ALONZO CHAPIN

He attended Amherst College, graduating in 1826. In 1831 the University of Pennsylvania granted him his M.D. degree.

Dr. Chapin married Mary Ann Tenney at Boston on October 26, 1831.

A month later, as members of the Fifth Missionary Company, the Chapins sailed from New Bedford, Massachusetts, in the whaleship "Averick". After a voyage of 182 days, they arrived in Honolulu on May 17, 1832.

At first Dr. Chapin assisted Dr. Judd on Oahu, but later they were assigned to Kauai. In September 1832, Dr. Chapin was called to Lahaina, Maui, to be present at the birth of the Rev. and Mrs. Andrews' baby.

Mrs. Chapin, who had been seriously ill on the voyage out to the Islands, was taken sick again on Maui where she had accompanied her husband. On December 13, she was carried aboard the packet on a stretcher for the trip to Hawaii where Dr. Chapin was being sent to Waimea to replace Dr. Baldwin. Most of the time the Chapins were in the Islands Mrs. Chapin's health gave her husband grave concern.

At the end of their first year on duty, Dr. and Mrs. Chapin went again to Lahaina for the annual General Meeting of the missionaries in June 1833. Much to their joy, the Chapins were assigned to Lahaina. However, the great need of the missionary families for medical services saw the doctor making frequent trips to the other islands. On many of these trips he was accompanied by Mrs. Chapin.

While Dr. Chapin was at Lahaina, he found time to help Mr. Andrews in preparing maps and illustrations for books for use at Lahainaluna High School.

On March 1, 1835 a baby daughter, Elizabeth Dwight, was born to the Chapins.

In May of the same year, Mrs. Chapin's declining health prompted her husband to ask for a consultation with Doctors Judd and Rooke. The following months bringing no improvement in her health, Dr. Chapin decided to return to the United States. The family sailed November 28, 1835, by way of Tahiti, and on May 5, 1836 they landed at Martha's Vineyard.

On his return, the doctor tried private practice in Boston where he was licensed and became a member of the Medical Association of Boston, then at Barre and finally settling at East Abington about September 1838. He practiced there for ten years, serving as postmaster for a time. From East Abington Dr. Chapin moved to Winchester where he lived until his death. He was examiner of pensions 1863-1876, coroner and a member of the school committee. He also found time to write articles for the medical journals.

Dr. Chapin died December 25, 1876 at Winchester at the age of 71.

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