Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/466

 WLXTHROP

WINTHROP

Heath and Bhu- Bells (ISOo). His contributions to dramatic literature include: Life of Edwin Booth (1!S71): Til e Jeff ersoiis in the "American Actor Series" (1881); Henry Ii-ving (1885); 77/e Stage Life of Mary Anderson (188G); Brief Chronicles (1889); Hie Press ami the Stage (1889); Sketvh of the Life of John Gilbert (1890); .1 Daughter of Comedy, Ada Rehan (1891); TJie Actor (1891); Sliadows of the Stage (3 series, 1892- 9.j); Life and Art of Edwin Booth (1895); Life and Art of Joseph Jefferson (1894); Memorial of John McCullongh (1889), and .-1 Wreath of Laurel (1898).

WINTHROP, John, governor of Massachu- setts, was born in Edwardston. Suffolk, England, Jan. 22. 1588; son of Adam and Anne (Browne) AVinthrop. and grandson of Adam Winthrop, lord of Grotou Manor. He matriculated at Trinity- college, Cambridge, in December, 1602, but left in 1604 with- out completing his course because of his marriage at the age of seventeen, to Mary Forth, daughter of an ancient family in Essex. Of their six children, John was later governor of Con- necticut, and Mary became the daughter- in-law of Thomas Dudley. After leav- ing Trinity, Win- throp practised law; became a justice of the peace at the age of eighteen, and lord of Groton Manor at twenty-one. His wife died in 1616, and shortly after he was married to Thomasine Clop- ton, who lived little more than a year after her marriage. In 1618, lie was married to Margaret, daughter of Sir John Tyndal, Knight of Essex, by whom he had eight children. About 1623 he was appointed to an attorneyship in the important court of wards and liveries, and rose to some im- portance in political circles, often drafting bills for Parliament. In 1629 he joined the Massachu- setts company, and on Oct. 20, 1629, was elected governor. On March, 22, 1630, he set sail for New England, taking with him three sons, and arrived at Salem, June 22, 1630. He soon re- moved to Charlestown, and in the fall of 1630, to Boston. During the short stay in Salem, his second son, Henry, was drowned, and in 1631 his third son, Forth, died in England, but "Wintlirop never lost heart, nor wished to return to England, always tliinking it desertion on the part of others to witlnlraw from the colony. He believed in evangelizing the Indians, and main-

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tained friendly relations withtlioir chiefs, in this way doing much to avert hostilities during the first years of the colonies. From his farm at Mystic he launclied a bark of 30 tons, called the Blessing of the Bay in IG'dl, and in November of that year his family joined him. In the matter of government, he was oj^posed to a d{'mocra'\v, holding that the superior minds of the colony, al- ways in the minority, should rule, and he at- tempted to keep the power of government in the hands of the governor, the deputy and the assist- ants. As the foremost man of the colony, his work was by turns with the people, to guard the charter from jealous officials in England; and against the people, to guard the colony from the dangers of democracy. He was four times suc- cessful in saving the charter, when its defense seemed hopeless, but in his figlit against demo- cracy he lost point by point to the common peo- ple, always, however, with good grace, proving his superiority as a magistrate. He served on a salary too small to reimburse him for the ex- penses of the office; declined all gifts, and meek- ly bore the discipline his identity brought upon him. He served as governor from 1630 to 1634, when Thomas Dudley succeeded him, the people fearing they might establish a heredity ofiice. Dudley was followed by Haynes in 1635 and Haynes by Henry Vane in 1636, showing the de- sire of the voters for a rotation in office. But during Vane's administration trouble sprang up. Hooker emigrated to Connecticut, and the Ann Hutchinson controversy bade fair to disrupt the little colony. In their extremity the people again chose Winthrop governor. He held the office from 1637 to 1640, when, the wheels of govern- ment once more moving smoothly, he was suc- ceeded by Thomas Dudley. He then served a part of the time as deputy governor, as an assist- ant, as a member of the military committee, and of the standing council, as coKhicI of the militia, and as chairman of the commission for the found- ing of Harvard college. The year 1642 was one of disturbance in England, and Massachusetts needing lier most realiable man at the helm, re- elected Winthrop. In 1643 the colonies of New England formed a federation, known as the United Colonies of New England, and Winthrop was first president of the board of eiglit commis- sioners (two from eacli colony) to which was en- trusted the execution of the contract drawn up among the colonies. Endicott became governor and Wintlirop deputy in 1644, but when that same year an English man-of-war, representing Parlia- ment, demanded the surrender of a Bristol Roy- alist mercliantman in Boston Harbor, Winthrop was the one who investigated the matter and pointed out to the captain under what conditions he must act. In November of 1644, another Par-