Abstract The land that is modern Sturbridge, Massachusetts, was first visited by English Puritans in 1644. Sturbridge wasn’t settled by English colonists until 1729 by Medfield residents. Construction of the first meeting house was completed in 1734. The Congregational Church in Sturbridge was established on September 29, 1736. In 1747 members of the church withdrew to form a separatist church which later became the Fiskdale Baptist Church. Construction on the second meeting house was completed in...

Abstract The Separatist Church in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, was formed in 1747 after 15 members of the Congregational Church in Sturbridge left the church. The separatists refused to pay ministerial taxes and in response the town aggressively attempted to collect the taxes by forcibly taking possessions, livestock, and imprisoning at least 5 of the separatists. In 1749 the Separatist Church was reformed as the Baptist Church in Fiskdale. This collection include personal records relating to the...