Samuel Chenery Damon (February 15, 1815 – February 7, 1885) was a missionary to Hawaii, pastor of the Seamen's Bethel Church, chaplain of the Honolulu American Seamen's Friend Society and

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, ...

of the monthly newspaper ''The Friend''. He began his religious studies at

Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly o ...

in 1838-39, and graduated from

Andover Theological Seminary Andover Theological Seminary (1807–1965) was a Congregationalist seminary founded in 1807 and originally located in Andover, Massachusetts on the campus of Phillips Academy. From 1908 to 1931, it was located at Harvard University in Cambridge. ...

in 1841 after which he was ordained to the

Congregational Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs it ...

ministry. His work in

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only ...

began on October 19, 1842, under the help and support of the American Seaman's Friend Society. He was the pastor of Bethel Church for 42 years (1841 to 1882), where he preached every Sunday, not only to sailors but also to merchants, sea captains and many others who were drawn to this well-known place of worship. The Seamen's Bethel Church burned down in 1886, one year after Damon's death. The congregation has since evolved into the "Central Union Church" of Honolulu.

Early life

Samuel Chenery Damon, son of Colonel Samuel Damon and Alony Chenery, was born in

Holden, Massachusetts Holden is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The town was founded in 1741, and the Town Square (Center, Common) was donated by John Hancock, former Governor of Massachusetts. The population was 19,905 at the 2020 census. H ...

on February 15, 1815. He graduated from Amherst College in 1836, studied at

in 1838-39, and graduated from

in 1841. Before studying for the ministry, he was for a year principal of the academy at

Salisbury Salisbury ( ) is a cathedral city in Wiltshire, England with a population of 41,820, at the confluence of the rivers Avon, Nadder and Bourne. The city is approximately from Southampton and from Bath. Salisbury is in the southeast of Wil ...

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...

, and while in the divinity school was tutor in a private family in Burlington, New Jersey. He married Julia Sherman Mills (1817–1890) in

Natick Natick ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 37,006 at the 2020 census. west of Boston, Natick is part of the Greater Boston area. ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...

on October 6, 1841, with whom he had five sons. She was daughter of

Samuel John Mills Samuel John Mills Jr. (April 12, 1783 – June 16, 1818) was an American preacher and missionary from Connecticut. He is known for contributing to the organization of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions and to the formation of ...

(1783–1818), a minister who took part in the

Haystack Prayer Meeting The Haystack Prayer Meeting, held in Williamstown, Massachusetts, in August 1806, is viewed by many scholars as the seminal event for the development of American Protestant missions in the subsequent decades and century. Missions are still suppo ...

which led to forming the

American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions The American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions (ABCFM) was among the first American Christian missionary organizations. It was created in 1810 by recent graduates of Williams College. In the 19th century it was the largest and most imp ...

Ministry

Damon was preparing to go to

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

as a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

and was studying the

Tamil language Tamil (; ' , ) is a Dravidian language natively spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia. Tamil is an official language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the sovereign nations of Sri Lanka and Singapore, and the Indian territory of Pud ...

for that purpose, when an urgent call came for a seaman's chaplain at the port of

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the islan ...

in the Hawaiian islands. He was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform var ...

to the

ministry on September 15, 1841, and he decided to accept the position at

. He began his work there October 19, 1842, under the auspices of the American Seaman's Friend Society. At the time around one hundred and fifty whaling vessels entered the port every year. Damon's own statement was: ''"From 1842 to 1867, at the lowest estimate six thousand seamen annually entered the port. During these twenty-five years my labors were abundant and sometimes, beyond my strength."'' Samuel Chenery Damon, carte de visite by Henry L

Samuel Chenery Damon, carte de visite by Henry L

For 42 years he was the pastor of "Bethel Church" from 1841 to 1882. He preached there every Sunday, not only to sailors but also to merchants, sea captains and many others who were drawn to this well known place of worship. He was an able speaker and was constantly in demand on public occasions. In 1855 he founded the Honolulu Sailor's Home and held services for sailors who died without family to be buried in the

Oahu Cemetery The Oahu Cemetery is the resting place of many notable early residents of the Honolulu area. They range from missionaries and politicians to sports pioneers and philosophers. Over time it was expanded to become an area known as the Nuuanu Cemete ...

. He was the editor and publisher of ''The Friend'', a monthly newspaper for seamen which included news from both American and English newspapers as well as announcements of upcoming events, reprints of sermons, poetry, local news, editorials, ship arrivals and departures and a listing of marriages and deaths. He published between a half million and a million copies of ''The Friend'', most of which he personally distributed. He was a strong supporter of the Chinese Christians in

. He made his church available for Sunday afternoon services, and later started a small night school in the parish hall to teach them English. From this humble beginning the Chinese Christian community began to outgrow their meeting place. In 1877, Damon assisted in organizing the first Chinese Church in Hawaii and was elected to the board of trustees. Damon traveled extensively throughout his life. In 1849 he visited California and

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idah ...

. In 1851 he visited the United States, coming by way of the

Isthmus An isthmus (; ; ) is a narrow piece of land connecting two larger areas across an expanse of water by which they are otherwise separated. A tombolo is an isthmus that consists of a spit or bar, and a strait is the sea counterpart of an isthm ...

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...

, and returning in 1852 to the Hawaiian Islands. In 1861 he made a tour of the Micronesian Islands on the missionary ship, the '' Morning Star''. In 1869 he came home again and then traveled through England, Palestine,

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Med ...

and

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...

, returning to

in 1870. In 1876 he came home again and visited the

Centennial Exposition The Centennial International Exhibition of 1876, the first official World's Fair to be held in the United States, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the signing of the ...

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. In 1880 he came to the United States once more and made another and more extensive trip abroad, visiting England, Scotland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and France. It is said that he also visited China and Japan. He received the degree of

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ra ...

from his alma mater, Amherst College, in 1867. He became a member of the

American Antiquarian Society The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in ...

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Englan ...

in 1869, and in 1879 a corresponding member of the

New England Historic Genealogical Society The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is the oldest and largest genealogical society in the United States, founded in 1845. NEHGS provides family history services through its staff, original scholarship, website, Damon died on February 7, 1885, at

, and his funeral the next day was attended by a very large congregation, including

King Kalakaua King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

and his ministers who said of him:

''"He was one of nature's noblemen—of fine personal appearance, always pleasant and cheerful, happy and always laboring to make others happy here and hereafter—a truly model Christian man and it may justly be said that the world was made better by his having lived in it."''

The Seamen's Bethel Church burned down in 1886. The congregation has evolved into the "Central Union Church" of Honolulu. His son,

Samuel Mills Damon Samuel Mills Damon (March 13, 1845 – July 1, 1924) was a businessman and politician in the Kingdom of Hawaii, through the Republic of Hawaii and into the Territory of Hawaii. Life Damon was born in Honolulu on March 13, 1845. His father wa ...

(1845–1924), married Harriet Melinda Baldwin, daughter of missionary physician Dwight Baldwin, and became a wealthy banker. At one time they were the fourth largest private landowner in Hawaii. Their collection of artifacts was donated to the

Bernice P. Bishop Museum The Bernice Pauahi Bishop Museum, designated the Hawaii State Museum of Natural and Cultural History, is a museum of history and science in the historic Kalihi district of Honolulu on the Hawaiian island of Oʻahu. Founded in 1889, it is the larg ...

in 2007, after the last grandchild of Samuel Mills died in 2004. Samuel Mills had served as a founding trustee of the museum, and was minister of finance of the Kingdom of Hawaii. His son Francis Williams Damon (December 10, 1852 – June 22, 1915) married Mary Rebecca Happer, the daughter of

Andrew Patton Happer Andrew is the English form of a given name common in many countries. In the 1990s, it was among the top ten most popular names given to boys in English-speaking countries. "Andrew" is frequently shortened to "Andy" or "Drew". The word is derive ...

, and continued working with the Chinese mission in Honolulu. Another son Edward Chenery Damon married Cornelia Beckwith April 17, 1877. Their daughter Ethel Moseley Damon (1883–1965) became an educator and author.

References

External links

A Brief History of the First Chinese Church of Christ

Books authored by Samuel Chenery Damon on Google Book Search

Sermons
by Samuel Chenery Damon are in the Harvard Divinity School Library at

Harvard Divinity School Harvard Divinity School (HDS) is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school's mission is to educate its students either in the academic study of religion or for leadership roles in religion, go ...

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Greater Boston, Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Damon, Samuel Chenery Congregationalist missionaries in Hawaii American chaplains American Congregationalist ministers 1815 births 1885 deaths Members of the American Antiquarian Society Burials at Oahu Cemetery People from Holden, Massachusetts 19th-century American clergy

Early life

Ministry

References

Further reading

External links