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"Stephen Martindale fitted for college under Rev.
William Jackson, D.D., of Dorset, and graduated at Middlebury Collegein
1806,
and in
1807 married Diantha Kent, daughter of Cephas Kent, who was the
son of Cephas Kent. After graduation, Mr. Martindaleestablished an academy
at West Dorset, of which he was preceptor for several years, and pursued
the study of medicine for a time. As adjutant to [his father] Col. Martindale's
regiment of Vermont militia, under a commission from Gov. Martin Chittenden,
dated May 2, 1814, he accompanied his regiment to the Northern frontier.
He assumed theological studies under Rev. Dr. Jackson, and was ordained
as a minister in
1818; preached a short time at Riga, N.Y., and became
past of the Congregational Churchof
Tinmouth, Vt., Jan. 6, 1819, where
he labored for 13 years, eking out the meager ministerial salary of those
days by keeping a private school, of an excellent character and quite famous
in its day.
Judge Nathaniel Chipman was his familiar friend and frequent
visitor there, spending many hours and evenings, smoking and tea-drinking,
full of anecdote and mirthful humor, discussing law, politics, philosophy
and theology. From this pastorate, he was dismissed
February 6, 1832, and
soon after went to Wallingford, where, without being formally installed,
he remained as active pastor of the church and people until his death.
"He was a man of fine presence, of great courtesy,
in spirit and deportment a born gentleman – chivalrous, tender, and brave;
of quick sympathies and sensibilities; one whom children and the poor and
lowly loved; given to generous hospitality; apt at command and to teach;
prudent in word and act, and of great wisdom in counsel, and tact in administration;
honorable, truthful, honest and sincere ... His last sickness was brief
and distressing, but, though racked with extreme pain, and able to utter
his thoughts only in broken sentences, he dictated his will and arranged
his affairs, eventhe most minute, with composure; and, on his last Sabbath
morning, mindful of the day and his duties, he gave orders that one of
his family should attend meeting and read a sermon. A day or two before
his death, he insisted upon being raised in bed and called for pen and
ink, and a bible, and then, summoning all his wasting energies, he wrote
upon a blank-leaf in the bible, in a bold hand, – "I BELIEVE. AMEN" and
subscribed his name – his last legacy ..."
Source: Vermont
Historical Gazetteer, Vol. 3.
Submitted by
Joseph Broom
4th Great-Grandson
of Stephen Martindale's cousin,
Fanny Livingston
Salsbury.
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