# Clarissa Danforth

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**Clarissa Danforth** (1792–1855) was the first woman [ordained](/source/Ordained) as a [Free Will Baptist](/source/Free_Will_Baptist) minister.

Danforth was born in [Weathersfield, Vermont](/source/Weathersfield,_Vermont), in 1792. She heard Rev. [John Colby](/source/John_Colby_(preacher)) preach in 1809 on his way to Ohio and had a conversion experience. After her ordination in 1815, Danforth became an [itinerant](/source/Itinerant_minister) preacher throughout northern New England. She began preaching in [Chepachet, Rhode Island](/source/Chepachet,_Rhode_Island), and the surrounding areas in 1818 after taking over as pastor of the Chepachet Baptist Church when John Colby died. Danforth spent most of her career in Rhode Island and helped lead the revival in Smithfield emanating from the Greenville Baptist Church. She also preached for periods in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. In 1822 she married Danford Richmond a Baptist minister from Pomfret, Connecticut, and they moved to New York where she preached only occasionally. Danforth died around 1855.[1][2][3][4]

## References

1. Stewart, I. D. (1862-01-01). [*The History of the Freewill Baptists: For Half a Century, with an Introductory Chapter*](https://books.google.com/books?id=Z3biAAAAMAAJ). Freewill Baptist Prtg. Estab., William Burr, Ptr.

1. ["Chepachet Free Will Baptist Church -- John Colby, Preacher of the Gospel"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160303170114/http://www.chepachetfreewill.org/johncolby.htm). *www.chepachetfreewill.org*. Archived from [the original](http://www.chepachetfreewill.org/johncolby.htm) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2016-04-12.

1. Burgess, Gideon Albert & Ward, John T. (1889-01-01). [*Free Baptist Cyclopaedia: Historical and Biographical : the Rise of the Freewill Baptist Connection and of Those General and Open Communion Baptists Which, Merging Together, Form One People, Their Doctrines, Polity, Publications, Schools and Missions, with Brief Biographies of Ministers and Others Identified with the Growth and Strength of the Denomination*](https://books.google.com/books?id=3GXiAAAAMAAJ). Free Baptist Cyclopaedia Company.

1. Duffy, John J.; Hand, Samuel B.; Orth, Ralph H. (2003-01-01). [*The Vermont Encyclopedia*](https://books.google.com/books?id=uTBCXqOou0YC). UPNE. ISBN 9781584650867.

## See also

- [Ordination of women](/source/Ordination_of_women)

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