▁Pri est ley ▁were ▁friends ▁in ▁England , ▁and ▁both ▁fled ▁England ▁to ▁escape ▁religious ▁per sec ution ▁in ▁ 1 7 9 5 - 1 7 9 6 . ▁  ▁Dr . ▁Joseph ▁Pri est ley ▁was ▁the ▁em inent ▁British ▁Scient ist ▁who ▁discovered ▁o xygen ▁and ▁carbon ated ▁water .   ▁Pri est ly ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁Un itar ian ▁Minister , ▁and ▁a ▁diss enter . ▁Anthony ▁For ster ▁became ▁a ▁convert ▁from ▁the ▁tr inity ▁to ▁mon othe ism ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 7 ; ▁a ▁split ▁came ▁as ▁ 7 5 ▁members ▁out ▁of ▁ 1 4 4 ▁left ▁the ▁mother ▁church , ▁now ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁Circ ular ▁Cong reg ational ▁Church .   ▁The ▁new ▁church ▁was ▁char tered ▁as ▁the ▁Second ▁Independent ▁Church ▁of ▁Char l eston ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 7 . ▁ ▁As ▁For ster ▁succ um bed ▁to ▁an ▁old ▁Army ▁ill ness ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 9 , ▁Samuel ▁Gil man , ▁a ▁gradu ate ▁of ▁Harvard ▁College ▁and ▁an ▁“ av owed ▁Un itar ian ”, ▁was ▁h ired ▁to ▁complete ▁the ▁slow ▁transition ▁to ▁Un itar ian ism . ▁While ▁at ▁Harvard , ▁Gil man ▁wrote ▁Harvard ’ s ▁al ma ▁mater , ▁Fair ▁Harvard . ▁Gil man ’ s ▁wife , ▁Caroline ▁Howard ▁Gil man , ▁was ▁a ▁well - known ▁author ▁and ▁poet . ▁She ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁Mount ▁A ub urn ▁C emetery ▁in ▁Massachusetts , ▁to ▁create ▁the ▁church yard ▁next