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| Birth: | 1690 in Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts |
| Death: | 9 Mar 1768 in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts |
| Sex: | M |
| Father: | Edward Dorr I b. 1648 in England |
| Mother: | Elizabeth Hawley b. 27 Jun 1656 in Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts |
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| Graduation: 1711 Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts |
| Occupation: Pastor, First Church of Mendon 1716 To 1768 Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts |
| Changed: 6 Jul 2002 |
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Individual:
Spouses & Children á
Mary Rawsoná(Wife)
Marriage: 9 APR 1724 in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts
Children: á
1. Mary Dorr
2. Joseph Dorr
3. Elizabeth Dorr
4. Katherine Dorr
5. Susannah Dorr
á
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Notes á
Individual:
Copy of old Letter,
Mary Rawson second daughter of Rev. Grindall Rawson born June 22,
1699, married April 9, 1724, to Rev. Joseph Dorr her father's
successor in the ministry at Mendon. He graduated at Harvard College
1711. Settled in Mendon 1716, died March 9, 1768 in 79th year of his
age. His epitaph informs us that he was endued with good sense, his
temper was mild and placid, he excelled in the virtues if meekness,
patience, temperance, sobriety, gravity, benevolence, and charity- was
a good scholar advances Divine and exemplary Christian.
JOSEPH DORR
Joseph Dorr, second minister of Mendon, MA., was one of the younger
children of Edward and Elizabeth (Hawley) Dorr of Roxbury. The father
has been called "the Reverend" but there is no evidence that he was
anything more than a respected citizen and a member of the church of
Roxbury. Joseph did not take up residence at the College until the
beginning of the sophomore year of his Class. He achieved neither
honors nor notable censures although he was fined in every quarter of
his junior year. Perhaps this fairly good record can be laid to
Joseph Sewall (A.D. 1707), an older student, who recorded in his
diary: "God helped me to perform what (If I Mistake not I have
attempted once & Again, i.e..,) To Speak to Dorr of his Soul's
concern to exhort him earnestly to give himself to Christ." Dorr took
his first degree in due course, but got into difficulties when he came
up for the M.A. three years later. He submitted an affirmative answer
to the Question, " An Essential Rerun sint aeternae?" the religious
implications of which do not seem to have troubled the college
authorities. But over in Boston Judge Sewall was distressed, and took
the matter in his parson, Ebenezer Pemberton (A. B. 1691).
Mr. Pemberton seemed to approve of it. When he did not explain
it to my satisfaction; He said, I have for got my Philosophy. Upon my
mentioning Divinity, He said, There was nothing of Divinity in it.
This he spoke with an air of displeasure. I came away, Meeting Mr.
Remington (Jonathan, A. B. 1696) in the street I told him of it, and
desired him to speak to the president; and by Mr. Higginson next day I
received a kind letter from the President with a Master's Thesis in it
corrected as it now stands.
And the Question stands on the printed sheet as the affirmative
of, " An Novitas essendi sit de ratione Creations?" As there is no
evidence that Dorr tool part in the exercises, he probably not asked
to write a new essay.
That same year, 1714 found Mr. Dorr keeping the school at
Andover. Despite his Question he aimed to enter the ministry, and
accepted an invitation to preach at Mendon. There were troublesome
Quakers in Mendon, but they were at least not addicted to scalping as
were the Indians who terrified Andover schoolmasters. The young
preacher satisfied the church members, and at the town meeting of
February 9, 1715/16, it was " proposed to the Town to Bring in their
votes for Their Concurrence in the Church's choice of Rev. Joseph Dorr
to Be Their Pastor, which was accordingly Don and voted to be the
Town's Minister." Two weeks later he and the town fathers came to an
agreement on the terms.
Imprimis. That they will give him for a yearly salary The Sum of
seventy-five pounds per annum, after the first year & the first year
seventy pounds To be paid in money...
2nd. That they will give for Settlement or Encouragement the sum
of One hundred and sixty pounds, One hundred pounds in money... and
Sixty pounds to be paid in Labor & materials for and towards the
building of him an house amongst us...
The ordination took place on February 25, 1716.
It was not until April 9, 1724, that Mr. Dorr obtained a mistress
for his new house in the person of Mary, a daughter of his
predecessor, the Reverend Grindall Rawson, A. B. 1678. She was a
happy choice, for " She filled up the measure of her days with
religion and devotion... was a tender, courteous, affable and obliging
disposition; confined not to her offices of kindness and respect to
her family ... was such a friend as loveth at all times, expressed by
a constant series of doing good to all in their varying
circumstances." The Dorr's had four or five children, depending on
whether Katherine and Elizabeth were twins or a mistake in the record.
The only son, Joseph, was graduated in 1752. Mary became his wife of
the Reverend Moses Taft (A. B. 1751), and Susannah, the second wife of
Reverend Amariah Frost (A. B. 1740).
While an increasing family and inflation were burdening the
parson's purse, the freeing of the Quakers and the Baptists from the
necessity of contributing to his salary and the separation from the
church of Mendon of what are now the First Churches of Bellingham,
Uxbridge, Upton, Milford, and Blackstone were making it difficult for
the church to meets his needs. they did, however, from time to time
take special contributions and voter him supplementary sums sometimes
as large as the salary itself. In general, he kept the affections of
his parishioners by such acts of kindness as petitioning to the court
for leniency for a lady of the congregation who had violated the
seventh commandment.
It may Justly be Supposed that as the End of the law which is
reformation is fully answered with respect to her with out the
Execution of it. These are therefore to Desire that She may with her
Judges find as much Clemency and favour as can Consist with the Law.
Mr. Dorr has been called a New-Light because he signed the
Testimony and Advice of July 7, 1743, but his experiences during the
Great Awakening suggest that he was not New-Light enough for a large
minority of his congregation. Although his " temper was mild and
placid," and " He excelled in the virtues of meekness, patience,
temperance, sobriety, gravity, benevolence, and charity," he was in
some sort of ecclesiastical difficulty and appealing for advice to the
Worcester association of ministers in October, 1740. That the
dissatisfied members of his congregation took a like step is shown by
a resolution which he offered in the town meeting of March 2, 1741.
Gentleman, In as much as an opposing party in this Town have Obtained
a judgement of a Council Against the Minister of the Town, without a
Trial, Relating to his administration viz: - of a Council Chosen by
them Selves in so private a manner that the pastor of the Church had
No Copy of the Letters Missive until after the Letters were Sent out
to the Churches - If you judge that the Minister of this Town Ought to
be defended against Such Proceedings and you will defend him Signify
it by Lifting up your hands.
Gentlemen, if you will choose three persons as a Committee
chosen by the Church, or by that part of it that adheres to the Pastor
to advise and concur with them in the choice of a Council, if they
shall think fit, to judge of the Result of the late Council Chosen by
the opposite party here by lifting up your hands.
The Parson retained the support of a majority, but " a great
number " of the dissatisfied appealed to the General Court on the
grounds that Mr. Dorr would not abide by the results of their council
and would do nothing " to give the Petitioners reasonable
satisfaction." As a consequence the parish of mill River, later the
town of Milford, was set up. the strict theology of the new covenant
suggests that the division was not simply geographical. There was ,
however, no doubt cast upon Mr. Dorr. He was a man... of singular
virtue, sobriety and temperance, a Man of good learning, polemical,
political and divine, a father to his family, flock, and ministers, in
the Vicinity: a faithful Minister ... a strict adherent to the
doctrines of grace ... (He) highly recommended the examination of
candidates, for the work of he ministry; preventive (if possible) of
the introduction of men unsound in the faith into the ministry, a
great friend to our English Liberties, was much concerned for the
peace and good order of the Churches. ...
It was in an effort to further these ends that he joined in the
gathering of the Mendon association of ministers, of which he was the
first moderator.
Through all these years Mr. Dorr carried on the entire work of the
ministry of Mendon without assistance than a few sermons from
schoolmaster Samuel Terry (A. b. 1710) at a time when the parson was
sick. Finally, in April, 1767, the parish sent a committee to ask the
old minister on what terms he would retire. He replied: I have Duly
Considered the Same and accordingly Propose as follows, viz.
Considering the difficulty you Labor under and to preserve peace a
among your and to enable and encourage your to proceed with Unanimity
and Cheerfulness to the Settlement of another Gospel minister, I find
in myself a freedom to accept of the Sum of Thirteen Pounds, Six
Shillings and Eight pence, Lawful Money, Annually, During my Natural
Life, tho at the same time, as my Worldly Estate is small, Labor dear
and I am unable by reason of my great age and Infirmities to manage my
affairs to advantage, I am apprehensive that said sum will fall short
of a Necessary Support, yet Considering the Long Term of years I have
Labored among you in the Gospel of Christ, I am Persuaded, my
Brethren, you will not See me suffer Extreme want.
On March 9, 1768, before the parish had called another minister
under this agreement, Mr. Dorr died, then being in the fifty-second
year of his service and the seventy-ninth of his age. His widow
followed him on April 9, 1776.
Class of
1711
The first column is the order in which the class was placed at
entrance; the second is the order determined upon by the immediate
government; and the third is the order in the catalogue of graduates.
Williams entered late, and Borland failed to take a degree. Jonathan
Remmington was the tutor of his Class
Wainwright Sanford William Sanford
Borland Rogers John Rogers
Sanford Walter Increase Walter
Walter Wainwright John Wainwright
Rogers Borland Thomas Cushing
Russell Cushing Joseph Russell
Cushen Russell John Chip man
Fales Chipman Elisha Williams
Blake Williams Samuel Blake
Chipman Blake Joseph Dorr
Dor Dorr Thomas Cheney
Cheny Cheny Timothy Fales
Fales
He graduated from Harvard College, Cambridge, and Middlesex County,
MA.
Joseph Dorr, of Mendon, County of Worcester, Clerk. deed of several to
him 1719.
Joseph Dorr, of Mendon, County of Worcester, Clerk. his own deed,
Power of Attorney, 1734.
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Sources á
1. Title: Abstract from Dorr family records
Now in possession of Mrs. Edward C. Spring,
526 South 42nd Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Author: Mrs. Frederick E. Stow, Chairman, Genealogical Records
Publication: Member of William Penn Chapter, Daughters of the American Colonists
Page: Page 25, Last paragraph, copy of an old letter.
2. Title: Hyde Genealogy
Descendents, in the female as well as in the Male Lines, from William
Hyde of Norwich, with their places of residence, and dates of births, marriages, &C., and other particulars of them and their families and ancestry. Author: Reuben H. Walworth, LL.D.
Publication: in two Volumes. Vol. I
Page: This Edward Dorr is supposed to be the progenitor of all Dorrs of New
England. He came to this country from West England. He was born in 1648, and came here about 1670 and settled in Boston. He m. his first wife, Elizabeth Hawley, daughter of Thomas Hawley, previous to 1680. They removed to Roxbury, where she died. He was a selectman of Roxbury. His second wife was the widow Elizabeth (Dickerman) Clapp, who died in 1733. He died at Roxbury in 1734. His children, in addition to six who died young and unm., were: 1. Ebenezer, b. 25 Jan., 1688, who married twice, settled at Roxbury, and had seven sons and three daughters. 2. Rev. Joseph, b. in 1690, graduated at Harvard in 1711, was settled a minister at Meridan, Mass., in 1716, and d. 9 March, 1768, m. Mary Rawson, second daughter of Rev. Grindal Rawson and Susannah Wilson of Meridan, and had one son and three daughters. 3. Edmund, who m. Mary Griswold. 4. Harbottle, b. 11 May, 1696, m. Dorothy Weld and settled in Boston.
3. Title: Boston Newspaper Index of Obituaries
Page: Page 316, Dorr, Joseph, Rev., pastor of the first church in Mendon,
left a wid., d. of Rev. Grindall Rawson, and 4 chn. Mar. 9, 1768, a. 78y. Gaz.
4. Title: Harvard College
Biographical Sketches of those who attended Harvard College
in the classes of 1701 - 1712
Author: Clifford K. Shipton
Publication: Massachusetts Historical Society
Boston MA.
1937
Page: Page 573 Class of 1711
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