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| Birth: | 1690 in Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts 2 |
| Death: | 9 Mar 1768 in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts 2 3 |
| Sex: | M |
| Father: | Edward Dorr b. 1648 in West of England |
| Mother: | Elizabeth Hawley b. 27 Jun 1656 in Roxbury, Suffolk County, Massachusetts |
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| Graduation: 1711 Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts 2 1 4 |
| Occupation: Pastor, First Church of Mendon 1716 To 1768 Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts 1 |
| AKA: 1 |
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| Mary Rawson (Wife) b. 22 Jun 1699 in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts
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| Marriage: | 9 APR 1724 in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts |
| Children: | |
 Mary Dorr b. 6 Jun 1725 in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts
- Joseph Dorr b. 24 May 1730 in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts
 Elizabeth Dorr b. 8 Mar 1731/32 in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts
- Katherine Dorr b. 8 Mar 1732 in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts
- Susannah Dorr b. 4 Sep 1734 in Mendon, Worcester County, Massachusetts
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| Notes | | |
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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'ssuccessor in the ministry at Mendon. He graduated at Harvard College1711. Settled in Mendon 1716, died March 9, 1768 in 79th year of hisage. His epitaph informs us that he was endued with good sense, histemper was mild and placid, he excelled in the virtues if meekness,patience, temperance, sobriety, gravity, benevolence, and charity- wasa 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 fatherhas been called "the Reverend" but there is no evidence that he wasanything more than a respected citizen and a member of the church ofRoxbury. Joseph did not take up residence at the College until thebeginning of the sophomore year of his Class. He achieved neitherhonors nor notable censures although he was fined in every quarter ofhis junior year. Perhaps this fairly good record can be laid toJoseph Sewall (A.D. 1707), an older student, who recorded in hisdiary: "God helped me to perform what (If I Mistake not I haveattempted once & Again, i.e..,) To Speak to Dorr of his Soul'sconcern to exhort him earnestly to give himself to Christ." Dorr tookhis first degree in due course, but got into difficulties when he cameup for the M.A. three years later. He submitted an affirmative answerto the Question, " An Essential Rerun sint aeternae?" the religiousimplications of which do not seem to have troubled the collegeauthorities. But over in Boston Judge Sewall was distressed, and tookthe 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 mymentioning 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, anddesired him to speak to the president; and by Mr. Higginson next day Ireceived a kind letter from the President with a Master's Thesis in itcorrected 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 noevidence that Dorr tool part in the exercises, he probably not askedto 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, andaccepted an invitation to preach at Mendon. There were troublesomeQuakers in Mendon, but they were at least not addicted to scalping aswere the Indians who terrified Andover schoolmasters. The youngpreacher satisfied the church members, and at the town meeting ofFebruary 9, 1715/16, it was " proposed to the Town to Bring in theirvotes for Their Concurrence in the Church's choice of Rev. Joseph Dorrto Be Their Pastor, which was accordingly Don and voted to be theTown's Minister." Two weeks later he and the town fathers came to anagreement 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 yearseventy 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... andSixty pounds to be paid in Labor & materials for and towards thebuilding 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 hispredecessor, the Reverend Grindall Rawson, A. B. 1678. She was ahappy choice, for " She filled up the measure of her days withreligion and devotion... was a tender, courteous, affable and obligingdisposition; confined not to her offices of kindness and respect toher family ... was such a friend as loveth at all times, expressed bya constant series of doing good to all in their varyingcircumstances." The Dorr's had four or five children, depending onwhether Katherine and Elizabeth were twins or a mistake in the record.The only son, Joseph, was graduated in 1752. Mary became his wife ofthe Reverend Moses Taft (A. B. 1751), and Susannah, the second wife ofReverend 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 thenecessity of contributing to his salary and the separation from thechurch of Mendon of what are now the First Churches of Bellingham,Uxbridge, Upton, Milford, and Blackstone were making it difficult forthe church to meets his needs. they did, however, from time to timetake special contributions and voter him supplementary sums sometimesas large as the salary itself. In general, he kept the affections ofhis parishioners by such acts of kindness as petitioning to the courtfor leniency for a lady of the congregation who had violated theseventh 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 theExecution of it. These are therefore to Desire that She may with herJudges 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 theGreat Awakening suggest that he was not New-Light enough for a largeminority of his congregation. Although his " temper was mild andplacid," and " He excelled in the virtues of meekness, patience,temperance, sobriety, gravity, benevolence, and charity," he was insome sort of ecclesiastical difficulty and appealing for advice to theWorcester association of ministers in October, 1740. That thedissatisfied members of his congregation took a like step is shown bya 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 aTrial, Relating to his administration viz: - of a Council Chosen bythem Selves in so private a manner that the pastor of the Church hadNo Copy of the Letters Missive until after the Letters were Sent outto the Churches - If you judge that the Minister of this Town Ought tobe defended against Such Proceedings and you will defend him Signifyit 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 Pastorto advise and concur with them in the choice of a Council, if theyshall think fit, to judge of the Result of the late Council Chosen bythe 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 thegrounds that Mr. Dorr would not abide by the results of their counciland would do nothing " to give the Petitioners reasonablesatisfaction." As a consequence the parish of mill River, later thetown of Milford, was set up. the strict theology of the new covenantsuggests that the division was not simply geographical. There was ,however, no doubt cast upon Mr. Dorr. He was a man... of singularvirtue, sobriety and temperance, a Man of good learning, polemical,political and divine, a father to his family, flock, and ministers, inthe Vicinity: a faithful Minister ... a strict adherent to thedoctrines of grace ... (He) highly recommended the examination ofcandidates, for the work of he ministry; preventive (if possible) ofthe introduction of men unsound in the faith into the ministry, agreat friend to our English Liberties, was much concerned for thepeace 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 thefirst moderator.
Through all these years Mr. Dorr carried on the entire work of the ministry of Mendon without assistance than a few sermons fromschoolmaster Samuel Terry (A. b. 1710) at a time when the parson wassick. Finally, in April, 1767, the parish sent a committee to ask theold minister on what terms he would retire. He replied: I have DulyConsidered the Same and accordingly Propose as follows, viz.Considering the difficulty you Labor under and to preserve peace aamong your and to enable and encourage your to proceed with Unanimityand Cheerfulness to the Settlement of another Gospel minister, I findin myself a freedom to accept of the Sum of Thirteen Pounds, SixShillings and Eight pence, Lawful Money, Annually, During my NaturalLife, tho at the same time, as my Worldly Estate is small, Labor dearand I am unable by reason of my great age and Infirmities to manage myaffairs to advantage, I am apprehensive that said sum will fall shortof a Necessary Support, yet Considering the Long Term of years I haveLabored among you in the Gospel of Christ, I am Persuaded, myBrethren, 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-secondyear of his service and the seventy-ninth of his age. His widowfollowed 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 immediategovernment; and the third is the order in the catalogue of graduates.Williams entered late, and Borland failed to take a degree. JonathanRemmington 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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- 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.
- 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 andancestry.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 in1648, and came here about 1670 and settled in Boston. He m. his firstwife, Elizabeth Hawley, daughter of Thomas Hawley, previous to 1680.They removed to Roxbury, where she died. He was a selectman ofRoxbury. His second wife was the widow Elizabeth (Dickerman) Clapp,who died in 1733. He died at Roxbury in 1734. His children, inaddition to six who died young and unm., were: 1. Ebenezer, b. 25Jan., 1688, who married twice, settled at Roxbury, and had seven sonsand three daughters. 2. Rev. Joseph, b. in 1690, graduated at Harvardin 1711, was settled a minister at Meridan, Mass., in 1716, and d. 9March, 1768, m. Mary Rawson, second daughter of Rev. Grindal Rawsonand 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.
- 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.
- 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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