Rev. James Keith

1643-1719 · Scotland

Born 1643, Scotland

Died 1719

Children include Samuel

James Keith was a Scot. Mitchell's history of Bridgewater calls him "a Scotchman" who "was educated at Aberdeen, in Scotland." He is placed at Marischal College, Aberdeen, in 1657. Marischal College was one of the two university colleges of Aberdeen. He was born about 1643, by his age at death. His parents are not known.

He came over in 1662, at about eighteen. Increase Mather is said to have introduced him to the people of Bridgewater. In February 1664 he was ordained as the town's first minister. Ordination was the service by which a gathered church set its minister over it. Mitchell passes on a story about his beginning: "It is said that his first sermon was delivered from a rock in Mill Pasture, so called, near the river."

He married Susanna Edson, a daughter of his own deacon, Samuel Edson. Mitchell lists their children as James, Joseph, Samuel, Timothy, John, Josiah, Margaret, Mary and Susanna. Samuel was born in 1676. The Bridgewater book enters him, from his stone, as "s. Rev. James and Susanna". Three of the sons married three daughters of Deacon Edward Fobes. Joseph married Elizabeth, Samuel married Bethiah in 1703, and Timothy married Hannah in 1710.

After Susanna's death he married again. In 1707 he took a second wife, Mary, the widow of Thomas Williams of Taunton.

He was the town's minister for fifty six years. He died on 23 July 1719, aged seventy six. The Bridgewater death record, taken from his stone, adds that he "came to America 1662." He is buried in the Old Graveyard at West Bridgewater, under a slab that reads "Here lies the Body of the Rev. Mr. James Keith Died July 23, 1719. Aged 76 yrs." Beside it, in the same frame, is a second slab: "Here lies the Body of Mrs. Susanna Keith." A later tablet adds: "First minister in Bridgewater, born and educated in Aberdeen, Scotland, and labored in the Ministry in this town 56 years." Part of the later setting is dated 1827. A Keith family obelisk at Bridgewater repeats that he "came to America 1662 died July 23 1719."

Children

Samuel Keith 1676-1759

Sources

Mitchell, History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater (1840/1897), archive.org historyofearlyset00mitcch, p. 214, leaf 232

Vital Records of Bridgewater, vol. II, marriages and deaths (1916), archive.org vitalrecordsofbr02bost, deaths, leaf 504

Find a Grave memorial 42412367

Find a Grave memorial 205967354

Mitchell, History of the Early Settlement of Bridgewater (1840/1897), archive.org historyofearlyset00mitcch, p. 214; Vital Records of Bridgewater, vol. II, marriages and deaths (1916), archive.org vitalrecordsofbr02bost, deaths; Find a Grave 205967354 and 42412367; Old Bridgewater Historical Society, history of the Rev. James Keith Parsonage; Mitchell p. 214; Find a Grave 42412367

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Cite: Heirology, "Rev. James Keith (1643-1719)", https://heirology.com/ancestors/rev-james-keith-1643-1719-e28e7c.