Jabez Chickering (minister)

Rev. Jabez Chickering (November 4, 1753-March 12, 1812) was the minister of what is today First Congregational Church Norwood from July 3, 1776, to March 12, 1812.
Personal life
Early life
Chickering was born in the Springfield section of Dedham, Massachusetts, present day Dover, on November 4, 1753 to Joseph and Rebecca () Chickering.<ref namedover/><ref namefanning/><ref name=slafter/><ref name"Hurd1884"/> The family lived at what is today 55 Haven St. in Dover.<ref namedover/> Joseph, his six-year-old son and his four-year-old daughter all died within a week of each other in 1754.<ref namedover/> Rebecca, her eight-year-old daughter also named Rebecca, and the 18 day old Jabez Chickering all survived.<ref namedover/><ref namefanning/> After being taught religion by his mother, Chickering was found alone in his room praying one day when he was six years old.<ref namefanning/>
Rebecca remarried in 1757 to Deacon Joseph Haven, the first cousin of Jason Haven.<ref namedover/> Joseph Haven's son, also named Joseph, studied under Jason Haven for the ministry.<ref namedover/> Chickering studied theology under the minister in Springfield, Benjamin Caryl.<ref namedover/><ref name"Hurd1884"/> When Chickering's mother died in 1792, she left property to him and he then conveyed it to his step-brother, Noah Haven.<ref name=dover/>
In 1773-74, Chickering taught at the Colburn School.<ref name=slafter/>
Family and later years
Chickering was graduated from Harvard College in 1774 with Fisher Ames and was a good student.<ref name="Hurd1884"/><ref namedover/><ref namefanning/><ref name=slafter/> On April 22, 1777, Chickering married Hanna Balch, the daughter of Thomas Balch, his predecessor at the South Church.<ref namecutler/><ref nameslafter/><ref namefanning/><ref name"Hurd1884"/> They were married three years after the death of Hannah's father.<ref name=hannah/>
Chickering and Hannah had six children, all raised in South Dedham.<ref name=hannah/> One, a son, also named Jabez Chickering, was involved in the split of the First Church and Parish in Dedham and the Allin Congregational Church and the resulting lawsuit, Baker v. Fales. The others were Lucy, Joseph, Elizabeth, Thomas, and Hannah.<ref namehannah/> Joseph became a minister and Thomas served in the military and fought in the War of 1812.<ref namehannah/> The daughter Hannah married Dr. John K. Briggs. Chickering was 47 years old when his youngest daughter, Hannah, was born.<ref namehannah/> The family lived at 17 Walpole Street, the same house in which Chickering's wife grew up.<Ref namehannah/>
Those who knew him described him as "a sprightly man, clear of voice, prudent and pacific in advice, remarkable in extemporary prayer.”<ref namefanning/> He would often carry peppermints to give to the children he met.<ref namefanning/> Chickering was a committed Federalist.
He died, March 12, 1812.<ref namefanning/><ref nameslafter/><ref name"Hurd1884"/> For the nine months prior to his death, he was an invalid.<ref namefanning/>
Legacy
The First Congregational Church of Norwood affixed a plaque to his crypt in the Old Parish Cemetery.<ref name=fanning/> , his 1806 house, "a fine example of the Federal style," still stands at the corner of Chickering Road and Walpole Street in Norwood. After his death, a memorial window in his honor was placed in the meetinghouse.
Ministry
Chickering was settled as the minister in the Second Parish Church on July 3, 1776, and served until his death on March 12, 1812.<ref name"Hurd1884"/><ref nameslafter/><ref namedover/><ref namecutler/> Manasseh Cutler attended his ordination.<ref namecutler/> Cutler was married to Chickering's wife's sister, Mary.<ref namecutler/> Chickering had two calls before he accepted the pulpit in South Dedham.<ref name=fanning/>
In his 36 years at the church, he married 203 couples, added 78 congregants, and baptized 351 people.<ref namefanning/> He was a theological liberal but “without fear or interest he declared the whole counsel of God.”<ref namefanning/>
Library and charitable giving
On January 6, 1790, Chickering and 26 others began the Social Circulating Library for the people of South Dedham by lending out his personal collection.<ref name=canelli/> In 1800, that library transitioned to the South Dedham Parish Library, for which there were officers, by-laws, and shareholders. In that year, he donated $200 to the effort.<ref name=fanning/> He collected 93 volumes to circulate, books that became the nucleus of the Morrill Memorial Library. Today those books are on display at the Norwood Historical Society.
Chickering held the books in a special bookcase he obtained from Thomas Balch.<ref namefanning/> That bookcase was later acquired and preserved by Fred Holland Day and is now held by the Norwood Historical Society.<ref namefanning/> In the final years of his life, Chickering gave his entire salary to charitable causes, including the library.<ref name=fanning/>

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