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View Tree for Eleazer BeecherEleazer Beecher (b. 04 Nov 1707, d. 23 Dec 1797)

Eleazer Beecher (son of Eleazer Beecher and Elizabeth Peck)21, 22 was born 04 Nov 1707 in Milford, CT, and died 23 Dec 1797 in New Milford, CT. He married Frances Oviatt on 30 Oct 1729 in New Milford, CT, daughter of Thomas Oviatt and Lydia Kellogg.

 Includes NotesNotes for Eleazer Beecher:
History of New Milford:
In Sept. 1750 several members of the First Church of NewMilford were cited for withdrawing and separating themselves from thechurch. "Also, proposed what methods we should take with those personswho were in full communion with us and also with those who hadwithdrawn from us upon the Sabbath? Voted, that an enquiringcommittee should be appointed to go and enquire into the particularreasons of each one, and make their report to the church.Accordingly, Dea.Samuel Canfield, Dea.Eleazer Beecher, and Leut.JamesHine were appoint." "Some time after, Eleazer Beecher abasentedhimself from us, and DEa.Canfield and Leut.Hine enquired into things,and made report to the Church, and a Church meeting was warnedFebruary following. Eleazer Beecher and his wife, ....(twelve) wereall cited to appear and give in their reasons for their separations.Accordingly, they appeared and mentioned some things why..." "It wasadjourned till the first Tuesday in May, and then appeared...EleazerBeecher...Frances Beecher (seven) and signed some reasons offered inwriting which the Church judged to be no reasons at all, and returnedthem an answer in writing together with an admonition to return tous."

Notwithstanding all these efforts, the Separate Congregational Churchwas organized in May, 1753 and the spirit of rivalry took fullpossession of the Congregational people as to themselves, as well asin regard to the other two churches in the community.

In 1754 the Separate Church petitioned the First Society as follows:"Upon the memorial of Thomas Weller, Lemuel Bostwick, Eleazer Beecher,Ebenezer Hotchkiss, Nathan Gaylord, Johnathan Botsford, David Camp,Israel Baldwin, Michael Brownson, and Benjamin Phillips, inhabitantsof this society, showing that the said memorialist soberly dissentfrom the way of worship and method of supporting the ministryestablished by the laws of this Colony, and that they do maintain andattend the public worship of God among themselves, in a way agreeableto their consciences; praying this society to show their minds,whether they are willing that the memorialists should be exempted frompaying taxes for the support of the ministry and building meetinghouses for the established constitution, etc; Voted, that this societyare willing that the persons named in the memorial shall be exemptedfrom paying taxes for the future as they request, so long as theyshall continue soberly to dissent from the established constitution asaforesaid, provided the Hon. General Assembly (upon application tothem made) shall approve the same." In the record of the First Church,in 1750, citing persons before that body as having separatedthemselves, the following are name: Joseph Ruggles, Eleazer Beecherand his wife, Jonathan Buck and his wife, Ann, the wife of JosephBuck, David Beardsley, and his wife, Jonathan Botsford and his wife,Lemuel Bostwick and his wife, Ebenezer Hotchkiss, Ellen Mackeney.


Deacon Eleazer Beecher came from Milford a single man, and settled inNew Milford before 1726, when he united with the First Church, and inOctober of 1729 he married Frances Oviatt. He possessed great energyof character, was prominent in the transactions of the town, and was asuccessful farmer. He voted against what were said to be illegalproceedings in the effort of 1745 to settle Mr. Noah Wells, and wasamong the first, with his wife, who were cited before the First Churchto make satisfaction for separating from that church, but as he liveduntil 1797, to the good age of 90 years, the censure of the church didnot harm him seriously. If he could have lived about thirteen yearslonger he would have seen the old church fully established on theplatform he adopted fifty years before. Mr. Griswold placed him asone of the deacons of the First Church, but Rev.Mr.Taylor made thefollowing record in the church book, Mr. Beecher having officiated ontrial as a deacon over two years in that church "..February 1750-51At a church meeting regularly warned, it was fully voted in yenegative yet Eleazer Beecher should not be established in ye office ofa deacon; he fell off to a party called Separates and could not bereclaimed." He was a deacon many years in the church of theSeparates.
New Milford Burying Place Tombstone: Deacon Elezar Beecher who diedDec 23, 1797 aged 90 years. Weep not for me, my children dear, Forthough my dust lies sleeping here, My soul has gone to God above,Rejoicing in redeeming love.

More About Eleazer Beecher:
Burial: Unknown, New Milford, CT.

More About Eleazer Beecher and Frances Oviatt:
Marriage: 30 Oct 1729, New Milford, CT.

Children of Eleazer Beecher and Frances Oviatt are:
  1. Frances Beecher, b. 05 Jul 1730, d. date unknown.
  2. Eleazer Beecher, b. 17 Sep 1732, d. 1812.
  3. Abigail Beecher, b. Nov 1734, d. Oct 1737.
  4. Phoebe Beecher, b. 22 Mar 1737, d. date unknown.
  5. Nathanial Beecher, b. 19 Mar 1739, New Milford, CT, d. 18 May 1809.
  6. Lydia Beecher, b. 18 Nov 1741, d. date unknown.
  7. +John Beecher, b. 1742, New Milford, CT, d. 1816, Shoreham, VT.
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