Ammi Ruhamah Cutter (before May 6, 1705 – March 1746) was an American

Congregational Congregationalism (also Congregational Churches or Congregationalist Churches) is a Reformed Christianity, Reformed Christian (Calvinist) tradition of Protestant Christianity in which churches practice Congregationalist polity, congregational ...

minister who served as the first pastor of the "Old Ledge" meetinghouse in what was then North Yarmouth, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now

Yarmouth, Maine Yarmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, twelve miles north of the state's largest city, Portland, Maine, Portland. When originally settled in 1636, as North Yarmouth, Maine, North Yarmouth, it was part of the Massachusetts ...

)."North Yarmouth, Maine. First Church"
–

Congregational Library & Archives The Congregational Library & Archives is an independent special collections library and archives. It is located on the second floor of the Congregational House at 14 Beacon Street in the Beacon Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The L ...

Early life

Cutter was born in 1705 to William Cutter and Rebecca Whitmore.''A History of the Cutter Family of New England'', Benjamin Cutter (1871), p. 38 He was the youngest of their seven known children, and was baptized on May 6.''A History of the Cutter Family of New England'', Benjamin Cutter (1871), p. 55 He graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...

in 1725.

Career

In 1729, Cutter was ordained the first pastor of the new

Meetinghouse under the Ledge The Meetinghouse under the Ledge, also known as the Old Ledge Meetinghouse,

, in what was then North Yarmouth, Province of Massachusetts Bay (now

).''A History of the Cutter Family of New England'', Benjamin Cutter (1871), p. 56 He and his family lived at the

parsonage A clergy house is the residence, or former residence, of one or more priests or ministers of a given religion, serving as both a home and a base for the occupant's ministry. Residences of this type can have a variety of names, such as manse, pa ...

at today's 60

Gilman Road Gilman Road is a prominent street in Yarmouth, Maine, United States. It runs for about from Lafayette Street (Maine State Route 88, State Route 88) in the northwest to the Ellis C. Snodgrass Memorial Bridge at White's Cove in the southeast. ...

(now known as the Cutter House), around 150 yards to the east of where the church formerly stood, which was garrisoned during the Indian wars. He preached his first sermon, as candidate, on November 10, 1729, in a "convenient house for the public worship of God". The church was formally organized on November 18 the following year.''A History of the Cutter Family of New England'', Benjamin Cutter (1871), p. 57 He remained in the town for seven years as a physician.''A History of the Cutter Family of New England'', Benjamin Cutter (1871), p. 58 In 1735, he was dismissed from his role due to alleged

Arminianism Arminianism is a movement of Protestantism initiated in the early 17th century, based on the theological ideas of the Dutch Reformed theologian Jacobus Arminius and his historic supporters known as Remonstrants. Dutch Arminianism was origina ...

. His forthright liberal views were at odds with the congregation's

Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...

persuasions. They also found his "creed asbecoming offensive". Cutter moved in 1742 to Saco, where he wrote a dictionary of the Indian language. He later became captain of a company in Sir

William Pepperrell Sir William Pepperrell, 1st Baronet (27 June 1696 – 6 July 1759) was an American merchant and soldier in Province of Massachusetts Bay, colonial Massachusetts. He is widely remembered for organizing, financing, and leading the Siege ...

's Duc d'Anville expedition. His command was attached to colonel Jeremiah Moulton's regiment from York County. After the capture of that fort, he was detailed to remain as surgeon.''A History of the Cutter Family of New England'', Benjamin Cutter (1871), p. 59

Personal life

Cutter married Dorothy Bradbury on August 14, 1734, in Newbury, Province of Massachusetts Bay. She was the sister of Moses Bradbury, an early town resident. They had four known children, including Dr. Ammi Ruhamah Cutter (1735–1820), a fellow graduate of Harvard College.''Diseases in the District of Maine 1772 - 1820'', Richard J. Kahn (2020), p. 77 In 2015, Yarmouth Historical Society acquired a bible which belonged to Cutter.Yarmouth Historical Society
– newsletter, fall 2015

Death

Cutter died, aged 42, of

dysentery Dysentery ( , ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications may include dehyd ...

in March 1746 while in

Louisbourg, Nova Scotia Louisbourg is an unincorporated community and former town in Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia. History The harbour had been used by European mariners since at least the 1590s, when it was known as English Port and Havre à l'Ang ...

Canada (New France) Canada was a French colony within the larger territory of New France. It was claimed by France in 1535 during the second voyage of Jacques Cartier, in the name of the French king, Francis I. The colony remained a French territory until 1763, wh ...

. His remains were returned to North Yarmouth by corporal Benjamin Morgridge.''A History of the Cutter Family of New England'', Benjamin Cutter (1871), p. 60 His wife survived him by thirty years; she died in 1776, aged 68.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cutter, Ammi Ruhamah 1705 births 1746 deaths People from colonial Massachusetts 18th-century American Congregationalist ministers American physicians Clergy from Cambridge, Massachusetts People from North Yarmouth, Maine Harvard College alumni British Army personnel of the War of the Austrian Succession British Army personnel of the Seven Years' War People from pre-statehood Maine