Rotch, Charity Rodman, 1766-1824

Charity Rodman Rotch (1767-1823) was a Quaker minister from Massachusetts who was an early settler of Massillon, Ohio.

Rotch was born Charity Rodman on October 31, 1766, to Captain Thomas Rodman (1724-1766) and Mary Borden Rodman (1729-1798) of Newport, Rhode Island. Her father's ship was lost at sea mere weeks after her birth. In 1790 Charity married her brother-in-law Thomas Rotch, a merchant from the island of Nantucket. The new couple lived on the island for several months before moving to New Bedford in 1791. There Thomas joined another branch of the family firm led by his older brother William Rotch Jr. The couple's only child was born in New Bedford in 1791, but died before reaching the age of six months. The following fall, Charity had a brush with smallpox. Though she survived, her health remained poor for the rest of her life.

Late in the year 1800 the Rotches moved to Hartford, Connecticut, where Thomas operated several factories. He and Charity also continued as active Quaker ministers, a role they had both occupied since living in New Bedford.

Rotch's continued poor health, exacerbated by New England's cold winters, led the couple to move to Ohio late in 1811, where they settled in Stark County, Ohio. They founded the town of Kendal (later absorbed into the city of Massillon) in 1812, which attracted a number of other Quaker families from the east coast. The couple were deeply involved in the area's religious life as active participants in their local Quaker meetings and Ohio Yearly Meeting. By 1820 they were also taking part in the local Underground Railroad.

Late in 1823 Thomas died of bilious fever. Charity's health continued to decline, and she died almost a year later on August 6, 1824. She left the majority of her estate to the establishment of the Charity School of Kendal (1829-1906), fulfilling a longtime dream to provide education for orphans and indigent children.