Native Ministers. 345 



Scituate June 14, 1704. He was a leader among the neighboring 

 clergy, — well acquainted with the constitution and usages of the 

 churches, weighty in counsel, and often called to distant parts of 

 the State and to other States on ecclesiastical councils. He as- 

 sisted in the embodiment of the church in the South Parish in 

 Hingham, Nov. 20, 1746. As a preacher there is reason to be- 

 lieve that he did not so much excel as in his dignity of character 

 and soundness of understanding. He preached the election ser- 

 mon in 1743. His sentiments were the moderate Calvinism of 

 that day, closely bordering on Arminianism, though in the latter 

 part of his life he continued to speak of Arminian free-will as an 

 error, but with no asperity. He died August 25, 1750. 



Samuel French [II. 235], son of Samuel and Bathsheba (Beal) 

 French, was born in Hingham, July 13, 1729. He was graduated 

 at Harvard College in 1748, and studied divinity. He is repre- 

 sented as an excellent scholar and an amiable man. He died 

 May 21, 1752, in the twenty-third year of his age. 



Calvin Gardner [II. 251] was the son of Samuel and Chloe 

 (Whiton) Gardner, and was born in Hingham, Aug. 29, 1798. 

 He did not receive a college education, but was a good scholar, 

 and esteemed for ability and integrity. He was first settled in 

 the ministry over the Universalist church in Charlestown, Mass., 

 in June, 1825, and he remained there until December, 1826. After 

 two short settlements in other places he became the pastor of the 

 Universalist church in Waterville, Me., in 1833, and for twenty 

 vears, until 1853, he held that position. He was twice married, — 

 first, to Mary Whiting [III. 301], of Hingham, Dec. 26, 1825. 

 She died Sept. 2, 1832. He married for bis second wife Julia Ann 

 Hasty, of Waterville, Me., June 30, 1834. Mr. Gardner was a man 

 of fine character, who will always be affectionately remembered 

 in Waterville. He died there March 22, 1865. 



Henry Hersey [II. 313] was the son of Capt. Laban and Celia 

 (Barnes) Hersey, and was born in Hingham, Aug. 16, 1796. His 

 early education was obtained in the public schools of Hingham 

 and in Derby Academy. He fitted for college under the tuition 

 of Rev. Joseph Richardson of this town, and was graduated at 

 Brown University in 1820. He pursued his theological studies at 

 the Harvard Divinity School, where he spent the usual term of 

 three years to qualify himself for the ministry, receiving his de- 

 gree in 1823. In 1824 Mr. Hersey received a call to settle as 

 pastor of the Congregational Church and Society in the East Pre- 

 cinct of Barnstable, which he accepted, and was ordained Oct. 6, 

 1824. There he remained in the faithful discharge of his duty 

 for nearly eleven years, when the state of his health compelled 

 him to ask for his dismissal, which was granted. He left Barn- 

 stable in May, 1835. On leaving the ministry, which he did not 

 again resume, he retired to his home in this town, where he spent 

 the remainder of his days. He served as chairman of the school 

 committee here for several years, with a warm interest in the 



