Hopkinton Cemetery & Ministers Monument - in Hopkinton (Westerly), Rhode Island

We spent a long weekend in the fall 2001 exploring the country side of eastern Conn. and western Rhode Island, searching for grave years and homesteads of my ancestors. We found a few of both but another trip is needed. The library at Westerly is a great resource if you are planing a trip to the area to do research, plan on a stop there. They have lots of books on the history of the area and families that settled there, as well as information about the Seventh Day Baptists.

First a little background
The First Baptist Church founded in New England was formed in Providence, RI. in 1639, by Roger Williams and had 12 members after Roger was banished from the bay for his contrary religious beliefs.
In 1638, the Clark brothers, Dr. John, Thomas and Joseph, also exiled from the bay, bought the Island of Aquidneck, now called Rhode Island, and first settled in the area known as Pocasset, now called Portsmouth were Dr. John Clark started preaching to them. In 1644 they next founded Newport and The Second Baptist Church was founded in 1648 and had 15 members, the Clark brothers with Dr. John Clark, as their pastor and Samuel Hubbard.
In 1664 /65, some of the members of the Newport church embraced the ideas of the Sabbath introduced to the area by the Mumfords who recently came from England. Tacy Copper wife of Samuel was the first and her family soon followed.
On Dec. 23, 1671 (old style) Samuel Hubbard writes in his journal that we entered into a church covenant. They were: William Hiscox, who served as their pastor, Stephan Mumford, and his wife, Samuel and his wife Tacy Cooper, Joseph Clark sr. and his wife Bethiah Hubbard, Robert Burdick and his wife Ruth Hubbard, Rachel Hubbard Langworthy, Roger Baster, Mrs. John Maxson Sr.
In 1661 a company from Newport bought a tract of land called Misquanicut, later called Westerly. Robert Burdick, Tobais Saunders, Joseph Clark Sr. and shortly after John Maxson, were the first from Newport to settle there. Elder John Crandall and others soon followed and joined with the Second Baptist. This area was an area of contention for many years with Mass. and Conn. laying claim to it . It took many years for RI to finally settle it into it boundary, but that's another story.
Since they did not have a meeting house, they kept their affiliation with the Newport Church. The Westerly Church became a separate church in the fall of 1708.

The Ministers' Monument is a very impressive monument. That stands on a little hill in the spot where the meeting house stood from 1680-1852. It stands in memory for both the church and early pastors of the Second Seventh Day Baptists in America. The column stands in the middle of a circle. There is an outer ring of markers, one for each of the early ministers. Inside the circle are the remains of the ministers and some of their wives, who's remains were relocated here from their original resting places before the monument was dedicated in 1899. The only body not found or relocated was that of Thomas Hiscox. The monument was made possible for the most part through the generosity of sisters Maria L. and Harrie W. Potter (misses).
The first six pastors of this church were first chosen deacons, then elders, then leading elders (now pastors). It was expected that at some point deacons would become elders. The first eight pastors of the church were originally called leading Elders. Daniel Coon was the first to be called pastor.