JUDD, Sylvester, antiquarian, b. in Westhampton. Mass., 23 April, 1789; d. in Northampton, Mass.. 18 April, 1860. He received only a common-school education, but while employed in the country store of his native town taught himself languages, history, and mathematics, and in later years gave much attention to botany and geology. He became a partner in the store, and in 1817 was sent to the legislature. In 1822 he removed to Northampton, and became the owner and editor of the " Hampshire Gazette," which he conducted till 1834. He spent many years in investigating the history of the towns of Massachusetts and the Connecticut valley, and published a genealogical work on his family from the coming of the first American ancestor in 1633 or 1634, entitled " Thomas Judd and his Descendants " (Northampton, 1856). His " History of Hadley," with a notice of his life, was published posthumously (1863). — His son, Sylvester, b. in Westhampton, Mass.. 23 July, 1813 ; d. in Augusta, Me., 26 Jan., 1853, was ¥raduated at Yale in 1836. While teaching at empleton. Mass., he became a Unitarian, and, declining a professorship in Miami college, entered the divinity-school at Harvard, where he was graduated in 1840. On 1 Oct. of that year he was ordained pastor of a church in Augusta, Me., with which he was connected till his death. His first published work was a series of papers entitled "A Young Man's Account of his Conversion from Calvinism," written in his second year at the theo- logical seminary. In 1843 he began a work entitled "Margaret, a Tale of the Real and Ideal, including Sketches of a Place not before described, called Mons Christi" (Boston, 1845; revised ed., 1851). In 1856 a folio edition of illustrations by Felix 0. C. Darley was published. The book was intended to promote the cause of liberal Christianity and the principles of temperance and universal peace. It consists of a loosely constructed tale of old New England life, interspersed with descriptions of nature. In addition to his work in the pastorate, Mr. Judd's services were in frequent demand as a lecturer on social questions, especially in opposition to war and slavery, and in advocacy of temperance. In the later years of his ministry he devoted his efforts to spreading the idea of birth-right in the church, urging that children should be regarded as members of the church from their birth, and that no distinction should be made between the church and the community, but that all people should share in whatever of value there is in the administration of the sacraments. These principles were adopted by his own society and by many others in Maine. He also published a didactic poem in defence of Unitarian doctrines, entitled "Philo, an Evangeliad " (Boston, 1850) ; a novel of modern New England life, similar in purpose and character to " Margaret," under the title of " Richard Edney and the Governor's Family " (1850) ; and a posthumous work entitled " The Church, in a Series of Discourses" (1854). He left in manuscript "The White Hills," a tragedy illustrating the evils of avarice. See " Life and Character of Sylvester Judd," by Arethusa Hall (Boston, 1854).
JUDD, Willard, clergyman, b. in Southington,
Conn., 23 Feb., 1804 ; d. in Wyoming. N. Y„ in
February, 1840. He was educated in Southington
academy, and after teaching for some time settled
in Canaan, N. Y., and was licensed as a Baptist
minister in 1826. He then removed to Herkimer
county and preached alternately in Salisbury and
Oppenheim till August, 1828," after which, till
1835, his labors were limited to the church in Salisbury. In 1839 he was appointed classical teacher
in Middlebury academy, Wyoming, N. Y., which
place he held till his death. He published " Review
of Professor Stuart's Work on Baptism " (New York,
1836), and a collection of some of his miscellaneous papers, with a memoir, was published after his
death (New York).
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JUDSON, Adoniram, missionary, b. in Malden, Mass., 9 Aug., 1788; d. at sea, 12 April, 1850. His father was a Congregational minister. Adoniram was graduated at Brown in 1807, and spent a year in teaching in Plymouth, Mass. He had become sceptical on theological subjects, and, being inclined to adopt dramatic authorship as his profession, attached himself for a short time to a theatrical company for the purpose of becoming familiar with the regulations of the stage. But he soon experienced a decided change of feeling, and in 1808 entered Andover theological seminary as a special student. During his residence there he became deeply interested in the subject of foreign missions, and in 1810 formed the resolution to go as missionary to Burmah. In April, 1810, he addressed a letter, in behalf of himself and two or three associate students, to the London missionary society, offering to go in its service to “India, Tartary, or any part of the eastern con- tinent,” and his proposition was favorably received. He married, 5 Feb., 1812, Ann Haseltine, of Bradford, Mass., and on 19 Feb. they sailed for Asia, landing at Calcutta in June. The most noteworthy incident of the voyage was a change in the views of Mr. and Mrs. Judson on the subject of Christian baptism. They became convinced that the baptism of the New Testament was immersion, and in accordance with this view they were baptized by immersion on reaching Calcutta. Being thus severed from the body under whose auspices they had entered on their mission, they were left for a time in uncertainty as to their future support. Dr. Judson's objective point had been Burmah, but he and his associates were not favorably received there, and unpleasant relations between England and Burmah made their stay impossible. They were ordered to return to America, and only after much effort and anxiety obtained permission to proceed instead to the Isle of France. After a stay there of a few months, they determined to go to Madras, whence, by reason of the renewed hostility of the East India company's officers toward the missionaries, they found themselves forced either to return home or to venture into Burmah. They chose the latter course, and went to Rangoon, where Dr. Judson applied himself at once to the task of learning the Burmese language. His mastery of this difficult and unattractive language evinced strikingly his persistence, his ability, and his consecration to his chosen work. He practically abandoned the English language, and read, spoke, and thought in Burmese. In May, 1814, he received the news that the Baptists of America had formed a missionary union, which had taken the Baptist missionaries under its care. As soon as his knowledge of the language permitted, Dr. Judson began his public preaching. The first
