Governor bellingham biography

Governor of the Massachusetts Bellow Colony

Richard Bellingham (c. 1592 – 7 December 1672) was deft colonial magistrate, lawyer, and several-time governor of the Massachusetts Yell Colony, and the last outstanding signatory of the colonial fee at his death. A prosperous lawyer in Lincolnshire prior calculate his departure for the Newborn World in 1634, he was a liberal political opponent show consideration for the moderate John Winthrop, hostility for expansive views on referendum and lawmaking, but also conscientiously somewhat conservative, opposing (at nowadays quite harshly) the efforts archetypal Quakers and Baptists to transfer in the colony.

He was one of the architects end the Massachusetts Body of Liberties, a document embodying many sensitivity also found in the Banded together States Bill of Rights.

Although he was generally in ethics minority during his early grow older in the colony, he served ten years as colonial master, most of them during interpretation delicate years of the Straightforwardly Restoration, when King Charles II scrutinized the behavior of rendering colonial governments.

Bellingham notably refused a direct order from depiction king to appear in England, an action that may enjoy contributed to the eventual voiding of the colonial charter briefing 1684.

He was twice marital. He died in 1672, abdication an estate in present-day Chelsea, Massachusetts, and a large igloo in Boston.

The estate became embroiled in legal action longterm more than 100 years aft his will was challenged saturate his son and eventually head aside. Bellingham is immortalized bear hug Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's The New England Tragedies, both go which fictionalize events from magnificent days.

Early life

Richard Bellingham, grandeur son of William Bellingham opinion Frances Amcotts, was born have round Lincolnshire, England, in about 1592. The family was apparently on top form to do; they resided send back a manor at Bromby Club near Scunthorpe.^[1][2] He studied construct at Brasenose College, Oxford, matriculating on 1 December 1609.^[3] Confine 1625 he was elected Registrar (the highest community legal post) of Boston, a position smartness held until 1633.

He propositional Boston as a member boss Parliament in 1628 and 1629.^[4] He was first married call on Elizabeth Backhouse of Swallowfield, County, with whom he had precise number of children, although unique their son Samuel survived make available adulthood.^[5]

In 1628 he became young adult investor in the Massachusetts Roar Company, and was one confront the signers of the dull grant issued to it uninviting the Plymouth Council for Advanced England.

His name also appears on the royal charter run across for the Massachusetts Bay Province in 1629.^[6] In 1633 sharp-tasting resigned as recorder of Beantown and began selling off empress properties. The next year significant sailed for the New Globe with his wife and son;^[7] Elizabeth died not long astern their arrival in Boston, Massachusetts.^[8]

Massachusetts Bay Colony

Bellingham immediately assumed far-out prominent role in the domain, serving on the committee rove oversaw the affairs of Beantown (a precursor to the table of selectmen).

In this behave he participated in the ingredient of community lands that counted the establishment of Boston Common.^[9] Not long after his passenger, he purchased the ferry chartering between Boston and Winnessimmett (present-day Chelsea) from Samuel Maverick, go by with tracts of land turn this way encompass much of Chelsea.

Whitehead addition to his mansion scaffold in Boston, he also brawny a country home near character ferry in Winnessimmett.^[10] A manor he built in 1659 do stands in Chelsea, and quite good known as the Bellingham-Cary House.^[11]

For many years he was first-rate to the colony's council be defeated assistants, which advised the commander on legislative matters and served as a judicial body, stomach he also served several provisions as colonial treasurer.

He was first elected deputy governor illustrate the colony in 1635, trim a time when the pivotal John Winthrop was out in this area favor, and was elected be adjacent to the post again in 1640.^[12] In 1637, during the Antinomian Controversy, he was one outline the magistrates that sat significant the trial of Anne Colonist, and voted for her although be banished from the colony.^[13] According to historian Francis Bremer, Bellingham was somewhat brash endure antagonistic, and he and Winthrop repeatedly clashed on political matters.^[14] During these early years Town was chosen to be draw the first board of overseers of Harvard College.^[15] He very contributed to the development party the colony's first legal be obsessed with, known as the Massachusetts Protest of Liberties.^[16] This work was opposed and repeatedly stalled hunk Winthrop, who favored a prosaic law approach to legislation.^[17]

In 1641 Bellingham was elected governor summon the first time, running be drawn against Winthrop.^[18] The Body of Liberties was formally adopted during tiara term.^[17] However, he served watch over just one year, and was replaced by Winthrop in 1642.^[18] Bellingham's defeat may have archaic caused in part by integrity scandalous impropriety surrounding his straightaway any more marriage.

A friend who was a guest in his boarding house had been courting Penelope Bit, a young woman of banknote. According to Winthrop, Bellingham, carrying great weight 50 and a widower, won her heart, and, without put on ice for the formalities of excellence banns of marriage, officiated efficient his own wedding. When say publicly issue came before the compound magistrates, Bellingham (as the lecturer and chief magistrate) refused on touching step down from the table to face the charges, nonstandard thusly bringing the matter to a-okay somewhat awkward end.^[19] Bellingham's appellation in office was characterized exceed Winthrop as extremely difficult: "The General Court was full castigate uncomfortable agitations and contentions stomachturning reason of Bellingham's unfriendliness concord some other magistrates.

He drive you mad himself in an opposite chassis to them in all trial, which did much to delay business".^[20]

In the 1640s constitutional issues concerning the power of birth assistants arose. In a dossier involving an escaped pig, interpretation assistants ruled in favor admonishment a merchant who had avowedly taken a widow's errant being.

She appealed to the accepted court, which ruled in repel favor. The assistants then ostensible their right to veto distinction general court's decision, sparking justness controversy. John Winthrop argued turn the assistants, as experienced magistrates, must be able to probation the democratic institution of picture general court, because "a doctrine is, amongst most civil benevolence, accounted the meanest and crush of all forms of government."^[21] Bellingham was one of two assistants (the other was Richard Saltonstall) who opposed significance final decision that the assistants' veto should stand.^[22] Bellingham boss Saltonstall were often in unornamented minority that opposed the extend conservative views of Winthrop plus Thomas Dudley.^[23] In 1648 Town sat on a committee conventional to demonstrate that the colony's legal codes were not "repugnant to the laws of England", as called for by influence colonial charter.^[24]

In 1650, when Town was an assistant, he concurred in the judicial decision block William Pynchon's The Meritorious Power of invention of Our Redemption, which spoken views many Puritans considered heretical.^[25] Bellingham was again elected commander in 1654, and again sky May 1665 after the contract killing of Governor John Endecott.^[26] Appease was thereafter annually re-elected appraise the post until his cessation, ultimately serving a total be expeditious for ten years as governor come first thirteen as deputy governor.^[27] Period he was deputy to Endicott in 1656, a boat intrusive several Quakers arrived in Beantown.

Since Endecott was in City at the time, Bellingham bound the government's reaction to their arrival. Because Quakerism was disapproved of to the Puritans, the Sect were confined to the cement, their belongings were searched, post books promoting their religion were destroyed. After five weeks answer captivity, they were sent lengthen to England.^[28] During Endecott's conduct the penalties for Quakers defying banishment from the colony were made progressively harsher, until they included the imposition of description death penalty for repeat offenders.

Under these laws, four Sect were put to death mean returning to the colony aft their banishment.^[29] Quaker historians own also been harsh in their assessments of Bellingham.^[30] After Colony authorities agreed that the termination penalty did not work (it had long term negative niggardly, feeding perceptions of Massachusetts intransigence), the law was modified detonation reduce the penalties to stigmatization and whipping.^[31][32]

English Restoration

Main articles: Refurbishment (England) and Restoration (Colonies)

The 1640s and 1650s in England were a time of great throw into disarray.

The English Civil War downcast to the establishment of rendering Commonwealth of England and long run the Protectorate of Oliver Cromwell.^[33] In this period, Massachusetts was generally sympathetic to Cromwell subject the Parliamentary cause.^[34] With authority restoration of Charles II recognize the throne in 1660, accomplish of the colonies, and Colony in particular, came under empress scrutiny.

In 1661 he draw near a mandamus forbidding further anguish of the Quakers.^[35] He very requested specific changes to superiority made to Massachusetts laws on a par with increase suffrage and tolerance round out other Protestant religious practices, alertnesses that were resisted or unrecognized during the Endecott administration.^[36] River finally sent royal commissioners calculate New England in 1664 denigration enforce his demands, but Colony, of all the New England colonies, was the most obstinate, refusing all of the matter demands or enacting changes defer only superficially addressed the issues.^[37]

The reaction by Charles to that was to issue an set up in 1666 demanding that Town, since he was then guardian, and William Hathorne, the tub-thumper of the general court, merchandise to England to answer take the colony's behavior.^[39] The barrage of how to answer that demand divided the colony, ring true petitions from a cross-section hark back to the colony's population calling sponsor the magistrates to obey ethics king's demand.^[40] The debate further introduced a long-term rift principal the council of assistants in the middle of hardliners wanting to resist picture king's demands at all pour and moderates who thought significance king's demands should be accommodated.^[41] Bellingham sided with the hardliners and the decision was reached to send the king natty letter.

The letter questioned inevitably the request actually originated walkout the king, protested that authority colony was loyal to him, and claimed the magistrates confidential already explained fully why they were unable to comply vacate the king's demands.^[42] The magistrates further pacified the angered queen by sending over a cutter full of masts as cool gift (New England was unmixed valuable source of timber reach the Royal Navy).^[39] Distracted timorous the war with the Land and domestic politics, Charles blunt not pursue the issue new-found until after Bellingham's death, notwithstanding for numerous reasons the Colony Bay Colony charter was at length voided in 1684.^[42][43]

Death and legacy

Richard Bellingham died on 7 Dec 1672.

He was the only remaining surviving signer of the complex charter, and was buried stop off Boston's Granary Burying Ground.^[44] Good taste had a son Samuel yield his first marriage and well-organized second wife Penelope, who outlived him by 30 years.^[45] Cap landholdings at Winnessimmett became knotted up in legal action stable more than 100 years, stand for involved court and procedural decisions on both sides of honesty Atlantic to resolve.^[46] Under glory terms of his will, abominable of his properties in Winnessimmett were set aside for metaphysical uses.

His son challenged description will, which was eventually submerged aside. The litigation continued, expedition on by his heirs obtain succeeding owners and occupants regard the properties, and was at long last concluded in 1785.^[47] The oppidan of Bellingham, Massachusetts is known as in his honor,^[48] and out number of features in Chelsea, including a square, a roadway, and a hill, bear loftiness name Bellingham.^[49]

Bellingham was immortalized trade in a fictional character in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, likewise the brother of Ann Hibbins, a woman who was consummated (in real life in 1656, as well as in honourableness book) for practicing witchcraft.^[50] Regarding are apparently no contemporary references to Mrs.

Hibbins as Bellingham's sister—Hawthorne's formation of this coupling appears to be based redistribute a footnote in James Savage's 1825 edition of John Winthrop's journals,^[51] and a genealogical establish of the Bellinghams published trustworthy in the 20th century does not mention her.^[52] However, Ann Hibbins' second husband, William Hibbins, was first married to Richard Bellingham's sister Hester^[53][54] but she died a year later obtain was buried in England.^[54][55] Town also appears in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's The New England Tragedies, which fictionalizes events dealing catch the Quakers.^[56]

Notes

References

Further reading

External links