BackGround: London Temple, London, England.
Up Dated 12 February 2008
Henry DUNSTER1 1ST President of Harvard, HenryA.
Henry was born about 1609 and Christened 26 Nov 1609 in Bury, Lancashire, England, and married first 21 June 1641 in Cambridge Middlesex, Massachusetts, Elizabeth HARRIS the widow of Reverand Jese, Jesse or Joseph GLOVER, She was born in England and died 23 August 1643, in Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
He married second about 1644, in , Middlesex, Massachusetts, Elizabeth "Eliza" ATKINSON, the daughter of Hugh ATKINSON. She was born about 1627 in England, and died 12 September 1690 in Massachusetts.
Henry died 27 February 1659,in Scituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts.
(1). Henry Dunster, Revrend, President of harvard College from August 27, 1640 to October 24, 1654 married June 21 1641 Elizabeth, widdow of the Reverand Jose, Jesse or Joseph Glover. She died August 23 1643. "She was burried in the ancient burying ground at Cambridge and has a stone much gone to decay." He married a second time, Elizabeth (
(2). Dunstery,, Henry, educator, was a native of Lancashire, England, born probably in or near Bury, about 1612; son of Henry Dunster. He was graduated at Magdalen college, Cambridge university, receiving his first degree in 1630, and his second in 1634. He probably took orders in the English church, and immigrated to America with other non-conformists, reaching Boston in 1640. On August 27 of that year he became first president of Harvard college, which had been conducted by Nathaniel Eaton, 1638-40, with a degree of severity in discipline that nearly cost the college its existence. President Dunster gave his services to the college and was its sole teacher for several years. He presented to the institution 100 acres of land in Shawsin (Billerica) and built the president's house almost wholly from his personal funds. In 1654 he advanced a doubt as to the validity of infant baptism, and because of this was forced to resign his office, Oct. 24, 1654. For this offence he was also indicted and sentenced to public admonition by the grand jury, and later appeared again before that body for failing to have one of his children, born after his resignation, baptized. He removed to Charlestown and then to Scituate, Mass., in March, 1655, where he came under the milder regime of the Plymouth colony, and he preached there during the rest of his life. He was married in June, 1641, to Elizabeth, daughter of the Rev. Jose Glover, rector of Sutton, County Surry, England, who died childless. He afterward married Elizabeth, whose surname is unknown, and had several children. He published a revision of the Bay Psalm Book (1640). See Life of Henry Dunster by the Rev. Jeremiah Chaplin, D.D. (1872). He died in Scituate, Mass., Feb. 27, 1659.
Dunster, ...
Henry, Cambridge, first Presid. of Harv. Coll. a Lancashire man, s. of Henry of Balehoult, a seat in Bury of that Co. came in 1640, and resid. a short time in Boston, was of ar. co. 1640, but not of our ch. so that we may be sure he ws of ano. town prob. Cambridge bef. adm. as freem. 2 June 1641; was bred at Magdalen Coll. in the Univ. of Cambridge, had his degrees 1630, and 1634. Soon after com. he was made presid. 27 Aug. 1640, compell. to resign 24 Oct. 1654, on acco. of his opinion on inf. bapt. He was desir. to come to Ireland by the deputy Henry Cromwell and his coune. and £50 advance. for his passage, but he was wise eno. to avoid that evil, and d. at Scituate 18 or 27 Feb. 1659, where he preach. all his latter days; but his heart's desire was to be bur. at Cambridge, where, in his will, he says lay the remains of some of his babes. He names, as liv. two s. David, and Jonathan, d. Eliz. sis. Hills, w. of Joseph of Malden, and her childr. sis. Willard of Concord, and her childr. an cous. Faith D. His first w. Eliz. m. June 1641, d. 23 Aug. 1643; and next yr. he m. Eliz. wid. of Rev. Josse Glover, had David, b. 16 May 1645; Dorothy, 29 Jan. 1648; Henry, 1650; Jonathan, 28 Sept. or ano. acco. says, 26 Oct. 1653; and, after rem. from C. to S., Eliz. 29 Dec. 1656. Eliz. wh. at Cambridge they presume to have been his wid. d. in her 60th yr. 12 Sept. 1690, as the rec. plainly, but falsely, bears; for if it be so, she must have been only 14 yrs. old when he took her for his sec. w. and less than 9 yrs. old, when her h. d. on the ocean. Perhaps she was not mo. of Glover's ch.
Rev. Henry, Cambridge, propr., frm. June 2, 1641. He was president of Harvard College, 1640-1654. He leased Mr. Humphrey's mill at Lynn to Francis Ingalls in 1647. [Es. Files VIII, 75-8.] "An able proficient in Hebrew, Greek and Latin languages, an Orthodox Preacher of the truths of Christ." [J.] Became an Anabaptist. Rem. to Scituate. Was one of the revisers of the Bay Psalm Book. [C. M.] His wife Elizabeth d. 23 (6) 1643. He m. 2, Elizabeth, widow of Mr. Jose Glover. Ch. David b. 16 (3) 1645, Dorothy b. 29 (11) 1647.
He d. about 1659. Will dated 18 Feb. 1658, prob. June 21, 1659, beq. to wife; to sons David and Jonathan; to dau. Elizabeth, who is to be brought up by "my sister Mrs. Hills of Mauldon," or "my sister Williard of Concord," in case of her mother's death; to Mr. Chauncey, Mr. Mitchell, elder Frost; to cousin Bowers with her ch.; to cousin Faith Dunster; to sister Hills and to all her ch. born in this country; to sister Willard and all her ch.; to maid, Mary Russell.
THE BALEHOULT LETTER. Grace mercy and peace bee multiplyed in Christ Jesus vppon you Amen Kind and Louinge Sonns I am very glad of your wellfare and good psperity I haue receiued 4 letters from you since you Ariued in new England the first dated the 17th of August by Robte Haworth of Boulton the second dated the 21th of August both wch came to my hands in seauen weekes after you sent them the Redd wheat I receiued but ye Indian wampenpegs(*) weare lost out of your letter the third was dated ye 29th of 8ber wch I receiued on christms eue wth a letter of Richards inclosed in the same the last dated the 12th of8ber wch I receiued of one Millns that had beene wth (*) The wampenpeg was the Indian money, each piece being of the value of about the sixth of a penny. you in new England who lodged with me about mid January but it seemes it should haue come by Colier your Sisters remember theire loues vnto you both but you must not expect them so longe as your mother and I do liue your brother Thomas remembers his loue and hath sent you 2 dozen of Almanacks but now he is a widdower for both wyffe and chyln are deade since michaellms I pray god he take goodwayes I do not know of any that you sent for that entend to come as yett Touchinge Richard I would aduise him not to come over againe as yett for what soeuer is his due shall bee left in the hands of hissisters for I haue taken a generall aquitance of Robte so that Richard and his sisters may haue what wee two ould folke leaue and wee shall make no willfull wast now concerninge our England since you went ouer wee have beene sore troubled for the Scotts came into England a month afore michaellms and came to Tyne watter where some of our Troupers laye the Scotts proffered to come over and our menwthstood them for a while but ours beinge but 500 weare not able to wthstand 30 Thousand but fledd amaine insomuch as one Constable a gentleman of a company cryed to his band Ryde theeues Ryde for your lyues and he himselfe for his pte Ridd so fast yt he lost his capp and mist it not of rydinge two myles Then the Scotts came pedentim towards newcastle in some 203 [2 or 3 ?] dayes where ye yealded the towne immediatly Then was England in a fright for the did not knowe what to doe but att last all the freehoulders and trayned bande weare caled togather every Hundred by itselfe and trayned for afortnight togather also all betwixt 16 and 60 weare caled togather so that vpon the 8th of 7ber beinge Bury fayre there was at Burye 40 Thousand wth such weapons as ye could gett and those that had nobetter tooke euery one a great clubb and it was caled Club fayre att Burye and all the prouision for the fayre was eaten vpp that daye So that ye 800 which trayned there weare scanted for a fortnight afterof vituals the Buchers and Allewyues made a gayne of them Then great troups of Souldiers weare sent into yorkeshire and it was thought that there would haue beene some Batayle speedely Butt the Lordturned all to peace and parlimnt [The long Parliament.] was caled which began the third of 9ber and the goe on very Joyffully god bee praysed for the same And the Scotts are to remoue from newcastle before the 25th of march and the must receiue 300 Thousand pounds to bringe them whome againe Nowfor our great men of England the most of them are proued traytors first lord deputy [Strafford.] of Ireland and the Archbishopp of canterbury [Laud--Both were subsequently executed.] and the great Judges the rest of the Bishops are found in a premunire except the bishopp of Lincolne who is suffered to bee in the parliment house all the rest are Excluded finch ye lord keeper is fledd wyndebancke the kings cheeffe secretary is fledd the Bishopp wrenn [Chaplain to Charles I.] had thought to haue flowen but his wings weare to short All non conformists are suffred to preach and our Altars are some of them puld vpp Surplusses and communion books some torne the communion tabls brought downe into the bodye of the church: Burton and Preen are brought into the Parliment house wth great respect and weare mett out of the citye with 200 couches in triumphe so that ye kinge did take it somwhat harshly and said so many did not meete him when he came from Yorke from quietinge the Scotts many peticions are prfered into the Parliment against Idle dronken ministers and against double beneficed parson [s] and suite made that all Chappells shall be reliued out of church Liuings your sister Elizabeth is turned scribe and can do very well of 3 weeks tyme I pray you giue Richard good counssell and bee the meanes to traynehim vpp in goodness and make much of each other for it repenteth mee very sore of my lyffe heretofore spent in Idle company and I thanke god hartelye that plonged my lyffe to see my erors and foly The ouldLady Ashton and Mr. Rawsthorns heire dyed wthin 2 howers togather vpon wednessday afore candlms and weare buried att burye both in one graue vpon the monday followinge The papists had conspired wth ye deputye of Ireland to sett fightinge in the north pts that ye might haue begun in the south where the should haue had ayde out of Ireland and the spaniard laye watchinge vppon the seas likewise tohaue Ayded them but the Holanders meetinge wth them gaue them a great shake and scattered them sore so that wee may well say that man purposseth but god disposseth my lord saye and my lord Brooke are sworne of the kings priuy Counssell whose lyves ye byshops had ment to haue taken awaynot long since your ould friend doctor Cossins for his honesty is put in the cage to see if he can singe well or no All the monepolies for lycencesses are disanulled so that euery man may buye and sellatt theire pleasure wthout controule we haue gotten ould Mr Horocks to bee lecturer att Burye euery thursday he begun afore christms and hath promised for a tweueluemonth if god spare him health andabilitie Mr Ashton of Midleton is one of our knights for the Parliment who hath wth him for aduise and counssell your friend ould Mr. Rathband who hath beene wth him since it began The Scotts assoneas the came to new castle sange the 74th psalme: why art thou lord so longe from vs &c [Sternhold and Hopkins's version.] many great men are thought to bee faulty as I writt afore Thus committinge you bothe to the ptection of the Allmighty I rest Your louing father HENRYE DUNSTER from Balehoult(*) this 20th of March 1640 This letter comes by London."
Biography
Henry Dunster (1609-1659?) was the first President of Harvard College from 1640 to 1654.
Henry Dunster was born in 1609 in Bury, Lancaster, England to Henry Dunster and Isabel (Kay) Dunster. Born into a family of yeoman farmers, Henry was the fifth of nine children.
Dunster attended a local chantry school in Bury. Taught by the local minister, Dunster learned Greek and Latin and developed an early interest in religion. Although of modest means, his father provided him every opportunity to study the known sciences in order to satisfy Dunster's desire for increased knowledge and learning. Dunster graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (1630) and a Master of Arts (1634) from Magdalene College at the University of Cambridge. After graduation, he taught at the local free school, became headmaster of the Bury Grammar School, and served as minister of Saint Mary's Church.
Upon the outbreak of the Civil War in England, Dunster, a Puritan, found himself at odds with the monarchy and the Anglican Church. As a result, he emigrated to the English colonies in New England in the summer of 1640.
Dunster came to the New World with a knowledge of Latin, Greek, and Oriental languages, preaching ability, executive skills, an untiring fidelity to duty, and a broad-minded conception of education. Hence, he was a perfect choice to invigorate Harvard College, which upon his arrival, was at best a poor secondary school. Dunster was elected the first President of Harvard College, at the age of twenty-eight, on August 27, 1640. Along with his presidential responsibilities, he also assumed the treasurer's duties.
In 1640, Harvard College was in poor fiscal condition, its handful of students lived within Cambridge and not on campus, and many of its buildings were incomplete. A rigorous academic program was nonexistent. Dunster's appointment infused new life and energy into the College and he immediately set about the tasks of establishing the forms and functions that would last for generations at the college. Dunster accelerated the work on College Hall and held the first commencement at Harvard College in 1642 when the building was completed. Moreover, he helped establish Harvard's two governing boards, the Board of Overseers (1642), and the President and Fellows (1650), the latter of which is commonly known as the Corporation.
Dunster's reform of the academic program at the College began with the introduction of the teaching of Latin, Greek, and Oriental languages in 1640. Other academic subjects such as arithmetic, geometry, rhetoric, logic, ethics, physics, metaphysics, and divinity followed shortly after. Dunster established education strongly allied with the Christian missionary goals of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Students were required to read scripture and prayers twice a day at the College Hall. Weekly recitations were encouraged. Moreover, a code of conduct or "Rules and Precepts" was established for every student to observe. These rules instructed students that the foundation of all sound knowledge and learning was in knowing and studying the words of God and Jesus Christ. Dunster preached from time to time to Harvard's students, establishing a custom of presidential sermons. Because he wanted to encourage his students to use the Bible to understand, seek, learn, and live the "truth," Dunster supported the adoption of the Harvard College motto, Veritas or Truth.
Dunster was considered a talented scholar, good organizer, and powerful speaker. Interested in the the conversion of Native Americans to Christianity, he pioneered in providing training and educational opportunities for them at Harvard College. Dunster trained Harvard College tutors and attracted students back to the college campus. Finally, Dunster sought out donors to improve the fiscal condition of the College during his presidency and, as a result, was able to establish several fellowships for students.
By his marriage to the widow Elizabeth Glover in 1641, Dunster inherited the first printing press set up in America and he monopolized the publishing business in the Massachusetts Bay Colony for many years. His most significant contribution to early printing in America was a book he coauthored with Richard Lyon, The Psalmes Hymns and Spiritual Songs of the Old and New Testament faithfully translated into English metre, For the use, edification, and comfort, of the Saints, in publick, and private, especially in New England, in 1651(also known as the New England Bay Psalm Book). This book was in continuous use until it was revised in 1758. Dunster's printing business continued until 1654, when he gave or sold the press to Harvard College.
Although Dunster was an orthodox Puritan, he had come to the conclusion by 1653 that infant baptism as practiced in Massachusetts Bay Colony was unauthorized by scripture, and he refused to present his son, Jonathan, for baptism. Furthermore, he declared his opposition to infant baptism in public. Dunster's position, contrary to statutory law in Massachusetts Bay Colony, incurred the wrath of Puritan officials, and, on October 24, 1654, Dunster was forced to give up his position as President of Harvard College. At the time, opponents of baptism faced banishment from the Colony, and although Dunster was never expelled from the Colony, he left Cambridge in the spring of 1655. He first moved to Charlestown, and then to Scituate in Plymouth Colony.
Henry Dunster married Elizabeth (Harris) Glover, the widow of the Reverend Joseph Glover, on June 22, 1641. Elizabeth died in 1643, leaving no children by Dunster. However, she did have five children from her previous marriages, Roger, John, Elizabeth, Sarah, and Priscilla. Although Elizabeth's death left Dunster with five step-children, he inherited her property and printing press, and this left him financially secure, a particularly welcome benefit given that there were times when Harvard College could not afford to pay his full salary.
In 1644, Dunster remarried. His wife was eighteen-year-old Elizabeth Atkinson. She out-lived him by 30 years and died on September 12, 1690. Henry and Elizabeth had five children: David, Dorothy, Henry, Jonathan, and Elizabeth. Henry Dunster died on February 27, 1659/60.* He is buried in the churchyard of the First Church of Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Henry Dunster's devotion to Harvard College set it upon a firm and sound foundation. By the time he left office, Harvard College was recognized as an equal to the Universities of Oxford or Cambridge in England and students from the mother country began to come to America to pursue their studies. In many ways, Dunster was the founder of American higher education.
In 1907, Dunster was recognized by his descendants when a tablet in his memory was placed in the First Baptist Church of Boston. In 1930, Dunster House was opened on the Harvard campus. Finally, in 1932, "D" staircase, a part of the Lutyens Building in Benson Court, Magdalene College, Cambridge, England, was built to commemorate Dunster. The staircase has the Harvard image, VERITAS, over its entrance. The costs of the staircase were borne by subscriptions raised by grateful Harvard alumni.
Some years are cited with a slash and two consecutive numbers. This citation style is due to the introduction of the Gregorian Calendar in 1752, which created a shift that standardized New Years' Day to January 1. Events that occurred between January 1 and March 24 in the years before 1752 are therefore cited in one year by the old calendar conventions and in the following year by the Gregorian calendar.
Allen, Charles William. I spake the Truth: The Life and Times of Henry Dunster, Founding President of Harvard University, 1609-1659. Macon, Nauvoo, Illinois: privately printed, 1990.
Chaplin, Reverend Jeremiah. Life of Henry Dunster, First President of Harvard College. Boston: James R. Osgood and Company, 1872.
The Colonial Society of Massachusetts. Publications of The Colonial Society of Massachusetts, volume 31. Boston: D.B. Updike, the Merrymount Press, 1935.
The Colonial Society of Massachusetts. Publications of The Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Documents from the Harvard University Archives, 1638- 1750, volume 49. Portland, Maine: Anthoensen Press, 1975.
Costigan, George P. " Henry Dunster, Harvard's First President." Harvard Graduates' Magazine (March 1906) : 395-401.
Dunster, Samuel. Henry Dunster and His Descendants. Central Falls, R.I.: E.L. Freeman and Company, Steam Book and Job Printers, 1876.
Morison, Samuel Eliot. The Founding of Harvard College. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1935.
Morison, Samuel Eliot. Harvard College in the Seventeenth Century. Part I. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1936.
Morison, S.E. " Henry Dunster, First President of Harvard." Harvard Alumni Bulletin (13 December 1928) : 335-338.
Paige, Lucius R. History of Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1630-1877, with a genealogical register. Boston: H.O. Houghton and Company, 1877.
Ward, Andrew Henshaw. A genealogical history of the Rice family descendants of Deacon Edmund Rice, who came from Berkhamstead, England, and settled at Sudbury, Massachusetts, in 1638 or 9: with an index. Boston: C.B. Richardson, 1858.
Winship, George Parker. The Cambridge Press, 1638-1692: a re-xamination of the Evidence concerning the Bay Psalm Book and the Eliot Indian Bible as well as other contemporary books and people. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1945.
CHILDREN of Henry DUNSTER and Elizabeth "Eliza" ATKINSON:
1. DAVID b: 16 May 1645; Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
md: ;
Martha RUSSELL
d: 28 Jan 1753; , , Massachusetts.
2. DOROTHY b: 26 Jan 1647; Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
d: Bef 1658; , , Massachusetts.
3. HENRY b: 27 Oct 1650; Charlestown, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
d: Bef 1658; , , Massachusetts.
+ 4. JONATHAN b: 28 Sep 1653; Cambridge, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
md: 5 Dec 1678; Charlestown, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
Abigail ELIOT
md: 5 Apr 1692; Charlestown, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
Deborah WADE
md: 25 Nov 1719; Charlestown, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
Ruth EATON
d: 1725; , Middlesex, Massachusetts.
+ 5. ELIZABETH b: 29 Dec 1656; Schituate, Plymouth, Massachusetts.
md: Abt 1686;
Major Jonathan WADE.
d: 8 Nov 1729; Medford, Middlesex, Massachusetts.
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