'From the 'Turnback Tuesday' archives: Focus on Rev. Mansfield

This week's "Turnback Tuesday" is an image of Rev. Richard Mansfield.

He was born in New Haven in 1724, his father a deacon for the Congregational Church.

However, during Mansfield's schooling at Yale he was converted to the Episcopal faith.

He became a Reverend and was assigned to the St. James Episcopal Church in Derby in 1748. He served there for 72 years - with only a brief interruption during the Revolutionary War, after he fled due to his loyalist views.

After the war, however, he was allowed to return and continued his duties at St. James until his death in 1820. He was buried in Elm Street Cemetery in Ansonia.

(Note: the bonus photo above of St. James is circa 1900.)

Thanks goes to the Derby Public Library staff for sharing interesting local history each week.