Seth Davis

Seth Davis is one of those remarkable members of First Baptist Church, not only for his longevity (100+ years!), his service to First Baptist as Clerk and Treasurer from 1818, his forward thinking (paying his workers extra money instead of a portion in lager), his business sense (Davis Hotel still there in West Newton Square), his educational sense (Davis Academy and the first Lending library, the Adelphian Library -1826), the 100 trees he planted in West Newton, but primarily for his bedrock faith.

He became a Baptist in 1805. He and his wife were baptized at First Baptist Church in Newton by Father Joseph Grafton on Oct 6, 1811.

Davis said in 1885 that he could not remember a day he was not striving to follow Christ. His 100th birthday in 1887 was a community event attended by 15,000 members of the Newton community, First Baptist members, former students, friends, and family

It was his custom to celebrate his birthday by walking the 10 miles to Boston from West Newton every year (3.5 hrs one way) until he was well over 90. He eschewed tobacco and stopped the common custom of the day of drinking alcohol in 1814. It was reported that he drank a great deal of milk—"being with him always a favorite article of diet."

Bessie Moore Pickersgill (1877-1967)

Gertrude R Anderson (1895-1980)

First Baptist Church in Newton