Page 8 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2025 Reverend Phillips Payson — Unsung Hero of the American Revolution Man of God-Warrior Patriot-Constitutional Authority By John J. Henry A s the 250th anniversary of the adoption of our Declaration of Independence draws near, on July 4, 2026, many will call to mind the famous names of some of the great signers of our Declaration of Independence: John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jeff erson. Few now know the name of a local unsung hero of our revolution, who by his deeds and acts of courage made our independence from Great Britain possible as well as our Constitution of Massachusetts a reality. He lies buried in our Rumney Marsh Burial Ground on Butler Street. His name was Phillips Payson. Shown above are the gravestones of Reverend Phillips Payson and his family at Revere’s historic Rumney Marsh Burying Ground on Butler Street. (Courtesy photo) Phillips Payson was born at Walpole, in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, in British North America, on January 18, 1736. He was raised in Walpole and later educated at Harvard College, from which he graduated in 1754. At Harvard he distinguished himself in divinity studies, the classical languages and astronomy. One of his classmates at Harvard was John Adams of Braintree (now Quincy); their paths would cross again many years later after independence from Great Britain. Phillips Payson was ordained as a minister of the Gospel at Chelsea (now Revere) on October 26, 1757, whereupon he became the settled pastor of the Church of Christ. He served as rector of his church for nearly 44 years. Pastor Payson was a courageous patriot of the American Revolution for Independence from Great Britain. He rendered important services in the cause of freedom not only by his sermons and writings on political and constitutional questions, but also by enlisting troops to fi ght the British occupation army. Two-hundred and fi fty years ago, on April 19, 1775, near Lexington, at Menotomy (now Arlington), Pastor Payson demonstrated his zeal for independence from Great Britain by placing himself at the head of a party of troops from his church taking up arms in the cause of freedom. Payson and his troops engaged the “Redcoats,” killed some and took the rest of the British Regulars as prisoners and gained possession of all of their arms and stores without any loss whatever to themselves during the fi rst battle for American Independence. For his gallantry during the battle, Reverend Payson was given the name “Fighting Pastor Payson” by those who fought alongside him. After independence from Great Britain, the Province of Massachusetts Bay was obliged to write a constitution establishing how Massachusetts would be governed. A Massachusetts Constitutional Convention was formed, headed by John Adams, and for three years from, 1778 to 1780, the political energies of John Adams and others were absorbed in drafting a charter of government that would be accepted by the voters of Massachusetts. At that time, Reverend Payson was admired as a bright, yet conservative philosophical
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