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1651]

WILLIAM THOMAS.-JOHN LOTHROP.

439

Mr. Jenney's widow, Sarah, died in 1656, leaving £248. The name is worthily perpetuated in the Old Colony, but their descendants have paid little attention to their Pilgrim progenitors.

WILLIAM THOMAS.

In 1651 died of consumption, at Marshfield, William Thomas, aged seventy-seven. He was one of the Merchant Adventurers in 1620-7, and in 1630 came to New Plymouth. In 1641 he was a deputy from Barnstable, also in 1646 from Marshfield, and for seven years he served as an assistant. He was a scholarly, public-spirited gentleman, though illiberal in religious matters. His son Nathaniel served in Philip's War, and of his later descendants many have been prominent. One of them also a William Thomas-died at Plymouth in 1882, aged ninety-three, and ranking as the oldest surviving graduate (1807) of Harvard College. The gallant leader of the American right at the siege of Boston (1776) was of another family, though also of the Old Colony.

-

In the old burying-ground at Marshfield may still be seen the gravestone of this worthy pioneer. The inscription

reads

"Here lies what remains of William Thomas, Esq., one of the founders of New Plymouth Colony, who died in yo month of August, 1651, about ye 78th year of his age."

(There is close by, the stone of his son Nathaniel, who died Feb. 13, 1674, aged about sixty-eight, and who volunteered himself and his man for the Pequod War in 1637.)

JOHN LOTHROP,

the famous pioneer preacher of Barnstable, died 1654. He was an Oxford scholar, and became eminent as rector of Edgerton, in Kent, but renouncing his living, joined Jacob's flock in London. Jacob, as a Puritan, had sharply assailed

the Separatists, especially Robinson and his Congregationalists; but Laud's persecutions driving him to Holland, Robinson won him from Puritanism, so that in 1616 he opened in London the first Independent church in England. In 1624 Jacob went to Virginia, where he soon died. Lothrop succeeded him at London. In 1632 this flock was pounced upon while privately worshipping in the house of Humphrey Barnet, a brewer's clerk; and while eighteen escaped, fortytwo were thrown into prison. The laymen were the next year released on bail; but Laud denied even such grace to the recusant pastor, though Mrs. Lothrop was in a mortal sickness. When her end drew near, however, Lothrop was permitted to leave his prison long enough to make her a parting visit, this boon having been granted at the solicitation of their children, who called in a body on the Primate. After nearly two years, the King was persuaded to let Lothrop go into exile.2

In 1628 some "" men of Kent" came over and settled at Satuit (now Scituate). Chief among them were Nathaniel Tilden and sons, Henry Merrit, and Thomas Bird. After a time Giles Saxton preached there. In 1634 Lothrop (formerly of Kent) joined them as pastor, bringing some thirty of his London flock; and to him came back thirteen of his people who had already domiciled at Plymouth. As this Kentish town grew, there arose the usual complaint of poor soil and scanty room; in consequence of which the great body of the church, headed by Lothrop, removed to Cape

1 Robinson's congregation did not become Independent until it reached Leyden.

2 Lothrop's London successor, Mr. Canne, opposed infant baptism. The next pastor, Samuel Howe, was seized and kept in prison till his death, but his deacon, Stephen More, conducted lay services till freedom came in 1641.

The site of the edifice used by this church when it began to worship publicly under the Commonwealth, was afterwards occupied by Thrale's brewery. The famous Dr. Johnson, as executor in behalf of his noted friend Mrs. Thrale, sold the estate to the "Barclay & Perkins" of his day; and the brewery of that noted firm still occupies it, and it was there that the Austrian marshal, Haynau, was mobbed in 1852 for having whipped women in the Hungarian rebellion.

8 In 1635 William Brooks, then æt. 20, came to Scituate, a passenger in the "Blessing," and married Susan Dunham, a widow.

1653.]

JOHN LOTHROP.

441

Cod and founded Barnstable. Yet Scituate prospered, and in time became the wealthiest and strongest town in the Colony.

Barnstable also grew strong; and one will be fortunate indeed if he can find two better or pleasanter communities than those of Lothrop's two towns. At the West Parish of Barnstable, still strong, is the church organization which claims to have been established by Jacob at London, to have been transplanted by Lothrop to Scituate, and then brought by him to Barnstable; so that it is the original body of the first Congregational church in Great Britain. In charge of it, Lothrop died in 1653, full of years and honor. His son Barnabas, an eminent magistrate in the last years of the Colony, was born at Scituate, 1636; married Susanna Clark; and died at Barnstable, 1715. His grandson, Isaac Lothrop of Plymouth (died 1750), was a highly esteemed judge of the Common Pleas; and his sons, Isaac and Nathaniel, were noted men. Isaac (died 1808) was an earnest antiquary, who as judge of probate for thirty years, had great opportunities; his brother, a physician, graduated at the head of his class in Harvard, 1756, and died in 1828, having long been the oldest person in Plymouth.1

1 John Lothrop was one of the twenty-two children of Thomas Lothrop, of Yorkshire. Probably he was brother to Mark Lothrop, who died at Bridgewater (New Plymouth), 1686, aged about 89. (See "Memoirs of Lothrops," by Rev. E. B. Huntington.)

I find that Lothrop is mentioned in a deed of 1641 as "minister," - which title was not then generally applied to the clergy.

Lothrop's congregation had a thanksgiving feast Dec. 22, 1636 (0.s), “making merry of the creature, the poorer being united of the richer." Dec. 11, 1639 (o. s.), was another festive meeting; and it being very cold after praise, it divided into three companies "to feast together," some at Hull's, some at Mayo's, and the rest at Lombard, senior's.

CHAPTER LV.

IN

THE PILGRIM TRIUMVIRS.

Denslow

N 1646 Massachusetts, justly fearing retribution for her cruelty to Gorton and her abuse of Dr. Child and his fellow-petitioners for religious toleration, engaged Governor Winslow of Plymouth to visit England as her representative, a selection which she justified by his "presence, speech, courage, and understanding, as also being well known to the Commissioners." Winslow's Plymouth associates disapproved of his mission; and the very last sentence of Bradford's History (in 1650) says of it: "He hath now been absent this four years, which hath been much to the weakening of this government, without whose consent he took these employments upon him." It was a sad day at the close of autumn when, turning forever away from scenes so dear and sacred to him, the gallant Winslow proceeded up the old path to the Bay. On the way his horse fell sick and died, an omen which its somewhat superstitious rider might well have heeded. At Boston, the treasury being empty, he was detained until for his expenses the Colony could borrow £100 from the merchants.

In England Winslow found the places of his old enemies filled by the patriots of the Commonwealth; and with these

1 Commissioners of Plantations of English Government.

1646.]

EDWARD WINSLOW.

443

he acquired such influence as to save Massachusetts from all harm, though the Commissioners for Plantations upheld Gorton's full right to the lands and liberty which that Colony had so outraged. Gorton was at hand, and set forth his case in a bitter but not unjustifiable book, called "Simplicity's Defence." Winslow made a harsh reply (1646), under the title of "Hypocrisy Unmasked." The next year Dr. Child's brother made a much-provoked attack upon Boston and its representative, in "New England's Jonah cast up in London; " and Winslow retorted with "New England's Salamander discovered by an Irreligious and Scornful Pamphlet.”

As an appendix to his book against Gorton, is published Winslow's charming "Brief Narration," which is copied in Young's "Chronicles," and which gives us all that is known of Robinson's farewell address, besides much other Pilgrim history of the highest value. It redeems the volume from the reproach for bigotry and injustice which is merited in its main part; for, like most successful men, Winslow hardened with years, as he had illustrated only the year before he left Plymouth. The General Court had then received from Captain Vassall, of Scituate, and others, a strong petition for legalized toleration for men of every religious belief who would " preserve the civil peace and submit unto government." No exception was to be made of Turk, Jew, Papist, Arian, or Socinian. Yet the majority of the deputies favored the plan; and it is said that the magistrates were equally divided. In the latter case, the liberals must have been Standish, Hatherly, Brown, and Freeman; while against them stood Bradford, Winslow, Prence, and Collier. As the Court sat in one body, and the Governor had no veto, it was evident that toleration would be enacted if a vote should be taken; so Winslow and his friends resorted to a Parliamentary trick, not yet obsolete, by procuring a postponement of the matter, under pretence of giving it a fuller consideration. Of this petition Winslow wrote: "You would have admired to have seen how sweet this carrion relished to the palate of most of the deputies."

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