Nathaniel Thurston 
in pastoral work at Lowell, Mass.,
until August.      he then settled at Hampton, NH, 
till May , 1840, when he entered upon
a five years' pastorate at  New Market. 
In 1841 he, was elected
corresponding secretary of the Foreign
Mission Society, and held the office till
his death.      There about this time        his
wife died, leaving a daughter a month old.
In May, 1845, he accepted a call to the
Washington Street church in Dover,
N. H., and for a time he edited tbe "Myrtle"
and the, "Gospel Rill".      Dec. 26, 1846, he
married Mrs. Marilla, Marks, the Widow
of  Rev. David Marks.        He continued his
connection as pastor of this church till
in March, 1858, lie was seized with a
severe nervous fever, from which he
never completely recovered.         Each time
he rallied he was prostrated with greater
severity.    Rest at the place of his early
life accomplished little.  July 15, 1859,
he was present at the dedication of the
Maine State Seminary, and on his return
to Dover sank- rapidly, and (died Sept. 11,
1859.
He died as he lived, a sweet, loving
 example of Christian trust.  The heathen
 and the slave found a firm friend ill him.
 He represented Ohio in the Second Gen-
 eral Conference, and was a member of
 the committee on an itinerant ministry.
 He afterwards wrote an able article in
the Morning Star on, " The Necessity of
an Itinerant Ministry."      He served the
General Conference in 1835, and 1850 on
the committee on correspondence. 
    In 1842 he was president of the Home
Mission Society, and in 1848-52 of the
Education Society; in 1840-41 of the
Sunday-School Union.        He was a trustee
eleven years and corporator twenty-four
years of the Printing Establishment.


(Copy from  "Free Baptist Cyclopaedia"  Historical & Biographical  by  Rev G. A. Burgess. A. M. & Rev. J. T. Ward, A.M.   Free Baptist Cyclopaedia Co. 1889, page 283-284) 

David C. Young
PO Box 152
Danville, Maine 04223

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