Humphrey Atherton | |
|---|---|
 Tomb of Major-General Humphrey Atherton at Dorchester North Burying Ground, Boston, Ma. August 8, 2010 | |
| Born | ca.1608 Possibly Lancashire, England |
| Died | September 16, 1661 Boston, Massachusetts |
| Service/ | Militia |
| Rank | Major-General |
| Commands | Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts (militia) Suffolk Regiment (militia) |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Atherton |
Major-General Humphrey Atherton, ( ca.1608 – September 16, 1661) an early settler of Dorchester, Massachusetts, held the highest military rank in colonial New England.[1][2] He first appeared in the records of Dorchester on March 18, 1637 and made freeman May 2, 1638.[2] He became deputy governor, a representative in the General Court, in 1638 and 1639–41. In 1653, he was Speaker of the House, representing Springfield, Massachusetts. He was chosen assistant governor,[1] a member of the lower house of the General Court who also served as magistrate in the judiciary of colonial government,[3] in 1654, and remained as such until his death."[4] He was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company of Massachusetts and held the ranks of lieutenant and captain for several years before rising to the rank of major-general. He also organized the first militia in Massachusetts.[1][2]
It is unclear where and when Atherton was born. It is presumed he came from Lancashire, England.[5] He was active in the governance of the colony, taking part in the acquisition of Native American lands,[2] the persecution of Quakers,[6] and the apprehension and convictions of heretics.[7] His accidental death was seen by the Quakers as a punishment from God for his persecution of them,[8] an idea repeated in a play by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. He was one of the most successful land speculators in the New England colonies.[9] He and his wife, Mary, had a number of children and several New England families have traced their ancestry to them. He is interred at Dorchester North Burying Ground, one of the oldest cemeteries in New England.[10]
- ^ a b c Adams, William Frederick, William Richard Cutter. Genealogical and personal memoirs relating to the families of the state of Massachusetts, Volume 4. Lewis Historical Publishing Company. 1910. pp. 2646–2647
- ^ a b c d Pope, Charles Henry. The History of the Dorchester Pope Family, 1634–1888. Published by the author, 1888. p. 322
- ^ Drake, Samuel Adams. The History of Middlesex County Massachusetts. Estes and Lauriat. 1880. p. 555
- ^ Hall, Charles Samuel. Hall Ancestry. G.P. Putnam and Sons. 1896. p. 74
- ^ Woodward, Harlow Elliot. Epitaphs from the Old Burying Ground in Dorchester. Boston Highlands. 1869. p .6
- ^ Hazard, Caroline. The Narragansett Friends' meeting in the XVIII century: with a chapter on Quaker beginnings in Rhode Island.Houghton, Mifflin. 1899. Pg. 51
- ^ Martin, George Castor. Founder of the Atherton Family of New England. National Genealogical Society Quarterly, Volume 1, Issue 4. January, 1913
- ^ Bishop, George. New-England judged, by the spirit of the Lord. T. Sowle. 1703 pp. 306
- ^ Martin, John Frederick. Profits in the Wilderness: entrepreneurship and the founding of New England towns in the seventeenth century. UNC Press Books. 1991 p. 306
- ^ Walker, G.H. Guide to metropolitan Boston. 1899. p. 66