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Mountford, William
The Unitarian William Mountford, newly arrived from England, preached in the First Parish (Unitarian) meeting house in Gloucester from 1850 to 1853. In 1852, a new organ was dedicated on July 4, and Rev. Mountford was installed formally on August 3. (1)
It is not known if Lane himself was a member of this or any church, but he shared several traits with Mountford: they both walked with a limp, and they were both interested in Spiritualism.
Mountford moved to Boston in 1853 to pursue Transcendentalism and Spiritualism, and seldom returned to Gloucester. Nevertheless, he came back in August, 1865 to officiate at Fitz Henry Lane's funeral, although Rev. Robert P. Rogers was minister at the time. It was from First Parish that Lane's body made its final journey to the Oak Grove Cemetery, where he was buried in the family plot of Joseph L. Stevens, Jr.
(1) Babson, History of Gloucester Cape Ann, Including the Town of Rockport. (Gloucester, MA: Procter, 1860), 497.
Related tables: Unitarian Church / First Parish Church (Middle Street) »
