Nathaniel Eaton
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Nathaniel Eaton (17 September 1609 − 11 May 1674) was the first Headmaster of
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
, President designate, and builder of Harvard's first College, Yard, and Library, in 1636. Nathaniel was also the uncle of Samuel Eaton (one of the seven founding members and signatories of the Harvard Corporation by charter in 1650)


Biography

The sixth son of Rev. Richard Eaton (1565–1616), and Elizabeth kell? Nathaniel was baptised in Great Budworth, Cheshire, 17 September 1609. He was educated at the Westminster School, London, and then attended
Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by Henry VIII, King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge ...
, where he was a contemporary and good friend of John Harvard who at the time was a student at
Emmanuel College, Cambridge Emmanuel College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. The college was founded in 1584 by Sir Walter Mildmay, Chancellor of the Exchequer to Elizabeth I. The site on which the college sits was once a priory for Dominican mon ...
. He then pursued his studies, obtaining a MD and a
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from the
University of Padua The University of Padua ( it, Università degli Studi di Padova, UNIPD) is an Italian university located in the city of Padua, region of Veneto, northern Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 by a group of students and teachers from B ...
, in Venetia. Eaton later attended the
University of Franeker The University of Franeker (1585–1811) was a university in Franeker, Friesland, the Netherlands. It was the second oldest university of the Netherlands, founded shortly after Leiden University. History Also known as ''Academia Franekerensis'' o ...
, where he studied under Rev.
William Ames William Ames (; Latin: ''Guilielmus Amesius''; 157614 November 1633) was an English Puritan minister, philosopher, and controversialist. He spent much time in the Netherlands, and is noted for his involvement in the controversy between the Cal ...
. He subsequently emigrated to the
New England Colonies The New England Colonies of British America included Connecticut Colony, the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony, and the Province of New Hampshire, as well as a few smaller short-lived colon ...
on the
merchant ship A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are u ...
''Hector'', arriving in Boston on 26 June 1637 in a party which included his older brothers, Theophilus and
Samuel Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bibl ...
along with John Davenport. In the fall of 1637 he was appointed the first "headmaster" of the nascent
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 ...
called New College at the time and was awarded 500 acres of land by the General Court of Massachusetts. He erected Harvard's first building, in 1636, called the Old college; named, fenced and planted the
Harvard Yard Harvard Yard, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is the oldest part of the Harvard University campus, its historic center and modern crossroads. It contains most of the freshman dormitories, Harvard's most important libraries, Memorial Church, sever ...
called the College yard; established the colony's first
printing press A printing press is a mechanical device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a printing, print medium (such as paper or cloth), thereby transferring the ink. It marked a dramatic improvement on earlier printing methods in wh ...
in March 1639, and created its first semi-public library, the
Harvard Library Harvard Library is the umbrella organization for Harvard University's libraries and services. It is the oldest library system in the United States and both the largest academic library and largest private library in the world. Its collection ...
. Around the time that Eaton started teaching at Harvard, an '' Antinomian'' controversy had erupted in the
Massachusetts Bay Colony The Massachusetts Bay Colony (1630–1691), more formally the Colony of Massachusetts Bay, was an English settlement on the east coast of North America around the Massachusetts Bay, the northernmost of the several colonies later reorganized as the ...
. The governor at the time, John Winthrop, was well-noted for his extreme stance within the
Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...
community and was greatly feared by many of the colonists. Even those who were Winthrop's close allies, such as Rev.
Thomas Hooker Thomas Hooker (July 5, 1586 – July 7, 1647) was a prominent English colonial leader and Congregational minister, who founded the Connecticut Colony after dissenting with Puritan leaders in Massachusetts. He was known as an outstanding spea ...
, who cofounded the
colony of Connecticut The ''Connecticut Colony'' or ''Colony of Connecticut'', originally known as the Connecticut River Colony or simply the River Colony, was an English colony in New England which later became Connecticut. It was organized on March 3, 1636 as a settl ...
, were repulsed by his personality. As such, many left the colony and any Antinomians who didn't leave voluntarily were forced out, banished, or excommunicated (such as Rev.
John Wheelwright John Wheelwright (c. 1592–1679) was a Puritan clergyman in England and America, noted for being banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony during the Antinomian Controversy, and for subsequently establishing the town of Exeter, New Hamps ...
who founded
Exeter, New Hampshire Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,049 at the 2020 census, up from 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood. ...
, and his sister-in-law, Anne (Marbury) Hutchinson, who founded a new colony in what later became
Rhode Island Rhode Island (, like ''road'') is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is the List of U.S. states by area, smallest U.S. state by area and the List of states and territories of the United States ...
). Eaton's older brother, Gov. Theophilus Eaton, led the group along with John Davenport as their religious leader. They intended to start their own settlement – probably due in part to the commanding persona of John Winthrop, Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony at the time (1637 to 1640, and many other terms). Winthrop was termed "an object of great fear in all the colonies," and caused the Rev. Thomas Hooker and others to go off and form their own colonies as well. Deciding that he didn't want to be involved in the animosity, he – like Rev. Thomas Hooker before him – founded a new colony, the
colony of New Haven The New Haven Colony was a small English colony in North America from 1638 to 1664 primarily in parts of what is now the state of Connecticut, but also with outposts in modern-day New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. The history of ...
, though Winthrop and others literally begged both of them to stay. In 1639, the year after Theophilus left, Eaton was fired from his job following allegations that he had beat one of his students too harshly and that his wife had supposedly served students
hasty pudding Hasty pudding is a pudding or porridge of grains cooked in milk or water. In the United States, it often refers specifically to a version made primarily with ground ("Indian") corn, and it is mentioned in the lyrics of "Yankee Doodle", a tradit ...
with goat dung in it. Eaton's trial gave rise to the concept of
court reporter A court reporter, court stenographer, or shorthand reporter is a person whose occupation is to capture the live testimony in proceedings using a stenographic machine, thereby transforming the proceedings into an official certified transcript b ...
s. After the Church of Cambridge attempted an appeal on his behalf, Governor Winthrop refused them, saying that enough evidence had already been presented by several witnesses. The church, however, was able to secure a promise that all subsequent trials would be accompanied by a recording of facts so that defendants and plaintiffs could refer to evidence already presented without witnesses having to go through the entire process again. The only record of Eaton's own supposed "confession" was destroyed in a suspicious fire in the office of the famous historian, James Savage, and his guilt remains in doubt. In the same year as Eaton was fired, he was recorded as owning an enslaved man named "The Moor", of which the students of Harvard complained about having to eat the same food as the Moor.
Henry Dunster Henry Dunster (November 26, 1609 (baptized) – February 27, 1658/59) was an Anglo-American Puritan clergyman and the first president of Harvard College. Brackney says Dunster was "an important precursor" of the Baptist denomination in America, ...
succeeded Eaton in 1640 as Harvard's first
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, and the first students graduated in 1642. Dunster also found himself confronting the students, albeit in a sterner fashion, actually having to whip two of them publicly for abusing one of the citizens of Cambridge. However, the students finally triumphed in the situation, and Dunster himself resigned in 1654 over disagreements with the church about
infant baptism Infant baptism is the practice of baptising infants or young children. Infant baptism is also called christening by some faith traditions. Most Christians belong to denominations that practice infant baptism. Branches of Christianity that ...
. At around the same time that Eaton was dismissed from Harvard, he apparently was also
excommunicated Excommunication is an institutional act of religious censure used to end or at least regulate the communion of a member of a congregation with other members of the religious institution who are in normal communion with each other. The purpose ...
from the congregation in Cambridge. He moved to
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
in 1640 and then sent for his wife and children who left New England, except for Benoni. According to Winthrop in his ''History of New England'' (known to be full of inaccuracies), the ship in which the family travelled disappeared without a trace. Benoni Eaton, left in Cambridge, was taken in by Thomas Chesholm and his wife, Isobel; Thomas was steward of Harvard College from 1650 to 1660. Through Benoni, Nathaniel has a large number of modern descendants. Following the loss of his family, Eaton married the widow Anne (Graves) Cotton (1620–1684), the daughter of Captain Thomas Graves (1584–1635) of Virginia, and served for several years as an assistant to the
Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
curate at Accomac, Virginia before returning to England, where he was appointed the Vicar of Bishop's Castle,
Salop Shropshire (; alternatively Salop; abbreviated in print only as Shrops; demonym Salopian ) is a landlocked historic county in the West Midlands region of England. It is bordered by Wales to the west and the English counties of Cheshire to th ...
, in 1661 and Rector of Bideford, Devon, in 1669. In 1647 Eaton was finally "exonerated" of a £100 debt that Winthrop misstated as being for £1,000 in his ''History of New England'', ''ibid'', and with which Eaton had supposedly absconded to Virginia in 1640. The exoneration is documented in Henry Dunster's record book for Harvard College as a copy of a letter by two benefactors that Dunster recorded directly underneath his first design of the seal of Harvard College. The 1640
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letter was footnoted in 1647 by Theophilus, who wrote: ::''This money was put wholey into the hands of my brother Nath:Eaton. 9 August 1647. ignedTheo:Eaton.'' Clearly, the intention of the footnote was to indicate that his brother had finally been repaid, and apparently Nathaniel had in part used the money to further his education. As for the £100, Thomas Symonds – a carpenter who had apparently assisted in the building of the college at Cambridge in 1639 and afterwards – was soon found to be in debt to one of the creditors of the college, John Cogan, for exactly the same amount. As stated elsewhere, the college building itself was poorly erected – Symonds being the responsible party after Nathaniel left – and eventually Symonds and at least one of his assistants were thrown into debtor's prison.


Religious convictions

Nathaniel Eaton's troubles seemed to mount, however, after he graduated from the
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
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University. Thus, he left for England around 1652, where he had already been accepted back by the
Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...
and honoured as both a vicar and rector (cf. ''supra''), though obviously he had his scruples, and was said to waver back and forth between devotions to his newly found home and that of his former, which he could never return to. In all likelihood, that "back and forthedness" and covering up set up a scenario of confusion, which seems to have also confused every recordkeeper involved. Ironically, Eaton died in 1674 in King's Bench Prison, where he had been incarcerated for a similar debt: quite probably the same £100 debt from which he had already been given relief. Also, his imprisonment coincided with the restoration of the Stuart Throne, and was likely reposted on an old list that King Charles II's father had kept concerning those of lingering or questionable indebtedness. He was given a burial service on 11 May 1674 at St George the Martyr, Southwark, Surrey, England.


Confusion with Nathaniel Heaton of Boston

There was also Nathaniel (H)eaton, Heaten, wife, Elizabeth and children, who emigrated on the ''Griffin'' with
William William is a male given name of Germanic origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conquest of Engl ...
and Anne Marbury Hutchinson landing on 18 September 1634 in the town of
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
, but who spelled his name "Heaton". This Nathaniell Heaten was made free on 25 May 1636. Nathaniel Eaton of this article had not yet arrive in the Massachusetts Bay. He arrived on the Hector on 26 June 1637, cited above. Nathaniel Eaton, subject of this article, was made a Freeman on 9 June 1638. In 1903 a series of plans of Boston, showing existing ways and owners of property from 25 December 1630 to 25 December 1645 inclusive was published showing the work of cartographer, George Lamb. In these maps #98, Nathaniel Eaton is cited as a property owner in Boston from 1638 to 1645. The subject of this article, Nathaniel Eaton, was known to have left Cambridge in the fall of 1639 and relocated to Virginia by 1640. The Nathaniel Eaton cited in the Lamb map collection is most likely Nathaniel Heaton. This error may have caused further conflation of two distinctly separate individuals, Nathaniel Heaton (Boston), and Nathaniel Eaton, the subject of this article from Cambridge. In The Crooked and Narrow Streets of the Town of Boston – 1630–1822 ote 185by Annie Haven Thwing, Nathaniel Heaton is accurately cited.


Notes

1. Cf. Samuel Eliot Morison ''Builders of the Bay Colony'' (1930) pp 190–191 where can be found his wife's supposed confession that was obviously coerced. Allegations of embezzlement appear to be '' ex post facto'', or after the fact, and when one compares the entries in: Thomas Lechford's ''Note Book Kept by Thomas Lechford Lawyer, 1638–1641'' (1885), it can be seen that Nathaniel paid all his debts, and was even owed money by Thomas Lechford himself. 2. Cf. Nathaniel B. Shurtleff, M.D. ''Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England'' (1853, vol I) p. 275; and subsequent later trials such as the Salem Witch Trials where it can be seen that testimonies at trial, etc., were thereafter taken down. 3. According to Cotton Mather's ''
Magnalia Christi Americana ''Magnalia Christi Americana'' (roughly, ''The Glorious Works of Christ in America'') is a book published in 1702 by the puritan minister Cotton Mather (1663–1728). Its title is in Latin, but its subtitle is in English: ''The Ecclesiastical Hist ...
'' (1702), the graduating class of 1642 included the following individuals: :
Benjamin Woodbridge Benjamin Woodbridge (1622–1684) was an English clergyman and controversialist, Harvard College's first-ever graduate, and participant in the Savoy Conference. Life He was the son of John Woodbridge V (1582–1637), rector of Stanton Fitzwarren ...
:Georgius eorgeDowning :Johannes Bulklæus ohn Bulkeley:Gulielmus illiamHubbard :Samuel Bellingham :Johannes Wilsonus ohn Wilson:Henricus enrySaltonstall :Tobias Barnardus arnard:Nathanael Brusterus athaniel Brewster 4. Since then Harvard has been marred by occasional shunnings, chastisements, and forced depositions of their presidents by possibly the most powerful, if not notorious, student body in the history college education. 5. James Savage, ''Winthrop's Journal "The History of New England" 1630–1649'' (1825–26 edition). There are other versions, including the original 1649 version, but Savage's annotated edition, or its 1853 revision, is considered to be the most comprehensive. 6. Many spelling variations exist, such as "Greaves" for "Graves". Also, some authorities state that Ann in fact was the daughter of Francis Graves, the son of Thomas Graves. She later married Francis Doughty as her third and final husband.


References


Sources

* James Kendall Hosmer, editor, ''Winthrop's Journal 'The History of New England' 1630–1649'' (1908 edition) vol. I, p. 314 — Appeal by the Church of Cambridge and the seizing of Nathaniel Eaton's estate. See also: James Savage's footnotes in his edited version of the same above ''Winthrop's Journal 'The History of New England' 1630–1649'' (1825–26 edition) * Nathaniel Bradstreet Shurtleff, M.D., editor, ''Records of the Governor and Company of the Massachusetts Bay in New England'' (1853, vol. I) 628–1641by page... :p. 210 –
aton Aton, ATON or variants thereof may refer to: People * Aton Ben-Horin (born 1979), American music executive and record producer * Aton Edwards (born c. 1962), American expert in the fields of emergency preparedness, self-reliance and sustainable li ...
left out of tax rate for 1637 on 20 November 1637 – :p. 262 – 500 acres km²of land granted on 6 June 1639 vis-à-vis: "If hee continew his employment wth vs for his life". :p. 275 – Removed from employment on 9 September 1639 :p. 275 – Judgements henceforth, after the Eaton Trial, to "bee recorded in a booke, to bee kept to posterity". ::(Same day as above: 9 September 1639, and written in after the above "deposition" event. It's probable that the "deposition" was a "first order of business", and not just something anticipated long before "recordation of facts" had even been conceived.) :p. 277 – His estate attached on 5 November 1639 :p. 372 – Nathaniell Heaten made free on 25 May 1636 (this is an example of the incorrect conflagration of two distinctly separate individuals, Nathaniel (H)Eaton and Nathaniel Eaton) The Nathaniel Eaton of this article had not yet arrive in the Massachusetts Bay. He arrived on the Hector on 26 June 1637, as detailed above. :p. 374 – Nathaniel Eaton Made a Freeman on 9 June 1638 * Thomas Lechford, ''Note Book Kept by Thomas Lechford Lawyer, 1638–1641'' (1885) p. 236 :"I payd Nathaniel Heaton for full of writings & cutting wood. 31 November 1639. 5s". (This is another example incorrectly citing Nathaniel Heaton!) * Cotton Mather, ''Magnalia Christi Americana (The Ecclesiastical History of New England)'' (1702) books; 2 volumes in modern versions* John Warren Barber, ''Connecticut Historical Collections'' (1837 edition) pp 134–185 * Benjamin Trumbull,
D.D. A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ra ...
, ''A Complete History of Connecticut'' (1818) lso, 2 volumes* ''New England Historical and Genealogical Register'' (1855, vol. 9) pp 269–271, article entitled "The First President of Harvard College" * James D. & Georgiana W. Kornwolf, ''Architecture and Town Planning in Colonial North America'' (2002) vol 2, pp. 981–986 arvard College:(all preceding dates are in their original
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format) {{DEFAULTSORT:Eaton, Nathaniel 1610 births 1674 deaths 17th-century English Anglican priests Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge American slave owners History of religion in the United States Kingdom of England emigrants to Massachusetts Bay Colony Massachusetts colonial-era clergy People educated at Westminster School, London People of colonial Massachusetts Presidents of Harvard University