Frank Samuel Child

Born in 1854 and dying in 1922, Frank Samuel Child was an American author and clergyman. Yale’s archival record identifies him as an author and minister in the Congregational Church, and library catalogs show a body of work that ranges from fiction to history and cultural studies.

His books include An Old New England Town, The Colonial Parson of New England, A Country Parish, Fairfield, and An Unknown Patriot. Much of his writing centers on New England, especially Fairfield, Connecticut, suggesting a writer deeply interested in local history, colonial traditions, and the everyday character of community life.

Child’s career in ministry appears to have shaped his voice as a writer. Biographical material preserved online describes his education at Hamilton College and Union Theological Seminary and notes that he served Connecticut congregations before a long pastorate in Fairfield. That mix of pastoral work and historical curiosity gives his writing a reflective, humane tone that still appeals to readers who enjoy regional history and older narrative nonfiction.