Hibbard, Billy

Hibbard, Billy a Methodist Episcopal minister, was born at Norwich, Conn., Feb. 24, 1771, united with the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1792, entered the New York Conference in 1798, in 1821-2-3 was superannuated, became effective in 1824, was finally superannuated in 1828, and died Aug. 17, 1844, having preached forty-six years. He was an eccentric but very able man. His wit and humor, and his long, able, and abundantly successful labors in the Church, furnish the material of an interesting biography. He possessed a vigorous intellect, and acquired a sound and effective store of theological and general knowledge. His piety was deep and cheerful. See Minutes of Conferences, 3, 600; Stevens, History of the Methodist Episcopal Church; Sherman's New-England Divines, p. 285; Life of Billy Hibbard (N. Y. 12mo); Sprague, Annals, 7, 298.