5.6.b.3 New England Connections
According to most references, Roger Harlakenden was a protector of Rev. Thomas Shepard, also of Earl's Colne who according to Savage eventually settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Rev. Shepard was escaping religious persecution headed for the most part by Bishop Laud. See Gaulding Origins: Reverend Robert Peck and the Bacon Family of Massachusetts.
Rev. Thomas Shepard (1605-1649) was an influential Puritan minister born on the 5th of November 1605 in Towcester, Northamptonshire, England. His father was William Shepherd, His father was William Shepherd, a "wise prudent man." His mother, a daughter of Mr. Bland the grocer, died when he was just four years old. His father remarried to a woman named Amy. Young Thomas felt that his step-mother didn't love him, and she often incensed his father against him. He eventually lived with his grandparents and later an older brother. (1)
The following is from WikiTree: (5)
“Thomas was a lecturer at Earls Colne, England at the age of twenty-two. Before that he had been a teacher at Bramford near Ipswich, lodging with William Cosins. Thomas first married Margaret Touteville, the daughter of Charles Touteville, on the 23rd of July 1632. The blessed event took place in Bossall, Yorkshire. A son was born to them whom they named Thomas. Thomas, fearful of persecution for his religious beliefs, fled to New England aboard the Defence with his wife and young son. They traveled through a mighty storm from which "if there had not bin the infinite wisdom and power of God to help" them, they may have died at its hands. Passing from the ship to the shore young Thomas fell ill. He died "within a fortnight" in Yarmouth (England) and was buried there. Thomas and Margaret spent the winter in Norfolke with their friend Mr. Roger Harlakendon. When the winter had passed they traveled to London, trying to hide Margaret's pregnancy so the child could be baptized where they were free from persecution. Their second son, whom they also named Thomas, was born on the 5th of April 1635. Little Thomas was sickly and weak at first. He later gained his strength and Thomas set out once again with his family.
After eleven weeks of sailing they reached the shores of New England, arriving in Boston on the 3rd of October 1635. Margaret became ill from consumption and young Thomas was cared for by Mrs. Hopkins, a nursemaid. Margaret died on the 7th of February 1636[2] after enduring the hardships of fleeing England. She had been "very loving" and "had a spirit of prayer, beyond ordinary of her time and experience." As a minister of the new school Harvard University[8] Thomas had many public obligations. He was forced to engage in those public endeavors, "amidst the distracting controversies, and other evils, which, as a leading man in the colony, he could not avoid" while his home left him feeling desolate.
In 1640 Thomas married Joanna Hooker, the eldest daughter of his friend Reverand Thomas Hooker. The connection was seen as highly suitable and Joanna was respected "as a wife, as a mother, and as a helper in the great work which was at that time tasking and exhausting his energies." Less than eight years later Joanna died and was buried at Cambridge.
Thomas married for a third time to Margaret (Borodell) (Shepard) Mitchell on September 8, 1647. A son they named Jeremiah was born to them. This marriage did not last long as Thomas died on the 25th of August 1649 at the age of forty-three. His widow Margaret remarried to the Reverand Jonathan Mitchell, who was his successor in the church.” (5)
The Voyage to New England
In 1832 Nehemiah Adams, Pastor of the First Church in connection with the Shepard Society, Cambridge wrote a book entitled The Autobiography of Thomas Shepard, The Celebrated Minister of Cambridge. The text was evidently gleaned from memoirs left by Rev. Shepard, in which he discusses his voyage to America and his relationship with Roger Harlakenden. (6)
Beginning on page 7
"In the yeare of the Lord 1634, Octob. 16 myself, wife and family with my first son Thomas, committed ourselves to the care of our God to keepe us on, and carry us over the mighty seas from Old England to New England, but we had not bin two days on the sea but that the wind arose and drave our ship almost upon the sands,.. and this great danger of sinking, and loosing all our lives was twise in two several dayes, ...Now one cause of our going at this time of winter was because we were persecuted in Old England for the truth of Christ which we professed there; we durst not stay to make ourselves known there which would have been at the baptism of my child, hence we hastened for New England. After that we came from the sea, my first son fell sick in passing from the ship to the shore in the boat; of which sickness, within a fortnight after, he died at Yarmouth in Old England, which was no small grief to us; but the Lord preserved us, and provided for me and my wife a hiding-place from the knowledge of our enemies and from theirmalice, by the meanes of Mrs. Corbet in Norfolke, in one of whose houses. we stayed all that hard winter with our dear friend Mr. Roger Harlakendon, and enjoyed a sweet time together in a most, relaxed manner ; so the winter being spent, we were much perplexed whither to goe, and where to stay that we might not be known, and keepe my second child so secretly as that it might not be baptised until it came to take of that ordinance :in purity in old England; and being thus doubtful what to doe, the Lord by letters from London called us to come thither, where my wife might have all helpe in her sickness and my child kept secret; and this we concluded for to doe, and therefore tooke our leave of this our winter house, and in our way to London, we went to Mr. Burroughs his house a godly, able minister." (6)
..and so we continued that night, many sick, many weake, and discouraged, many sad harts; yet upon the Sabbath morning we departed and went out of the ship; I feare a little too soone for we should have spent that day in praysing of him, yet we were afraid of neglectinga season of providence' in going out while we had a calm and many sick folke were unfit for that woorke and had need of refreshing at shore. So upon the Sabbath day morning boats came to our vessel from the town; and so my deare wife and child went in the first boat, but here the Lord saw that these matters were not sufiicient to wash away my filth and sinfulness and therefore he cast me into the fire as soon as ever I was upon the sea in the boat, for there my first borne child very precious to my soule and dearly beloved of me was smitten with sickness, the Lord sent a vomiting upon it whereby it grew faint and nothing that we could use could stop its vomiting although we had many helps at Yarmouth and -- of my enemies, where we enjoyed sweet fellowship one with another and also with God, in a house which was fit to entertayne any prince for faireness, greatnes and pleasantness. Here the Lord hid us all the winter long, and when it was fit to travayle in the Spring we went up to London, Mr. Harlakenden not forsaking me all this while, for he was a father and mother to me, and when we came to London to Mrs. Sherborne not knowing what to doe nor where to live privately, the Lord provided a very private place for us; where my second son Thomas, was borne, and none but our freends did know of it, and so by this meanes my son was not baptized until we came to New England the winter following, being borne in London, April 5, 1635. When we had bin also at London for a time and began to be known in the place my wife was sick, the Lord put it into our harts to remoove to another place in Mr. Eldred’s house in London, which stood empty and the very night we were all come away, there came the Pursevants and others to search ader us, but the Lord delivered us out of their hands, and so when the Lord had recovered my wife, we began to prepare for a removal over again to New England. And the Lord seemed to make our way playne." (6)
“.. believed there are true churches in many parishes in Enland where the Lord sets up able men and ministers of his gospell; and I have abhorred to refuse to heare any able minister in England; so that now having buried my first borne and being in great sadness and not knowing where to goe nor what to doe, the Lord sent Mr. Roger Harlakenden and my brother Samuel Shepard to visit me afler they had heard of our escape at sea, who much refreshed us and clave to me in my sorrowes, and being casting about where to goe and live, Mr. Bridge their minister in Norwich sent for me to come and live with him, and being come, one Mrs. Oorbett, who lived five miles off Norwich an aged eminent godly gentlewoman hearing of my comming and that by being with Mr. Bridge might hazard his liberty by countenancing of me, she did therefor* freely offer to me a great house of hers standing empty at a towne called Bastwick, and there the Lord stird up her hart to shew all love to me, which did much lighten and sweeten my sorrowes, and I saw the Lord Jesus' care herein to me and saw cause of trusting him in times of straits, who set me in such a place, where I lived for half a yeare all the winter long among and with my friends (Mr, Harlakenden dwelling with me bearing all the charge of housekeeping) and far from the no.” (6)
From page 81
“He is the God that sent me by all these ministers to obey the voice of God and the call of the people of Earles-Colne, a most prophane place, where the Lord blessed my poore labours to Mr. Harlakenden and his family, and to many others in the town and country and how the Lordkept me from troubles 3 yeares and a halfe until the Bishop Laud put me to silence and would not let me live in the town, and this he did, when I looked to be made a shame and confusion to all.” (6)
Reverend Thomas Hooker (1586-1647) has an interesting history. He was a prominent Puritan colonial leader and Congregational minister. Born in Leicestershire, England, Hooker was known for his powerful oratory and theological writings. (2) He attended Emmanuel College, Cambridge, where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in 1608 and his Master of Arts in 1611. Hooker initially served as a lecturer and preacher in Essex, but his Puritan beliefs led to conflicts with the Church of England. In 1633, he emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he became the first minister of Cambridge (then known as Newtowne). In 1636, Hooker led a group of followers through the wilderness to found the Connecticut Colony, where he established the settlement of Hartford. He is often referred to as the "Father of Connecticut" and played a significant role in drafting the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, which is considered one of the first written democratic constitutions. (3)
Thomas Sheperd was married three times and produced at least seven children. He wrote his will on 25 August 1649 and died the same day. The will was proved on 25 August 1649 and the Executors named were Daniel Gookin, Edward Collins, Edward Goffe and Samuel Danforth. As has been mentioned before, Major General Daniel Gookin moved to Cambridge where he was a prominent member of the colony. Because he knew Rev. Thomas Shepard, he must also have known Lt. Colonel Roger Harlakendon who was also a friend of Shepard, and may have known Thomas Prentice and the person named “Gouldinge or Golding” who was named in the 1638 will of Roger Harlakendon. General Gookin was one of the founders of Worcester, Massachusetts.
Rev. Thomas Shepard was the pastor of the First Church of Cambridge from 1636 to his death in 1649. This is from the Records of the Church of Christ at Cambridge in New England: 1632-1830:
"Preface. The records of the First Church of Cambridge are contained in two books, both of which are in a fairly good state of preservation. the first of these is two hundred and ten years old, having been begun by Rev. William Brattle at the time of his ordination. This first book was rebound by direction of the Church during the ministry of Dr. Abiel Holmes at about the time the second book was purchased...
The first settled pastor of the Church in Cambridge was Rev. Thomas Hooker, but he in 1635 removed with the majority of his congregation to the new town (now Hartford) on the Connecticut. Some of the Church members remained in New Towne (Cambridge) and they united with others in extending a call to the REV. THOMAS SHEPARD, who was settled in 1636.
Mr. Shepard remained the pastor until 1649, when he was "translated hence unto the church triumphant." He was succeeded by his student, the Rev. Jonathan Mitchell, who not only took charge of the Church, but married the Pastor's widow and took charge of his property." (4)
Page 2 of this book records:
"Captain Daniel Gookin & Mary his wife both in full Communion. Their children:
Mary and Elizabeth - Baptized elsewhere, but the Elder not full 6 years old when their parents joined in this ch both admitted into full communion May 23, 1665.
Daniel, Samuel and Nathaniel - Borne and baptized here.” (4)
Certain bequests were made in the will of Thomas Shepard:
All my debts be paid
After debts, all to my dear wife during her widowhood
If my wife marry again she shall have such a proportion of my estate as my executors shall judge meet, also the gold which is in a box in my study
Residue to my four children as follows:
A double portion to my oldest son Thomas, and my best silver tankard, my best black suit and cloak, all my books, manuscripts and papers, the last all usable by my wife and other children.
To my son Samuel a single portion and one of my large silver bowls
To my son John a single portion with my other large silver bowl
To my son Jeremiah a single portion and my other silver tankard
To my beloved friend Mr. Samuel Danforth my velvet cloak and ten pounds
To the elders to be equally divided five pounds
To my cousin Stedman five pounds
To the elder Ruth Mitchenson ten pounds
My dear friends and brethren Daniel Gookin, Edward Collins, Edward Goffe and Samuel Danforth be executors” (5)
Also see Thomas Shepard (Earls Colne Records): "Records of an English Village 1375-1854", https://wwwe.lib.cam.ac.uk/earls_colne/names/S333.htm
Works Cited
1. Thomas Shepard (Minister). Wikipedia. [Online] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Shepard_%28minister%29.
2. First Parish History. First Parish of Cambridge. [Online] https://firstparishcambridge.org/about-us/our-stories/history/.
3. Thomas Hooker. Wikipedia. [Online] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Hooker.
4. Records of the Church of Christ at Cambridge in New England, 1632-1830. Googlebooks. [Online] https://books.google.com/books?id=ieYQAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=gookin&f=false.
5. Thomas Sheperd. WikiTree. [Online] https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Shepard-30.
6. Nehemiah Adams, The Autobiography of Thomas Shepard, The Celebrated Minister of Cambridge, Pierce and Parker, Boston, 1832
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