Information from The Notebook, (vol 7, # 4) of The Hopkinton Historical Society - Oct 2017, an article on ‘‘the Village of Rockville”, authored by Lorraine Tarket-Arruda. (paraphrased by Rodman W. Greene except where quoted). The principle religion of the area at this time was the Seventh Day Baptist Church. The observance of their Sabbath on Saturdays would compete with the growth of industry and its commerce within the colonies which was predicated predominantly by observance of the Sabbath on Sundays. The situation that Benjamin Maxson (1733-1822) of Rockville, Hopkinton, RI found himself in, back in 1799, as a Sabbatarian, typifies this contention. The minutes of the Rockville SDB Church records for 14 June 1799 :

“Brother Benjamin Maxson be dismissed for serving as clerk to the Church until he be reconciled with the Church. Whereas …. he rose up in haste and took the Church Book Records and refused to deliver said records when requested, and in contempt of the Church carried them away.”

On 3 July, “Voted Potter Sheldon, William Saunders, Uriah Saunders, James Meriott, Benjamin Maxson, Jonathan Potter, and Matthew Wells be cited to attend the next Church meeting and render their reasons for not filling their places at meetings.”

This non-participation on their Sabbath became a dilemma for the SDB Church with the Industrial revolution of the 1790’s and the increase in larger and more commercial enterprise. For most of the larger mills were now operating on Saturdays in order to compete, and this meant for the economics of the Seventh Day Baptist that they would not be able to work at the mills on either Saturday or Sunday. It was a hard pill to swallow for many. Some reconciled this problem by sending their children to the mills and factories to work on Saturdays while they continued to observe their Sabbath. For months Benjamin Maxson was asked to return the records but apparently never did. On 13 July 1799 his son Zaccheus Maxson was ordered to procure a new book for the Church. Seven years later, in the Church minutes of 24 Oct 1806 the hard feelings with Benjamin yet existed within this Church. “We think brother Maxson wrong in not delivering up the Church Records. The Church refuses him communion until he makes acknowledgement with the Church.”'

It seems that Benjamin Maxson owned several mills of his own on Yawgoog Pond in Rockville and was caught up in this dilemma of the competing Sabbaths. A deed from Benjamin Maxson to his son in 1807 describes “a grist mill, saw mill, and oil mill.” Another deed in 1809 describes “Maxson’s mills”, plus a fulling mill. And so Benjamin had a difficult time reconciling with the Sabbath of his faith.

Benjamin was widowed in 1803 with the death of his wife, Eunice Reynolds, and passed himself in 1822. Shortly thereafter his three sons uprooted their Seventh Day Baptist families and went into Western New York State. Phineas' family to the upper New York area, and Zaccheus and Benjamin's families settled together in Little Genesee, NY.