24 June. A funeral service was held for our first sexton, James Haynes (30 Dec. 1836–21 June 1900). Born in Wantage, England (birthplace of Alfred the Great, he would always note), James was a mason, who immigrated to the US in 1859 and found his vocation at our newly constructed church.
1 July. Walter R. Spaulding, who had been organist & choirmaster since 1898, resigned to pursue duties as instructor at Harvard. He was succeeded in September by Arthur Sewall Hyde.
Our first organist and music director, Silas Atkins Bancroft (1823-1886), retired after two decades of faithful service. He is buried in Lot 2607 on the Mistletoe Path of Mt. Auburn Cemetery.
B.S. Rotch (1817-1882) at time of our foundation. Photo courtesy of Boston Athenaeum.
Senior Warden Benjamin Smith Rotch died in office. A founding vestry member and warden since 1880, he was later memorialized with his wife Anne Bigelow Lawrence (1820-93) in our sanctuary’s reredos.
They are buried in Lot 3004 on Bellwort Path in Mt. Auburn Cemetery. His epitaph from Revelation 2:10 reads: Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.