Person Page 40

He was a Congregational clergyman and a prominent minister at the Tompkins Avenue Congregational Church located at the corner of Tompkins Avenue and McDonough Street in the Bed-Stuy neighbourhood of Brooklyn (the vacant building still exists).  He moved from Boston in 1887 and took over the congregation until 1902 when he resigned due to ill-health. He moved to California with his wife, living there until his death. He received the degree of A.M. from Wesleyan, 1875; and of D.D. from Dartmouth, 1882

The New York Times June 9, 1902, Monday, page 9, reported his resignation as follows:

“REV. DR. MEREDITH RESIGNS
Continued Ill-Health Compels Him to Give Up Pastorate of His Brooklyn Church.
At the morning service of the Tompkins Avenue Congregational Church, McDonough Street and Tompkins Avenue, Brooklyn, yesterday the resignation of the Rev. Dr. Robert R. Meredith as pastor of the church, on account of ill-health, was read. Dr. Meredith’s note was dated at Clifton Springs, N. Y., where he went recently in the hope that his health, which has been failing for several months, would be improved. The resignation is to take effect Sept. 1, when the vacation given him by the Church Committee expires.
A meeting of the committee will be held this week to consider the selection of his successor. The Rev. Dr. A. V. V. Raymond, President of Union College, Schenectady, has filled Dr. Meredith’s pulpit a number of times during the past few months, and it is said he will probably be called to the pastorate.
Dr. Meredith took charge of the Tomkins Avenue Church fourteen years ago. At that time the membership and the church was heavily in debt. It is now one of the largest Congregational churches in the country. Early last Winter Dr. Meredith’s health began to fail, and an extended leave of absence was given to him. He went to Mexico; where his condition became so precarious that his death was expected, and meetings of the Church Committee were held to consider the question of requesting the authorities at Washington to obtain permission from the Mexican Government for his body to be brought to Brooklyn, the laws of Mexico prohibiting the removal of the bodies of persons who die in that country. Dr. Meredith rallied, however, and was brought home about three months ago.”

His obituary appeared in The New York Times November 27, 1919, Thursday page 15, as follows:

“REV. DR. R. R. MEREDITH DIES
Once Pastor of Tompkins Av. Congregational Church, Brooklyn.
PASADENA, Cal., Nov. 26. —The Rev. Dr. Robert R. Meredith, formerly pastor of the Tompkins Avenue Congregational Church in Brooklyn, died here early today in his eighty-fourth year. He had made his home in Pasadena for the last ten years, until a few years ago serving as pastor of the First Congregatlonal Church.
Dr. Meredith, who left the pulpit to Join the Union army in the civil war, was originally a Methodist Episcopal minister, leaving that denomination to go to the Phillips Congregational Cnurch of Boston. It was in 1887 that lie began his pastorate in Brooklyn, where he acquired a reputation for eloquent sermons and learned exposition of Biblical doctrine. Teachers of Bible classes were wont to attend his church on Tuesday evenings to hear his discussion of the lesson for the following Sunday. At one time his own Bible class was said to be the largest In the country.”.

For further information see the citations below.^3,4

For further information see the citations below.³