Browse the Congregational Church records in Sandown, New Hampshire

The First Congregational Church in Sandown, New Hampshire was organized in 1759 when the first minister, Rev. Josiah Cotton was ordained. Cotton was the great-grandson of Rev. John Cotton (1585-1652) and had previously been a minister in Providence, RI and Woburn, MA. He served as the minister in Sandown until his death in 1780. The second settled minister in Sandown was Rev. Samuel Collins, from 1780 until he was dismissed in 1788. The third and final settled minister was Rev. John Webber, who served from 1795 until 1800 when he left over a doctrinal dispute with his congregation. After Webber, there were itinerant ministers at the church in Sandown until services ceased in the 1830s. 

While this church is no longer active, the meetinghouse built in 1774 still stands and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is considered an exceptionally well-preserved example of an eighteenth-century meetinghouse. 

This collection contains one volume of church records, copied from the original book, which includes admissions, baptisms, disciplinary records, and meeting notes.  

Materials in this collection have been digitized in partnership with the New Hampshire Historical Society and have been made available through our New England's Hidden Histories project.