346 History of Hingham. 



prosperity of the schools and in the character of his native town. 

 His reports were well written, judicious, and practical. He was a 

 delegate to the convention in 1853 for revising the constitution of 

 Massachusetts. Of his ministry at Barnstable it has been said : 

 " It was marked by sobriety and an earnest desire to do good. He 

 was a good preacher and pastor, and had many deeply attached 

 friends. He was a fluent and easy writer, and his sermons were 

 such as to commend themselves to his hearers." Mr. Hersey died 

 in Hingham Sept. 23, 1877. 



Gershom Hobart [II. 335], son of Rev. Peter Hobart, was born 

 in Hingham, December, 1645. He was graduated at Harvard Col- 

 lege in 1667, in the same class with his brothers Japhet and Nche- 

 miah. After graduation he lived for a while in Hingham. "Hobart 

 accompanied, or soon followed, the settlers who, after the destruc- 

 tion of Groton by the Indians in 1676, returned in the spring of 

 1678," and he was ordained minister there Nov. 26, 1679, as suc- 

 cessor to Rev. Samuel Willard. His ministry was not harmonious. 

 About the year 1689 he appears to have left the town, the dissen- 

 sions having become so great. Although calls had been made to 

 others, he was, in 1690, and again in 1693, asked to return, and he 

 did so before 1694. When the Indians attacked Groton in 1694, 

 Mr. Hobart was preserved from falling into their hands, although 

 they took two of his children, killing one of them. He preached 

 in Groton until 1705, and resided there till his death, Dec. 19, 

 1707. 



Jeremiah Hobart [II. 335], the second son of Rev. Peter Ho- 

 bart, was born in England in 1631. He was graduated at Har- 

 vard College in 1650, in the class with his brother Joshua. After 

 preaching at Bass River, now Beverly, and at other places, he was 

 ordained at Topsfield, Mass., Oct. 2, 1672. His ministry there 

 " was far from being a smooth one," and he was dismissed Sept. 

 21, 1680. In 1683 he was called to Hempstead, Long Island, and 

 was installed Oct. 17, 1683. His labors were satisfactory, but 

 finding it difficult to collect his salary of <£70, he settled in Had- 

 dam, Conn., in 1691. Here again he found himself in the midst of 

 difficulties and controversies, arising from various causes, and his 

 ministry seems to have been far from " smooth." In 1714 Mr. 

 Phineas Fish was settled as his colleague, and " Nov. 6, 1715, being 

 the Lord's Day, he attended public worship in the forenoon, and 

 received the sacrament ; and during the intermission expired, sit- 

 ting in his chair." 



Joshua Hobart [II. 335] was the eldest son of Rev. Peter Hobart, 

 the first minister of Hingham, and came to Hingham with his father 

 in 1635. He was born in England in 1628, and was graduated at 

 Harvard College in 1650. His brother Jeremiah was of the same 

 class. The two brothers probably continued at the college till 

 December, 1651. They were employed successively as preachers 

 at Bass River, now Beverly, Mass. July 16, 1655, Joshua sailed 

 for Barbadoes, whence, having married, he went to London. He 



