he author of this Collection with the aid of his worthy friend, the rev. Jonathan French of North Hampton.

John Wingate, who settled on Dover neck, in New Hampshire, was the ancestor of many families in this country. He had three sons, John, Joshua. and Caleb. The last removed into one of the southern states. Joshua, at first, fixed his abode in Hampton. He was a very respectable character. At the celebrated siege and conquest of Louisbourg. in 1745, he commanded a company, and was afterwards, for several years, colonel of the Hampton regiment of militia. He finally settled in North Hampton, where he and his wife died at more, than 90 years of age. They had many children. Their eldest son, the rev. Paine Wingate of Amesbury, died at the age of 82 years, and was the father of the hon. Paine Wingate of Stratham and of Joseph Wingate, esq. of Hallowell. One daughter was the wife of doctor Edmund Toppan, [see art. 302] one of mr. Pickering, father of the hon. Timothy Pickering, one of rev. mr. Chase of Newcastle, one of doctor Newman of Newburyport, one of nır. Stickney of the same place, one of doctor Weeks of Hampton, and one of the rev. Nathaniel Gookin of North-Hampton, father of the present hon. Daniel Gookin. Most of these lived to a great age. The youngest son of colonel Joshua Wingate was the late venerable JOHN WINGATE, A. M. the principal subject of this article.

This worthy man was born at Hampton, 4 Janua

ry, 1725. He was prepared for admission into Harvard college by his brother, the rev. Paine Wingate, and received his baccalaureate in 1744. In course of the following year, he made a publick profession of religion, which he adorned by his exemplary christian deportment through a long protracted life. Meekness, humility, and benevolence shone with uncommon lustre in the constellation of his virtues. He was a very conscientious and devout man. He loved the institutions of the gospel and esteemed them as most precious privileges. He delighted in the society of the pious and particularly in that of the faithful ministers of Jesus Christ, with many of whom he was well acquainted.

Mr. Wingate never entered into the bonds of matrimony; yet he was esteemed, like a father, by inany, who experienced his kind and watchful care Devoid of ambition for the honours of the world, it was his constant aim to live to the glory of God and. the benefit of his fellow creatures. He was never happier, than when doing good to the extent of his opportunities and means, and his days were filled up with deeds of usefulness. He wept with those, who wept and rejoiced at the temporal and spiritual prosperity of all around him. He was remarkable for the simplicity and purity of his life and conversation. Of no one may it be said, with more striking propriety, that he was an Israelite indeed in whom there was no guile. At length, bowed down with age, esteemed and revered, wherever known, he closed his pilgrimage, on the 4 of September,

1812, in his 88 year, to enter on the rewards of grace. Mark the perfect man and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace.

KINGSTON, N. H.

573. Note. The rev. ELIHU THAYER, D. D. was born of religious parents in Braintree, Massachusetts, 29 March, 1747. He was educated at New Jersey college, the honours of which he received in 1769. His ordination at Kingston, in NewHampshire, took place, 18 December, 1776. His predecessors, in the ministry of that town, were the rev. Ward Clarke, who was ordained, in 1725, the rev. Joseph Secombe, in 1737, and the rev. Amos Tappan, in 1762. From the time of the organization of the New Hampshire Missionary Society, in 1801, doctor Thayer was, annually, elected the president of that institution, till 1811, when his feeble state of health obliged him to decline a re-election. He finished his christian course, on the S of April, 1812, at the age of 65 years. He was distinguished for his meekness and humility, piety and learning, and was an eminent minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

BOON ISLAND.

574. Note. This article is designed to perpetuate the remembrance of a distressing occurrence at Boon Island, which is a body of rocks of extremely difficult access, except in a perfect calm, and which

lies at the distance of a few miles in a southeasterly direction from Cape Neddock.

The NOTTINGHAM GALLEY, a vessel of 120 tons' burden with ten guns and fourteen men, sailed from London for Boston, 25 September, 1710; but, meeting with contrary winds and bad weather, was driven to the northward of Piscataqua harbour, and, at length, in a tremendous northeasterly gale accompanied with rain, hail, and snow, was driven upon Boon Island, in the night of the 11 of December. The vessel was immediately dashed to pieces; but, in almost a miraculous manner, all the crew got safely upon the dreary island. Their sufferings, in this situation, from the wet, cold, and hunger, were extreme. Some of them soon died. Two of them attempted, after a few days, to get ashore at York upon a raft and were lost. Having no means to make a signal, which could be seen, the survivers were not discovered, so as to be taken off, till the 3 of January, 1711. They were obliged to subsist upon rock weed, a few muscles, and a raw hide cut into little shreds. For a time, they frequently united in prayer to God and exhibited all that kindness of disposition, which becomes the christian character. At length, dying with their hardships, and especially for want of food, after much deliberation, it was thought to be their duty to satisfy the cravings of nature by eating the flesh of one of their number, who had fallen a victim to disease and death. It being out of their power to

get fire, they were obliged to swallow the loathsome morsel as it came from the human carcass.

Now the scene was totally changed. Perpetual quarrels ensued and nothing, scarcely, could be more dreadful, than the effects of the alternative, to which these unhappy mariners had been driven. Their disposition resembled that of the infernals. Their God was forgotten or his holy name was awfully blasphemed.

When relieved, these men were reduced to a mere skeleton and were unable to walk. John Deane, the commander of the Nottingham Galley, published a long and circumstantial narrative, which is seldom to be found, and from which the facts in this article have been drawn.

NEWBURYPORT, MASS.

575. Reliquiæ hic deponuntur dom. NICOLAI HODGE, coll. Har. A. M. indolis promptæ ac mentis piæ juvenis; literatura. omnimoda non parum præditus; ecclesiis decessit mostis candidatus evangelicus; contemporalibus, quibuscunque notus, condolentibus plauditur. Futurus etiam longe laudabitur apud Neoburienses, qui natu gavisi sunt, omnium votis non obstantibus, Feb. 29, 1744, ætatis 24 denatus. Beatitudine jam cælesti Deo optimo maximo donatus est