THE TOWN OF EEDFORD. 41 



In 1681, the General Court, held at Hartford, instructed the com- 

 mittee then residing in Stamford, who had been appointed to lay out a 

 plantation at the hop ground, "to take care that there should be a suit- 

 able lot laid out for the first minister of the place, a lot for the minister 

 forever." 



The first minister of the Congregational society who preached in Bed- 

 ford was the Rev. John Prudden who, in 1675, the General Courts of 

 Connecticut ordered to resume his settlement in Rye. It would appear 

 that he came from where he had formerly preached for some time. In 

 the town we have this minute : 



"Dec. 2d, 1681. They agree to give Mr. priddon, of Gemeco, (Ja- 

 maica,) a call to be a minister in this place. Joseph Theale the chief 

 military officer of the train band of Bedford is chosen to goe to Mr. 

 priddon to declare theire mind in order to his coming among them as 

 above; and Abra. Ambler who was appointed by the Court at Hartford 

 to grant warrants to officers e witnesses, and to join persons in marriage, 

 is desired so write to Mr., priddon in theire name and behalf : " Mr. 

 Prudden accepted their invitation and came and preached for them 

 some time." 



Mr. Prudden was a son of the Rev. Peter Prudden, who came to 

 New Haven in company with the celebrated John Davenport and had 

 charge of the church in Westerfield, Conn., in 1638. John was born at 

 Milford, Conn., Nov. 9th, 1645, to which place his father had removed, 

 with a few of his congregation, in 1640, and began the settlement of 

 that town. He graduated at Harvard College in 1668, and was twenty- 

 five years of age when he came to Jamaica,"* March 6th, 1670. From 

 Jamaica he went to Rye in 1675, and came here as we have seen in 1681. 

 He subsequently returned to Jamaica, and "on the 23d of Aug., 1692, 

 received a call from the First Presbyterian Church of Newark, N. J., to 

 succeed Mr. Pierson, which he accepted. He continued minister of 

 this church until Jan. 9th, 1699, when for some cause, not now known, he 

 was dismissed. He died at Newark, Dec. nth, 1725. His epitaph is 



as follows : 



Here lies the body 



OF THE 



REV. MR. JOHN PRUDDEN 



minister of the Gospel, 



who departed this life 11 Dec. , 1725, 



Aged 80 Years. 



" He sustained a worthy character as a man of sense and religion, 

 though he does not appear to have been a popular preacher. His de- 

 ft Hist, of Presb. Ch. Jamaica, L. I., by Jas. M. Macdonald, p. 21. 



