Page:The librarians of Harvard College 1667-1877.djvu/26

 2O LIBRARIANS OF HARVARD COLLEGE. He was of a reverent nature, modest, yet with dignity becoming his position, and charitable even to a fault, leaving his estate insolvent at his death. May hew speaks of him as "of the two, rather of a gay than of a grave turn" and of "affable dis- position, and singular delicacy of manners." In pronouncing sentence of death his "moving, pathetic counsels and admonitions . . . hardly ever failed to force sighs and draw tears from almost every person present."

AUTHORITIES : Mayhew, Discourse occasioned by the death of the honourable Stephen Sewall, 1760. pp. 68. Allen, Amrr. biog. and hint, dictionary, 1832. Appleton, Cyc. of Amer. biog. Salisbury, Memorials, 1885, p. 189.

1728-1729.

Joseph Champney, son of Joseph Champney of Cambridge, was baptized 19 September, 1704. He prepared for Harvard and graduated in 1721. Later he became a master of arts. He fitted him- self for the ministry, but held the position of Librarian 1728-1729. Six months after the death of Rev. Thomas Blowers of Beverly, Mr. Champney was called to take his place. To the ordination, 10 December, 1729, the neighboring churches were invited, and twenty pounds were voted to defray the expense. He was expected to preach a monthly lecture and catechise the children. His salary, £140 in province bills of credit, was to change with the fluctuation of the bills. In 1749 this amounted to £660 old tenor, and in 1750 it was £90 "lawful money." Either through Mr. Champney's influence or the natural sentiment in the congregation, the church gave only a half- hearted support to the Cambridge platform and the denominational organization which it advocated. At about this time, and also shortly before his death, Mr. Champney was brought into opposition to the work of Whitefield. He was, however, of a "peaceable temper and behavior, and a steady, prudent conduct."

While the first mutterings of the Arminian theological feud were too faint to stir the people, Mr. Champney's health began to fail. Mr. Joseph Willard was called as his colleague in 1772, and Mr. Champney died 23 February, 1773. A monument was erected over his grave at the expense of his parish. "He was of medium stature, light complexion, social habits, and, as was customary with clergymen of his time, wore a wig and cocked hat."

Mr. Champney was married 1 October, 1730, to Elizabeth, daughter of Rev. Mr. Blowers. She died 13 January, 1732, at the age of nineteen, leaving an infant son. By his second wife, Thankful Pickens of Lynn, whom he married in 1733, he had six children. She died 31 July, 1777. Their daughter Elizabeth was a successful teacher for many years.

AUTHORITIES : Stone, History of Bererly, 1843, pp. 226- 230. Whitney, /'//. Chrintian mother. An address. . . at the funeral of Jfrt. Susanna Champney, 1855, p. 18.

1729-1730.

Joseph Pynchon, the son of Col. John and Bathshua (Taylor) Pynchon, was born in Spring- field, 8 February, 1704-5. Graduating from the College in 1726, he was made Librarian in the year in which he received his second degree, and served one year (1729-30). He studied both medicine and divinity, and although he preached at times, he had no regular settlement, and was better known as a physician than as a preacher. Settling first in Longmeadow, he may have been the Joseph Pynchon who was a selectman of Springfield -in 1747. From 1747 to 1759 he was a member of the council of the Colony. He married, 13 October, 1748, Mary, widow of Rev. Thomas Cheney of Brookfield, and daughter of Rev. John Cotton of Newton. Shortly after- wards he removed to Boston, where he seems to have passed the remainder of his life. Little is known of him ; he is referred to as a " physician in Boston " by Belknap, but it was Dr. Charles Pynchon who attained some fame for his able and generous work among the poor of Boston during the small-pox epidemic of 1764.

Dr. Joseph Pynchon is mentioned in the town records occasionally as being on the various committees to visit the Boston schools. His death occurred in October, 1765. By his will, dated 5 October and admitted to probate the 25th of that month, he left his entire estate (consisting in part of five farms in western New Hampshire, one farm in Weston, and lands in Brookfield) to his four minor daughters, over whom his brothers Edward and Charles were appointed guardians. His wife had died previously.

AUTHORITIES : Belknap's interleaved triennial. Boston Record commissioners, Report, 1887. Greeu, Springfield, 1888, p. 262. Longmeadow, Centennial celebration, 1884, pp. 78-79 (geneal. appen.). .V. E. hint, and gen. register xxxviii, 47. Suffolk co. Probate records. Pynchon, Record of the Pynchon family, 1894, p. 10. Whitmore, Mass, civil list, 1870.

1730-1734.

Henry Gibbs, born 13 May, 1709, was the son of Rev. Henry Gibbs of Watertown and Mercy Greenough. He graduated in 1726 and received his A.M. in 1729. He was Librarian for four years, from 1730 to 1734. He afterwards was a merchant in Salem, where he became a citizen of considerable prominence. For several years