Rev. Charles Edwin Furman, D. D., was born in Clinton, Dutchess County, N. Y., December 13, 1801. His father came from Newton, L. I., and his mother was a daughter of John Gazlay, of “Nine Partners,” N. Y. About 1805 he removed with his father to Saratoga County, near Ballston Centre, which church he joined in 1821. There his parents lived and died. He graduated from Union College in 1826; studied two years at Auburn Theological Seminary, entering the middle class, and graduating in 1828. Was licensed June 1828. Was an agent of the American Tract Society in Ohio, from 1828 - 1829. He then went to Fort Wayne, Indiana, where he spent a year organizing a Presbyterian Church, being the first minister who preached there. He was ordained by the Presbytery of Cayuga at Skaneateles, June 17, 1830, and settled at Clarkson, N. Y., July 1, 1830, where he remained 5 years. January 19, 1831, he married Miss Harriet Emeline Johnson, of Rochester, N. Y.; Rev. Charles G. Finney, officiating. The Clarkson church was much blessed by his ministry. From Clarkson he was urged to go to Hamilton, Canada, where he remained two years. In 1837, the insurrection in Canada, known as the Patriot War, caused him to move his family to Rochester, where he remained during the following winter, supply in the Brick church. The first Sabbath in March, 1838, he began his ministry in Victor, where he remained until April, 1846. His labors here were greatly blessed, and 151 members were added to the roll during his ministry.

From Victor he went to Medina, 1846-54. In 1852, his health failing through Bronchial and other troubles, he held on until May, 1854, when he resigned and went to Rochester to live. While here he was employed by the American Bible Society for five years.

Afterwards he supplied the pulpit of the church at Chili for two years and subsequently the church at Brighton for one year. December 1, 1860, his wife was summoned to Heaven, and on account of feeble health, he spent some time in traveling with his youngest daughter.

He lived a year with his eldest daughter, in Buffalo, and in May, 1866, upon the marriage of his youngest daughter, now Mrs. Martin Briggs, he went to live with her at Rochester, until on June 10, 1880, God took him.

His first year in this new home of his daughter, was one of sickness, during which his Bible was his constant companion. He would pore over it, expressing his delight with its beautiful and precious truth. Recovering from this illness he again entered the pulpit. This time the Gates church was benefited by his ripened ministrations for more than two years. Then he returned to his former charge at Clarkson, where he remained for more than two years, until May, 1872. So long as his health endured, he was in the field, at work for the master, preaching as opportunity offered. Early in his ministry he served as clerk, was temporary clerk of the Synod of Geneva for two years, and for more than twenty-five years was its permanent clerk. Was stated clerk of Niagara Presbytery for ten years, and about as many years of the Rochester Presbytery. In the “Half Century of the Presbytery of Rochester,” (memorial services in the Brick church, 1869) is a poem by him, written for the occasion, and entitled “The Pastor.”

He received D. D. from Hamilton College in 1878. During the last years of his life he was a great and patient sufferer, and yet found time to publish two books entitled respectively “Home Scenes” (1874), and “Valley of the Genesee” (1879) and several occasional poems. Shortly before his death, he wrote of his several charges, “Among them all I have been familiar since leaving, and from them have received universal expressions of affection: have often been called to participate in their joys and sympathize with them in sorrows ; and since I am old, have been treated as a father as well as a brother. I feel unworthy of their esteem, because of the too feeble efforts in services for my master, and the few returns I will be able to make when called to render an account of my stewardship. If anything I have done has been approved and blessed of God, it has been because of the gracious presence of His Spirit, attending so humble a means, blessing so feeble an instrumentality, and counteracting the influence of so many faults and imperfections.” His tomb is in Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester, N. Y. He had five children: three daughters and two sons.

March 22, 1843, the duties of the committee of advice and pastoral assistance were made to include the visitation of each family in their respective districts at least twice each year. This is part of the Sessional oversight under the present church government, and upon its faithful performance largely depends the spiritual prosperity of the church. The minister has his own peculiar, pastoral work to perform, but there is a sphere of such work for the eldership, which the minister cannot reach.

This church planted itself squarely against slavery, by the action it took in December, 1843, declaring that “Slavery as it exists in this country, is a moral, social, and political evil. An evil that results in oppression, ignorance, licentiousness, and heathenism; and hence in the ruin of immortal souls; and therefore ought to be abolished immediately.”

It took strong ground against Christians abetting this evil, and appealed to the church to use its prayers and influence for the suppression of the traffic.

The March communion season, 1846, was the end of Mr. Furman’s pastorate.