A Revered Minister and Leading Citizen in Saint Johnsbury, Vermont

After completing his studies in 1870 at Crozer Theological Seminary in Upland, Pennsylvania, great grandfather Edward Thomas Sandford began his lifelong career as a Baptist minister. The record shows that he preached in Jefferson Maine, a very small town 15 miles west of his home in Warren Maine, between 1872 and 1875, and that he was formally ordained on January 15, 1873, at age 32. He resigned from the Jefferson post in October 1874, probably looking for greater responsibility and a step-up from his starter post.

Edward and Sarah moved to Saint Johnsbury, Vermont, where he became the pastor of the Baptist church for the next 15 years.

In Vermont in the 1870s and 1880s, there were not many ministers with life experiences matching those of Reverend Edward Sandford. Surviving wounded veterans were not uncommon at the time, nor were sailors with travel tales from around the world. Former U.S. envoys to China were pretty rare. With experiences in all three, Edward was uniquely qualified to counsel his parishioners on how the world worked.

Local newspaper records from the 1870s and 1880s provide good accounts of Edward’s life and service in Saint Johnsbury.

A few newspaper entries provide excerpts from Edward’s sermons, giving insights into his beliefs and priorities. An 1887 Thanksgiving sermon showcases Edward’s extraordinary awareness of the place of the United States on the world stage, tying together his diplomatic and theological experience.

Edward was keenly interested in supporting the town’s youth, probably harking back to his own youth and the loss of his mother at age 7. He was an active supporter of the local YMCA (an organization that grew out of the teachings and activities of the Baptist church). An excerpt from an 1883 sermon reflects Edward’s interest in guiding the youth of the community.

Edward stood up for his principles. Beginning in 1884, he was a founding member of the Saint Johnsbury Citizens Law and Order League, who’s mission was “to secure by all proper means the enforcement of the existing laws related to the illegal use and sale of intoxicating liquors, and the proper observance of other laws looking to the moral welfare of the the community, and to aid the officers of the law in the performance of their duties in relation thereto.”

Edward’s history in the Civil War and in China are evident in his work in Saint Johnsbury. As a surviving wounded veteran of the war, he was active with local efforts to commemorate the actions of his fellow veterans. He was a regular at town Memorial Day observances, and played an active role in the local chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic, a Civil War veteran’s fraternal organization. As a minister, he generally served as chaplain in these events and organizations.

Edward’s life in Saint Johnsbury was not limited to the ministry. He also served as the Superintendent of Schools for many years. Newspaper accounts indicate that this was no small task, and that he took this second job very seriously. Several newspaper accounts describe his responsibilities as well as the respect he earned in this position.

Edward’s experiences from his trips to Asia played a role in his work in St. Johnsbury. He regularly gave lectures on these experiences to townspeople and parishioners.

Professionally, Edward’s years in Saint Johnsbury were perhaps his most significant and fulfilling. It is clear that Edward was ambitious and not afraid to keep pushing for what he wanted and believed-in, each major transition in his life being a case in point. In Siam, he improvised a deal with another boat to take him back to the United States as quickly as possible so he could fight in the Civil War. He told William Seward exactly how he felt about some of the things going on in the foreign service, eventually resigning from his post to pursue his greater calling as a minister. In Saint Johnsbury he worked tirelessly at multiple jobs, becoming a revered figure in the town’s church and political life.

Yet, for all his demonstrated passion for support of the town’s youth, Edward still does not have any children of his own. This, of course, will change in the next chapter of Edward’s story as his tenure in Saint Johnsbury draws to a close and he embarks on the next chapters of his life, initiating the most important personal transitions of his existence. Much more to come.