Category: 18th Century
-
The People in the Pews: The Humphries Family
John and Elizabeth Humphries were a free Black couple who first appear in the Old North records in March 1748 with the baptism of their daughter, Deborah. Over the next four years, they would baptize seven more children at Old North: Robert, Richard, James, Catherine, Elizabeth, Thomas, and Ruth. Five children were baptized on the…
-
The People in the Pews: Captain Thomas Gruchy
Thomas Gruchy remains an elusive figure in Old North’s long history. Gruchy owned pew #25. Appearing in Boston by 1741 and disappearing in 1759, Gruchy made a small fortune from the sea and purchased a grand mansion within a block of Old North. Church marriage records reveal that Gruchy enslaved a woman named Tamuse, who…
-
The People in the Pews: Rev. Mather Byles, Jr.
Reverend Mather Byles, Jr. served as the second rector of Old North Church from 1768 until April 18, 1775. He occupied pew #6. Like his predecessor Rev. Timothy Cutler, Byles left the Congregational ministry to be ordained as an Anglican priest. Also like Cutler, Byles was an enslaver. Church records document the baptism of Byle’s…
-
The People in the Pews: Alexander Chamberlain
For the many worshipers at Old North involved in the maritime trade, being a congregation member was also a way to establish business connections. This would have been just as true for Alexander Chamberlain, who sat in pew #9. However, while other prominent members were mostly merchants, sea captains and ship owners, Chamberlain was a…
-
The People in the Pews: General Thomas Gage
Following the Boston Tea Party in December 1773, the British Parliament deployed over 4,000 troops to occupy Boston. Their mission: enforce the Coercive Acts, designed to punish colonists for the Boston Tea Party and suppress insurgency within the colony. General Thomas Gage (1719- 1787) commanded these forces and, according to tradition, worshiped from pew 62…
-
99% Sure | Ep 8: The Bells of Old North
There are a number of persistent legends surrounding Old North Church’s iconic bells. In this episode of our web series 99% Sure, Old North’s researcher T.J. Todd debunks these myths and tells the true history behind our bells. See below for the video, episode transcript, extra information, and sources! Episode Transcript If you’ve ever been…
-
The People in the Pews: Capt. Samuel Nicholson
During his lifetime, when he was not out at sea, Capt. Samuel Nicholson attended Old North Church and owned Pew #11. After he died, he was buried in the Old North Church crypt. Visitors may now visit the crypt on Behind-the-Scenes Tours or view the plaque given to the church by the US Navy in…
-
The People in the Pews: Robert Newman
Robert Newman is perhaps the most famous sexton ever to serve Old North due to his participation in the fateful events on the night of April 18, 1775. Robert Newman was born on March 20, 1752 in Boston. He had an interesting and complex family tree. Robert Newman’s great-grandfather, Rev. William Burroughs, was accused of…
-
The People in the Pews: Joseph Warren Revere
Joseph Warren Revere, son of Paul Revere, attended the Old North Church in the early 19th century. He sat in Pew #54 with his family. Joseph Warren Revere was born in Boston on April 30, 1777, to Paul Revere and Rachel Walker Revere. He was the third of eight children from Paul Revere’s second marriage…
-
The People in the Pews: Dr. Greaves and Rev. Charles Wesley
One of the least known facts about the Old North Church is that in the year 1736 minister Charles Wesley, the co-founder of Methodism visited Boston and preached here. His presence in the American colonies started a year earlier. Wesley left England in October 1735 for the Georgia colony after being appointed secretary of Indian…