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            THE FIRST STANFORD (BAPTIST) CHURCH AT BANGALL, DUTCH ESS CO., NEW YORK. EARLY MARRIAGE RECORDS,
  The earliest records of this Church are dated from Great Nine Partners, Charlotte Precinct, N. Y. Its first members appear to have emigrated from Massachusetts, and were organized into a Church, Oct.1, 1759, in Dutchess County, by covenanting together and appointing Ephraim Bullock and Corner Bullock to preach the gospel and administer the ordinances among them. At this meeting the members had the assistance of Elder Jabez Wood and Elder Robert Wheaton, who were elders of the First Baptist Church in the town of Swansea, Mass.
  For nearly twenty years harmony prevailed in the church, but in 1778 dissension arose concerning the singing of Watt's Psalms, which the parent church of Swansea, Mass., had lately introduced into its order of worship, and on May 9, 1778, twentyfour of the members separated from the others and formed another church under the leadership of Elder Corner Bullock. It is to this new organization that the following history and records properly belong. Elder Corner Bullock continued to be the pastor of the church until 1804. It is not recorded that he ever received a penny as a salary. He did, indeed, on one occasion receive a contribution, and for so doing was called "an hireling," whereupon the church promptly voted that he had a perfect right to receive any contribution the people were disposed to make him. During his ministry several branches were established, some of which afterward developed into independent Baptist churches, viz.: Kinder-hook, Oswago, Noble, Dover, West Branch, South-West Branch and Rhinebeck. In 1806 Elder Luman Burch was ordained pastor of the church, and at the same time, Corner, the son of Elder Corner Bullock, was ordained Deacon. During his ministry a parsonage was built and a new house of worship erected. Besides caring for the Bangall church, Elder Burch ministered to the needs of other places, as Amenia, Fishkill, Pleasant Valley and Pine Plains. At the latter place a church was organized in 1839. Elder Burch closed his labors as pastor in 1855 having been stricken with palsy. He lingered a sufferer until Nov. 17,1858, when he died, aged eighty-one years. Thus for nearly a century this church was served by two pastors only.
  In 1855 Elder Elijah Lucas accepted a call to the church and in September, entered upon his pastorate. He was succeeded by Elder John Vassar, who was soon followed by Elder J. Holmans.
  In 1865 the latter tendered his resignation and the following year Elder B. C. Ambler became pastor of the church. In 1867 a survey was made for the Dutchess and Columbia Railroad. This passed through the church building which had to be removed to give passage to the railroad. Damages were awarded and the present house of worship was then erected about a quarter of a mile south of the other at a cost of $12,000.