October  23,  1793,  Rev.  Thaddeus  Mason  Harris
was  ordained  minister  over  the  Church  and  Society
in  Dorchester.  This  was  an  important  event  in  the
town's  history,  and  he  was  elected  to  the  station  by
an  almost  unanimous  vote,  both  in  Church  and
town.  The  sermon  at  his  ordination  was  preached
by  Rev.  Samuel  Kendal,  of  Weston;  the  charge
given  by  Rev.  Nathaniel  Robbins,  of  Milton;  and  the
right  hand  of  fellowship  by  Rev.  Mr.  Haven,  of
Dedham.  His  people  were  very  kind  to  him  under
all  circumstances,  and  assisted  and  encouraged  him
in  every  strait  He  was  sole  minister  in  the  town,
which  then  included  all  South  Boston,  until  the
formation  of  the  second  parish,  in  1806t  He  was  a
son  of  Mr.  William  Harris,  of  Charlestown,  in  which
place  he  was  bom,  July  7,  1768.  He  entered  Har-
vard College  in  1783,  and  graduated  in  1787.  For
about  a  year  he  had  charge  of  a  classical  school  in
Worcester,  and  in  1791  was  appointed  Librarian  of
Harvard  University,  where  he  remained  until  he  was
engaged  to  preach  in  this  town.  He  continued  the
minister  of  the  parish  until  July  16,  1635,  when  the
parish,  acceding  to  his  request,  settled  with  him  a
colleague  (Rev.  Nathaniel  Hall),  and  on  the  23d  of
October,  1836,  being  the  forty-third  anniversary  of
his  ordination,  he  resigned  his  charge  and  took  leave
of  his  people  in  a  sermon  which  is  in  print.  He
was  a  man  of  great  sensibility,  deep  learning,  of  a
poetical  turn,  was  much  inclined  to  wit,  and  had
tears  for  all  the  unfortunate.  Some  of  his  dis-
courses abounded  with  pathos  and  eloquence.     He


HI8T0BT  OF   D0BCHE8TEB.  955

was  a  member  of  many  of  the  most  important  socie-
ties in  this  part  of  the  country.  Of  his  books,  ser-
mons, &c.,  there  were  published  forty-four.
