Category: The Atlantic World
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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…
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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…
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Old North Church Reckons With its Past While Charting a Course for its Future
A horrific discovery has been the catalyst for a new reckoning at Old North Church & Historic Site. Like many historic sites in the Northeast, Old North Church, located in Boston, Mass., sits at a paradoxical intersection of freedom and unfreedom. To many, the steeple is an icon of American liberty and independence. Yet, recent…
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The People in the Pews: The Bay Pew
Near the very front of the Old North Church is a plush, velvet-lined pew dedicated to the “Gentlemen of the Bay of Honduras.” It is a curious feature for a church built in Boston, and the faded brass marker on “The Bay Pew” reveals a dramatic chapter in the rich history of New England, the…
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99% Sure | Ep 7: The Atlantic Logwood Trade (Season Finale)
Welcome to our Season 1 finale of “99% Sure”, a video series where we take a deeper dive into the legends, people, and events of Old North that sum up the significance of history as it ties to our present moment. Over the last 7 episodes, Old North’s Education Manager and intrepid public historian T.J.…
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Bittersweet Associations: Old North, Cacao Smuggling, and Slave Trading in 18th C. America
On the night of May 31, 1743, terror struck the Rising Sun. As the ship tracked eastward off the coast of Suriname, three sailors snuck into the ship’s cabin and attacked the people sleeping inside. Blood curdling screams echoed out of the cabin, across the ship, and onto the deck above. Two of the victims, captain Newark…
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Old North’s Mini Courses: #4 – Maritime Mania
Has it been a while since your high school history classes? Have you been watching too many historically inaccurate movies or TV shows? Or maybe you’re just looking for some old-fashioned intellectual stimulation? Then look no further than Old North’s Mini-Courses! Each month we will offer a new mini-course on a variety of topics for all…
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Feature: Old North on Place Based Boston
This month we were grateful to Place Based Boston for asking us to share a reflection on how Jared Hardesty’s recent research findings about a colonial-era smuggling ring, the slave trade, and Old North has impacted our site, how we talk about our history, and how we interact with visitors and the public. Below see…
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The People in the Pews: Capt. Newark Jackson
The number of mariners among the early pew owners of Old North provides an indication of the importance of sea trade as well as its potential for generating wealth in pre-Revolutionary Boston. One such man was Captain Newark Jackson, who owned Pew #13 from 1738 until 1743. The historical record reveals a man who engaged…
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Of Sailing Ships & Steeples