The Church family has a long history in Rochester, as well as in other Massachusetts towns and in Rhode Island. Richard Church of Oxford, England is the first Church to be recorded as living in New England, and he settled in Plymouth in 1632. His eldest son was Benjamin Church who gained fame in the Indian Wars of 1675-76. Many of the battles in this war (with atrocities on both sides) took place in this area.
It was another Richard Church, four generations later, who was the first to live in Rochester. Born in Scituate in 1697 where he became a carpenter and boatbuilder, he emigrated to the new town of Rochester in 1725 and purchased a tract of land along the Mattapoisett River. It encompassed 350 acres. He resumed work as a carpenter and was hired to build the first meeting house in Rochester center. By 1748, he had built and was operating the first sawmill on the Mattapoisett River. The area of the sawmill along Mattapoisett Road continued to be occupied by his descendants until the death of George Church in 2014.
As one reads through the Church family tree, there are enough stories to fill several articles, but my focus here will be on those who followed their ancestor Benjamin as soldiers. Charles Church (sixth generation) was a Captain in the Revolutionary War. His cousin, Earl, also fought in the War for Independence, and on his return home, it was he who built the home that still stands today.
Moving on to the eighth generation, we have Walter Scott Church, born in 1837, who was in whaling until the War of Rebellion (Civil War) broke out. He joined the U.S. Navy as an Acting Ensign. As part of Admiral Farragut’s Union fleet, he was present at the capture of the Rebel Ram Tennessee in Mobile Bay on August 5, 1864. Church was one of the first Union sailors to jump onto the Tennessee and was able to secure the ship’s pennant as a trophy, which has been in the family’s possession for many years.
Another eighth generation Church, George Earl, born in 1835, fought Indians in South America as part of a commission of military and topographical engineers examining the southwestern frontier of Chile.
On a side note, the museum will be presenting “A Curator’s Show, Part II,” beginning September 25. Some new displays will focus on military history. If anyone has any local military artifacts that they would be willing to loan to the museum, you could contact Sue at 508-295-8908 or Connie at 508-763-4932. We’re also looking for the loan or donation of a high button shoe.
By Connie Eshbach