Wilson RAWSON

Wilson married Margaret ARTHUR on 4 May 1712. Margaret was born in Nantucket, Nantucket Co., Massachusetts; died on 14 Nov 1757. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Grindal RAWSON was born on 13 Jul 1719; died in Dec 1803 in Providence, Providence Co., Rhode Island.

Notes:

Name:
Grindal Rawson graduated at Harvard College, 1678. His wife, writing to Dr. Cotton Mather, after the death of her husband, says," after he had taken his first degree, he was invited by his brother-in-law, the Rev. Mr. Samuel Torrey to come to his house and study divinity there, which he did, with such proficiency that he was advised to enter upon preaching. He preached his first sermon at Medfield, with great acceptation, and after two months' occasional performances at other places, he received an invitation to Mendon, in the county of Worcester, Mass. This was Oct. 4, 1680. He continued to preach there until April 7, 1684, when he was permanently settled.

Grindal graduated from Harvard College in 1678 and became pastor of then-frontier Mendon in 1680. he also performed missionary work among Native Americans; toured numerous Christian Indian settlements in southeastern New England during 1698 (a report survives); served as interim pastor of the Indian church on Nantucket in 1707-1708; translated and published several religious tracts in the written version of the Native American Massachusetts language devised by Rev. John Eliot of Roxbury, who was known as "the apostle to the Indians."

Grindal married Susanna WILSON on 30 Aug 1682 in Medfield, Massachusetts. Susanna was born on 1 Dec 1664 in Boston, Suffolk Co., Massachusetts; died on 8 Jul 1748 in Mendon, Massachusetts. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Fact: Daughter of Rev. John Wilson of Medfield, and sister of Dr. John Wilson of Braintree, and granddaughter of the Rev. John Wilson, first minister of Boston.

Notes:

Name:
"Here lies inter'd ye
Remains of Mrs. Susan-
na Rawson, Relict of
ye late Re. Mr. Grindal
Rawson Pastor of ye
church of Christ in
Mendon and daughter
to ye Rev. Mr. John Wil
son 1st Minister of ye
Gospel in Medfield
who departed this life
July 8th ADomini 1748
in ye 84th year of her age."