Rev. James Sanford

REV. JAMES SANFORD'S biography is given us by his granddaughter, Mary E. Sandford of Ware, Mass. She writes as follows:

"My grandfather, Rev. James Sandford, was born at Bushhy, Mass., May 7th, 1786. He was the oldest of eight children, six of whom were sons and five of them entered the ministry. He was graduated from Brown University in 1812. August 22, 1817, he married Sarah Starkweather of Northhampton, and they had three children, the oldest son being my father, Addison Sandford, born at Antwerp, New York in 1821, where grandfather had a parish. I have the impression that his first parish was at a place called Fabius also in New York state. I know he lived in Holland when my father was a little boy, and think after he left there he preached in Gill, Mass., where he at one time had a parish also. I do not know how long any of the pastorates were, but my first memory of him was back again in New York in a place called Ox Bow, which may have been in the town of Antwerp though I do not positively know. They came to Mass. to live in the early 60's and lived here until his death Aug. 22, 1865 at the age of seventy-nine.

We are glad of this brief sketch of a man who made a very successful pastor judging from the church records.

Source: History of the Town of Holland, Massachusetts, By Martin Lovering, Mrs. Ursula N. Mac, Farland Chase. Page 219