Abraham Beach (September 9, 1740 – September 14, 1828) was an American

Episcopalian Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protes ...

clergyman. He was born in

Cheshire, Connecticut Cheshire ( ), is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Cheshire was 28,733. The town is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. The center of population of Connecticut i ...

. He was the only child of Elnathan Beach and his second wife, the sister of David Wooster. Beach graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1757 with the honors of the

valedictory Valedictorian is an academic title for the class rank, highest-performing student of a graduation, graduating class of an academic institution in the United States. The valedictorian is generally determined by an academic institution's grade poin ...

, became a convert to the Episcopal faith. He studied theology under Dr. Samuel Johnson and his relative, John Beach. After graduation, Beach first engaged in trade and worked in the army as a

sutler A sutler or victualer is a civilian merchant who sells provisions to an army in the field, in camp, or in quarters. Sutlers sold wares from the back of a wagon or a temporary tent, traveling with an army or to remote military outposts. Sutler wa ...

. In 1767, Beach went to England, and there received ordination to the priesthood. He was appointed missionary to

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

, and entered upon his work in September, 1767. During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

his position between the two armies was exceedingly embarrassing. In consequence his church, Christ Church, was closed, and he did not officiate until December, 1781, when, in accordance with the suggestions of the

Archbishop of Canterbury The archbishop of Canterbury is the senior bishop and a principal leader of the Church of England, the Primus inter pares, ceremonial head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the bishop of the diocese of Canterbury. The first archbishop ...

, it became permissible to conduct public worship with the omission of the prayers for the king and parliament. In 1784 he became the assistant minister of Trinity Church in New York, and continued an active worker in the diocese of New York until 1813. He was on many occasions a delegate to the

General Convention of the Episcopal Church The General Convention is the primary governing and legislative body of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. With the exception of the Bible, the ''Book of Common Prayer'', and the Constitution and Canons, it is the ultimate autho ...

, and in 1801, 1804, and 1810 was president of the house of lay and clerical delegates. Of

Rutgers College Rutgers University ( ), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of three campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College and was aff ...

, established in 1770 at New Brunswick, he was an early trustee. In 1786 he was elected a regent of the

University of the State of New York The University of the State of New York (USNY, ) is the state governmental umbrella organization that oversees all educational institutions, including schools, libraries, and museums in New York State. It is governed by the Board of Regents. D ...

, and in 1787 a trustee of Columbia College, from which institution he received the honorary degree of D. D. in 1789. He was likewise actively associated with many of the benevolent institutions of New York. Subsequent to his resignation from Trinity parish he retired to his farm on

Raritan River The Raritan River is a river of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Its Drainage basin, watershed drains much of the mountainous areas in the North Jersey, northern and Central Jersey, central sections of the state, emptying into the Raritan Bay near ...

, near New Brunswick, where he resided until his death. His only publications were sermons. Abraham Beach near New Brunswick and is buried in the Christ Church Episcopal Churchyard.

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Beach, Abraham Created via preloaddraft 18th-century American Episcopal priests 1740 births 1828 deaths People from Cheshire, Connecticut Yale College alumni 19th-century American Episcopal priests People from Franklin Township, Somerset County, New Jersey