John Lovejoy Abbot (November 29, 1783 – October 17, 1814) was an American clergyman and librarian. John Lovejoy Abbot was born in Andover on November 29, 1783. His father, after whom he was named, was a farmer. Abbot prepared for college at the

Academy An academy ( Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy ...

in his native town and graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

in 1805. He studied theology in

Andover Andover may refer to: Places Australia * Andover, Tasmania Canada * Andover Parish, New Brunswick * Perth-Andover, New Brunswick United Kingdom * Andover, Hampshire, England ** RAF Andover, a former Royal Air Force station United States * Ando ...

under Dr. Ware. For a year (1807) he held the office of reader in the

Cambridge Cambridge ( ) is a university city and the county town in Cambridgeshire, England. It is located on the River Cam approximately north of London. As of the 2021 United Kingdom census, the population of Cambridge was 145,700. Cambridge bec ...

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...

church, and the next year he occasionally preached in neighboring pulpits. In 1811 he was made Harvard College Librarian, and held the office for two years. In the spring of 1813, after his resignation from the Library, he was chosen pastor of the

First Church in Boston First Church in Boston is a Unitarian Universalist Church (originally Congregationalist) founded in 1630 by John Winthrop's original Puritan settlement in Boston, Massachusetts. The current building, located on 66 Marlborough Street in the Back ...

. At his

ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorization, authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominational ...

on July 14, 1813, the sermon was by Professor Ware and the introductory prayer by Rev.

Samuel Cooper Thacher Samuel Cooper Thacher (December 14, 1785 – January 2, 1818) was an American clergyman and librarian. Thacher, who was born in Boston, on December 14, 1785, was sprung from a long line of preachers. His father Peter was the pastor of the Bra ...

, (Librarian, 1808–11). Abbot preached in this pulpit only a few Sundays; the

consumption Consumption may refer to: *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically * Consumption (ecology), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of newly produced goods for curren ...

which had been threatening him grew so much worse that in the fall he was obliged to ask a leave of absence. His parishioners had already become deeply attached to their new pastor and they unanimously voted in their resolutions of sympathy and regret, "that the expenses of supplying the pulpit be paid by the Society during the absence of the Rev. Mr. Abbot, and that his salary be continued." About a month later, he married on 24 October, Elizabeth Bell Warland of Cambridge. In another month, he sailed for

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

in hopes of benefiting from the voyage. But on his return in June 1814, he was so little recovered that he was unable to resume preaching. He gradually grew worse until his death on October 17. At his funeral, which was at his church in Boston,

Edward Everett Edward Everett (April 11, 1794 – January 15, 1865) was an American politician, Unitarian pastor, educator, diplomat, and orator from Massachusetts. Everett, as a Whig, served as U.S. representative, U.S. senator, the 15th governor of Massa ...

preached the sermon. He was a member of the

American Antiquarian Society The American Antiquarian Society (AAS), located in Worcester, Massachusetts, is both a learned society and a national research library of pre-twentieth-century American history and culture. Founded in 1812, it is the oldest historical society in ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Abbot, John Lovejoy People from Andover, Massachusetts 1783 births 1814 deaths American theologians Harvard University librarians 19th-century American clergy Harvard College alumni