Edward Hutchinson (captain)
Encyclopedia
Edward Hutchinson (sometimes referred to as junior to differentiate him from his uncle) was the oldest son of the founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony
William Hutchinson and the dissident minister Anne Hutchinson
. He was a proponent of religious toleration
, and opposed the persecution of Quakers and Baptists throughout his life.
minister John Cotton. Anne and William joined him the following year.
Edward was one of the first colonists to purchase land and settle in Newport, Rhode Island
, because of the religious persecution directed at his mother in Massachusetts. Unlike his parents, however, Edward managed to make peace with the Puritan religious authorities and eventually moved to Boston where he spent most of his life. He was accepted as a member of the First Church in Boston
in 1636. However, in 1638, when his mother was banished from Boston, Edward, who had spoken up in her defense, was fined forty pounds.
He was made a captain of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1657 and took part in King Philip's War
in 1675. He was one of the commanders (along with Cpt. Thomas Wheeler
) of an expedition to negotiate with the Nipmuc sachem Muttawmp
and unwittingly led his men into an ambush in what became known as Wheeler's Surprise
. In this battle he was seriously wounded and died several weeks afterward in Marlborough.
, Essex
. They had seven children. Katherine died in 1650, at the age of 35 and Edward married Abigail Vermaies, with whom he had seven children. Court records from the time show that in 1656 Abigail Vermaies testified against Eunice Cole at her witch trail. Cole may have been the only woman convicted of witchcraft in New Hampshire.
One of Edward's daughters, Elizabeth, married Edward Winslow, a relative of Edward Winslow
, the Pilgrim
leader on the Mayflower
. Another, Susanna, married Nathaniel Coddington, son of William Coddington
, the first governor of Rhode Island.
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
William Hutchinson and the dissident minister Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson
Anne Hutchinson was one of the most prominent women in colonial America, noted for her strong religious convictions, and for her stand against the staunch religious orthodoxy of 17th century Massachusetts...
. He was a proponent of religious toleration
Religious toleration
Toleration is "the practice of deliberately allowing or permitting a thing of which one disapproves. One can meaningfully speak of tolerating, ie of allowing or permitting, only if one is in a position to disallow”. It has also been defined as "to bear or endure" or "to nourish, sustain or preserve"...
, and opposed the persecution of Quakers and Baptists throughout his life.
Life
Edward actually arrived in the American English colonies before his parents, in 1633, after traveling from England, together with his uncle (who was also named Edward and is often referred to as senior) and the PuritanPuritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
minister John Cotton. Anne and William joined him the following year.
Edward was one of the first colonists to purchase land and settle in Newport, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
, because of the religious persecution directed at his mother in Massachusetts. Unlike his parents, however, Edward managed to make peace with the Puritan religious authorities and eventually moved to Boston where he spent most of his life. He was accepted as a member of the First Church in Boston
First Church in Boston
First Church in Boston is a Unitarian Universalist Church founded in 1630 by John Winthrop's original Puritan settlement in Boston, Massachusetts. The current building is on 66 Marlborough Street in Boston.-History:...
in 1636. However, in 1638, when his mother was banished from Boston, Edward, who had spoken up in her defense, was fined forty pounds.
He was made a captain of the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1657 and took part in King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
in 1675. He was one of the commanders (along with Cpt. Thomas Wheeler
Thomas Wheeler
Thomas Wheeler was a colonial soldier of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and writer. He emigrated from England to the North American colonies in 1642. In 1644 he was living in Fairfield, Connecticut...
) of an expedition to negotiate with the Nipmuc sachem Muttawmp
Muttawmp
Muttawmp was a sachem of the Nipmuc Indians in the middle of 17th century, originally based in Quaboag. He participated in King Philip's War...
and unwittingly led his men into an ambush in what became known as Wheeler's Surprise
Wheeler's Surprise
Wheeler's Surprise, and the ensuing Siege of Brookfield, was a battle between Nipmuc Indians under Muttawmp, and the English of the Massachusetts Bay Colony under the command of Thomas Wheeler and Cpt. Edward Hutchinson, in August of 1675 during King Phillip's War...
. In this battle he was seriously wounded and died several weeks afterward in Marlborough.
Family
He returned to England in 1636, where he married his first wife, Katherine Hemby, in LawfordLawford
Lawford is a large village in the Tendring district of northeast Essex. It is around 10 miles northeast of Colchester and west of, and contiguous with Manningtree. Mistley merges with the East side of Manningtree....
, Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
. They had seven children. Katherine died in 1650, at the age of 35 and Edward married Abigail Vermaies, with whom he had seven children. Court records from the time show that in 1656 Abigail Vermaies testified against Eunice Cole at her witch trail. Cole may have been the only woman convicted of witchcraft in New Hampshire.
One of Edward's daughters, Elizabeth, married Edward Winslow, a relative of Edward Winslow
Edward Winslow
Edward Winslow was an English Pilgrim leader on the Mayflower. He served as the governor of Plymouth Colony in 1633, 1636, and finally in 1644...
, the Pilgrim
Pilgrim
A pilgrim is a traveler who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journeying to some place of special significance to the adherent of a particular religious belief system...
leader on the Mayflower
Mayflower
The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, , in 1620...
. Another, Susanna, married Nathaniel Coddington, son of William Coddington
William Coddington
William Coddington was an early magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and later of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving as the Judge of Portsmouth, Judge of Newport, Governor of Portsmouth and Newport, Deputy Governor of the entire colony, and then Governor of the...
, the first governor of Rhode Island.
See also
- List of early settlers of Rhode Island
- Colony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsColony of Rhode Island and Providence PlantationsThe Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations was one of the original English Thirteen Colonies established on the east coast of North America that, after the American Revolution, became the modern U.S...
- Massachusetts Bay ColonyMassachusetts Bay ColonyThe Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
Works cited
- Eva LaPlante, "American Jezebel: The Uncommon Life of Anne Hutchinson, the Woman Who Defied the Puritans", HarperCollins, 2005, ISBN 0060750561, http://books.google.com/books?id=TTj1N-egHsMC&pg=PA240&dq=%22Edward+Hutchinson%22+King+Philip&cd=1#v=onepage&q=%22Edward%20Hutchinson%22%20King%20Philip&f=false
- Oliver Ayer Roberts, "History of the Military Company of the Massachusetts, now called, the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts: 1637-1888, Volume 1", A. Mudge & Son, 1895. http://books.google.com/books?id=CWUUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA65&dq=%22Edward+Hutchinson%22+Boston&lr=&cd=7#v=onepage&q=%22Edward%20Hutchinson%22%20Boston&f=false
- John Putnam Demos, "Entertaining Satan: witchcraft and the culture of early New England", Oxford University Press US, 1983, http://books.google.com/books?id=igBQccp-wqAC&pg=PA315&dq=%22From+Generation+to+Generation,%22+Demos&cd=1#v=onepage&q=Eunice%20Cole&f=false
- Carol F. Karlsen, "The devil in the shape of a woman: witchcraft in colonial New England", W. W. Norton & Company, 1998, http://books.google.com/books?id=WOlUSglFjxIC&printsec=frontcover&dq=he+Devil+in+the+Shape+of+a+Woman:+Witchcraft+in+Colonial+New+England&cd=1#v=snippet&q=Eunice%20Cole&f=false
- Justin Winsor, "The memorial history of Boston: including Suffolk County, Massachusetts, 1630-1880, Volume 1", James R. Osgood, 1885, http://books.google.com/books?id=M6wTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA579&dq=Anne+Hutchinson+son+Edward&cd=3#v=onepage&q=Anne%20Hutchinson%20son%20Edward&f=false
- Wilkins Updike, "A history of the Episcopal Church in Narragansett, Rhode Island: including a history of other Episcopal churches in the state, Volume 1", Printed and published by D.B. Updike, 1907, http://books.google.com/books?id=FGrGRfuDRxoC&pg=PA396&dq=Anne+Hutchinson+son+Edward&lr=&as_brr=3&cd=12#v=onepage&q=Edward%20Hutchinson&f=false.
- Adam Winthrop, John Winthrop, Wait Still Winthrop, "The Winthrop papers", The Massachusetts Historical Society, 1889, http://books.google.com/books?id=zxPVAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA356&dq=Nathaniel+Coddington&cd=4#v=onepage&q=Nathaniel%20Coddington&f=false.
- Leo Bonfanti, "Biographies and Legends of the New England Indians", New England Historical Series, Pride Publications, 1981.