Page:The librarians of Harvard College 1667-1877.djvu/19

LIBRARIANS OF HARVARD COLLEGE. 13 to the universal Pleasure of his Country." He was often spoken of as the "good Secretary." He held two other public offices, judge of pro- bate for the county of Suffolk, 1731-45, and member of the council for the province, 1734-56. While in the latter office he acted as Overseer of the College. He died 6 December, 1756, aged 76.

He was " a gentleman of polished manners, of humane and generous feeling, demonstrated by his deeds, of sterling intellectual gifts and literary cultivation, and, above all, of noiseless, unostentatious, but deep devotional character."

AUTHORITIES : Oliver, Poem sacred to the memory of the honourable Josiah Willard, 1756. pp.16. Prince, The character of Caleb. In a sermon delivered after the funeral of the honourable Josiah Willard, 1756. pp. 30. Sewall, A sermon preached after the death of the honourable Josiah Willard, 1756. pp. (2), 22. Willard, J., Willard Memoir, 1858, pp. 357, 368-9, 400-3. Willard, S-, Memories, 1855, i. 254.

1703-1706.

John Whiting, born in Lynn, 20 January, 1681, was the sixth son of Rev. Joseph Whiting, by his first wife, Sarah, daughter of Thomas Danforth, deputy governor of Massachusetts. He graduated from Harvard in 1700, and after taking his A.M. degree was made Librarian. He kept this office for three years (1703-6). During the last year of his tutorship of five years (1707-1712) he was a fellow of the Corporation. In the fall of 1711 he was chosen minister at Concord. It is interesting to note that one of the two other candidates for this position was Edward Holyoke, then Librarian and afterwards President of the College. He was ordained 14 May, 1712, receiving a settlement of 100 and an annual salary of the same amount. The latter, however, was increased by frequent additional grants.

About the time that he went to Concord he married Mary, the daughter of Rev. John Cotton (Librarian, 1681-90). By this marriage he had eight children. His first wife died in 1731, and he married, second, Rebecca (Bulkley), widow of Dr. Jonathan Prescott, of Concord. He had no children by this second marriage.

John Whiting served as pastor to the church in Concord for about twenty-six years. In 1738, as the result of the religious controversies which were at that time disrupting most New England parishes, he was obliged to leave his pulpit, but continued to preach to a few members of his old flock who seceded from the church with him. He died 4 May, 1752, at the age of 71.

"Mr. Whiting was one of the (then) old school, quiet, modest, gentle, and persuasive." He was a man of wealth, learning, influence, and talents." His epitaph tells us he was "a gentleman of singular hospitality and generosity, who never detracted from the character of any man, and was a universal lover of mankind."

AUTHORITIES : Quincy, Hint, of Harvard, 1840, i. 278-9. Shattuck, Hist. Concord, 1855, p. 165. Whiting, Memoir of Rev. Sam'l Whiting, 1873, pp. 202, 206-16.

1706-1707.

John Gore, born 22 June, 1683, was the son of Samuel, a carpenter, of Roxbury, and Elizabeth Weld. He graduated from Harvard in 1702, took his A.M. in course, and was Librarian from 1706 to 1707. He was admitted to the first church in Cambridge 6 January, 1707. Gore afterwards became a sea captain, and married Rebecca Smith, 12 May, 1713, but had no children. On a voyage from London, in the fall of 1720, the small-pox broke out on his ship. Several of the passengers and crew had died of it. On their arrival in Boston harbor Gore himself was not sick, but although in those days when small-pox was both more dreaded and less guarded against, there were no quarantine laws, he refused to land for fear of carrying the contagion. He remained on board his vessel and in a few days died of the disease, 12 November, 1720, aged 37.

He "was a Gentleman of very good parts; of great industry, knowledge, prudence, and cour- age ; He excelled in Philosophy and Mathematical learning; ... of strict, unaffected, rational and immovable Piety ; ingenious, free and chearful in conversation . . . one that seemed to be set as a rare example for all ship-commanders and sea- faring men to observe."

AUTHORITIES : Cooper. A sermon concerning the laying the deaths of others to heart. Occasioned by the lamented death of that ingenious <& religions gentleman John Gore M.A. of Harvard college in Cambridge N. E. who died of the small-pox, Nov. 7 [sic] 1720. In the 38th. year of his age. With an appendix containing something of Mr. Gore's character, by the Reverend Mr. Colman. 1720. pp. (4), 34, 6. Glover, Glover memorials, 1867, pp. 120-3. Mass. hist. soc. Proceedings, 1873-5, p. 424. Whitmore, Geneal. Payne and Gore families, 1875, p. 28.

1707-1709.

Nathaniel Gookin, son of Rev. Nathaniel of Cambridge and his wife Hannah Savage, and nephew of Daniel Gookin, the third Librarian of Harvard, was born 15 April, 1687. Graduating with the class of 1703, and receiving the master's degree in 1706, he was appointed Librarian the next year. Near the close of his service of two years, the Treasurer, 16 September, 1709, paid him £2 10s " for his pains in taking a Catalogue of ye Books in ye Library, about a year or two ago." This seems to be in addition to his regular salary of five or six pounds a year.