5 



1 819. His mother was a daughter of Capt. John 

 Potter, a man of great stature, a revolutionary soldier, 

 and a Paymaster at Valley Forge. Often would he 

 tell to his eager listening children and grandchildren, 

 the story of the sufferings of the patriotic men who 

 paraded on the frozen ground with bare and bleeding 

 feet. His father, a native of North Brookfield, Mas- 

 sachusetts, was one of four sons, of whom Hervey 

 was graduated at Brown University with the valedic- 

 tory honors of his class. He himself was fitted for 

 the medical profession, studying at the academies of 

 Woodstock and Leicester, and afterwards with the 

 celebrated Doct. John Green of Worcester. Upon 

 the completion of his studies he commenced practice 

 in West Boylston, teaching school during the winter 

 months, as was the custom with professional men of 

 limited incomes. During a revival of religion that 

 swept over all that section of the country both father 

 and mother were converted, embracing the senti- 

 ments of the Baptists. This they did upon a careful 

 and independent study of the New Testament in 

 reference to church polity, there being no Baptist 

 church or preacher in the neighborhood. In conse- 

 quence of this change in their religious views, the 

 good Doctor lost his practice, the prevailing sen- 

 timents of the people around him being those of the 

 "Standing Order." He was compelled, therefore, 

 to seek a livelihood elsewhere. 



About twenty-five miles distant in the southern 

 part of the county bordering on Connecticut, was a 

 small township that had been set off from Stur- 



