Mr. Fountain was descended from the Fountains of Stockingham, Devonshire, England. The first member of the family who emigrated to America about 1650, was a merchant of opulence, who lived to the age of a hundred years. In the church of Mysborough in the county of Devon, England, are several monuments to members of this family; among others is one to the memory of Sir John Fountain, of whom there are some fragmentary sketches extant. The emigrant left two sons, the eldest of whom was Moses, a man remarkable for his piety, and who also lived to over a hundred years; the youngest son Moses, had two sons, Moses and Mathew, who died without issue at the age of one hundred and four, the latter was a British officer of some distinction previous to the Revolutionary war, but removed from Bedford to Eastchester with the refugees and there died from the bite of a fox, aged fifty-six.
He left four sons, Stephen, Aaron, Ezra and James, besides two daughters. Ezra the third son, the pastor of this church was born on the 20th of May, 1743, and died Oct. 25th, 1840, and was interred on his own farm at present occupied by John A. Miller in this town where a monument has been erected to his memory containing the following epitaph written by himself.
"A dying preacher I have been, To dying sinners such as you ; A dying preacher I remain, To all who come my grave to view."