Thomas Balch (1712-January 8, 1774) was a Colonial minister in South Dedham, Massachusetts. Balch was born in

Charlestown, Massachusetts Charlestown is the oldest neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, in the United States. Originally called Mishawum by the Massachusett tribe, it is located on a peninsula north of the Charles River, across from downtown Boston, and also adjoins t ...

in 1712. He was graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

in 1733. Balch first took the pulpit on June 30, 1736. The Balch School was named for him in 1867 in

Norwood, Massachusetts Norwood is a town and census-designated place in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Norwood is part of the Greater Boston area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,611. The town was named after Norwood, England. Norwood is ...

. A new school was built on the same site in 1913 and is also known as the Balch School. When Norwood separated from Dedham in 1872, Balch was a potential name for the community. His daughter, Mary, married

Manasseh Cutler Manasseh Cutler (May 13, 1742 – July 28, 1823) was an American clergyman involved in the American Revolutionary War. He was influential in the passage of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 and wrote the section prohibiting slavery in the Nort ...

, and Cutler studied under the elder Balch for the ministry. Another daughter, Hannah, married Jabez Chickering. They also had a son named Jabez Chickering, Balch's grandson. Balch died on January 8, 1774, 38 years after being ordained.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Balch, Thomas Clergy from Dedham, Massachusetts People from Norwood, Massachusetts People from Charlestown, Boston American clergy 1712 births 1774 deaths Harvard College alumni People from colonial Dedham, Massachusetts 18th-century American clergy