Person:Samuel Wiswall (2)

Printed in Collection of the Massachusetts Historical Society, Vol. 9, p. 184, originally from Boston Gazette for the year 1746, No. 1325.

Rev. and venerable Mr. Samuel Wiswall, late pastor of the church at Edgartown, was a son of worthy and pious parents in the town of Dorchester; had his education in Harvard College, where he made good proficiency in learning, and had a good character for his sobriety.

After he had taken his degree of M. A. in the year 1704, designed to devote himself to the work of the ministry, he offered himself to the examination of an association of approved divines, to try his qualifications for the sacred employment which he desired to engage in: and, having their good approbation and encouragement, he preached awhile transiently as he had opportunity; and went a foreign voyage chaplain of a ship, which was unhappily taken by the Spaniards and carried into Martinico, where he underwent a dangerous fit of sickness, but God sparing his life he returned to his country again.

Here he preached as God called him to it, and his labours were well accepted. Particularly at Nantucket he preached about half a year, and was well esteemed of by the people of every profession there.

On his return from Nantucket, he was invited to preach at Edgartown, as an assistant to the very pious and aged Mr. Jonathan Dunham, and was ordained a pastor of that church in the year 1713, where he continued his faithful and painful labours as long as he lived.

He was, by all competent judges who knew him, esteemed a learned and judicious divine. His sermons were well composed and rational, and upon well chosen subjects; though his utterance was not so free and flowing as some others. His prayers were very fervent, and well suited to the occasions of them. His memory was so good that he had no need of notes in the delivery of his discourses.

He was a person of eminent and singular piety, which greatly recommended him and all that he did; a faithful, kind, obliging, and instructive friend; charitable and candid to all who differed from him in sentiment; remarkably humble, he willingly took up with a very small salary, and gave considerable part of it to his poor neighbours. He chose never to engage in matrimony, that he might not be encumbered with too many of the cares of this life, but that he might attend the work of the ministry without distraction; and gave himself to reading, meditation, and prayer.

He was more careful to avoid even all the very appearances of evil, and would sometimes say he was "more afraid of sin than of hell."

He was often infirm with regard to his bodily state, and in the last years of his life his infirmities increased upon him: and his not abating his labours in proportion to the decay of his strength has been supposed to hasten his death; especially in the time of the sickness and mortality a little before he died it is thought that he underwent more than he was well able to bear.

He died at last suddenly, having been in his study the day before his death, which was on the 23d of Dec. 1746, in the 68th year of his age.

1. ↑ Boston (Massachusetts). Record Commissioners. A Report of the Record Commissioners of the City of Boston: Containing Dorchester Births, Marriages, and Deaths to the End of 1825. (Boston, Massachusetts: Rockwell and Churchill, city printers, 1890)
   17.

   Samuel the Son of Serjeant Enoch Wiswell born Sept'r. 2'd. [16]79.

2. ↑ Edgartown, Dukes, Massachusetts, United States. Vital Records of Edgartown, Massachusetts, to the Year 1850. (Boston, Massachusetts: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1906)
   273.

   Wiswall, Samuel, Rev., Dec. 23, 1746, a. 67 y. 3 m. 21 d. CR1 GR1
   [Birth about 2 Sep 1679.]

3.   Titus, Rev. Anson. "The Wiswall Family of America", in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. (Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society)
   40:59.

   Children of Enoch Wiswall and Elizabeth Oliver: 10) Samuel, b. 2 Sep 1679, d. unm. 23 Dec 1746. Harvard College 1701, ordained over Edgartown Church.