Governors Academy - Milestone Yearbook (Byfield, MA)

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562 pounds. At the fall commencement in 1718 the grateful trustees gave the name of Yale College to the School. Jeremy Dummer died in England on IQ May 1739. He was buried in West Ham in Essex, and the following inscription is on his gravestone: The Remains of jere- miah Dummer of New England, Esq'., distinguished for his excellent life of probity and humanity. His age 58, 173g. His will dated 7 June 1738 describes himself as Jeremy Dummer land so signed itl late Agent of His bIa'iestie's Provinces of Massa- chusetts and Connecticut in New England and now resident in Plaistow in Essex. In the opening paragraph he asks that God won't aliiict me in another world for some folly I have committed in this in common with the rest of mankind, but rather that he will graciously consider the frail and weak frame which he gave me, and remember that I was but dust. After making various gifts he states: To my brother Dummer of Newberry, 20 pounds, New England money, to distribute among the poor Indian squaws that may come a begging at his door. William Dummer was born in Boston in 1677, presumably in his father's house on State Street. Little is known about his early life and education. He was a Con- stable in Boston in 1713. On 26 April 1714 he married Katherine, the twelfth child of Governor Joseph Dudley. William went to England, and was at Plymouth acting as Commissioner for the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1716 he was appointed I.ieut. Governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony thru the interest of Sir William Ashurst. He returned to take part in the government of his native Colony at a time of high political excitement. His father-in-law Governor Joseph Dudley had just retired from ofhce after an uneasy administration of fourteen years. The party spirit that sprang up in Massachusetts with the advent of the new charter was daily get- ting stronger. Samuel Shute had just been appointed as Dudley's successor. He was nominally a Puritan in his religious views, and was not unwelcome in the Colony. But he was a military man, believing in strict obeyance of orders. His instructions from the crown required that he should insist upon a fixed annual salary. To this the sturdy colonists objected, saying it would make the Governor too independent. There were other causes of disagreement mainly from financial questions, and legis- lation on the currency. The Governor and the House battled for seven years, during which time he had not gained one inch. Finally on 1 jan. 1723 the discomiited Colonel suddenly sailed for England, and although nominally governor for six years longer, he never came back. Such were the circumstances under which William Dummer was called to act as Chief Magistrate of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. His alliance with the power- ful but unpopular Dudleys, his friendly intimacy with Shute, his acknowledged loyalty to the Crown, were not likely to gain him favor with the colonists. On the other hand he had the advantage of being a New England man of great ability and purest character. He succeeded where his immediate predecessors had failed, and gained the approval and esteem of a people jealous of their rights and liberties, yet without forfeiting the favor ofthe Crown. II

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ln 1671 Jeremiah Dummer married Anna, the daughter of Joshua Atwater, a mercer formerly of New Haven. Jeremiah received as a marriage portion from his father-in-law a house, garden and warehouse on King CStateJ Street at the corner of Klackrell Lane Cliilby Streetl, which became his Boston home. Their, children that grew to maturity were William, Jeremiah Jr., Ann, and Samuel. Jeremiah held a number of minor public offices, was a member of the Ancient and Honorable Artil- lery Company, and a deacon of the First Church of Boston. He died If May 1718 in his seventy-third year, and was buried in the Dummer tomb CNo. 1689 in the Gran- ary Burying Ground. Ann, the only daughter of Jeremiah Dummer, married John Powell on I2 May 1714, soon after he came to New England from Edenhope, Parish of Mainstone, Co. Montgomery, Wales. They had four children, John Jr., Ann, W'illiam and Jeremiah, Ann's eldest brother William with others formed a company to settle territory they owned at North Yarmouth, Nlaine. John Powell was made clerk of this company, and went to North Yarmouth where he died in 1741, Ann's portrait was painted by Copley in 1764, the year ofher death. Jeremiah Dummer Jr. was usually called Jeremy, and as such signed his will. He was born in Boston in 1681. He was graduated from Harvard College in 1699, and according to President Increase Mather was by far the best scholar of his time. He remained in residence there until April 1701 , and in July 1702 arrived in Holland where he entered the Cniversity of Leyden. On 3 Feb. 1703 Professor Hermann Witsius of the Cniversity of Leyden signed a certificate to the effect that Jeremias Dummer Anglus Americanusn had under him completed the philosophical and theological studies which he had so happily begun 'in his own country. He emigrated to the neighboring Cniversity of Ctrecht, where after examinations he was granted the degrees of AAI. and Ph.D. on I3 Feb. 1703. About a year later he returned to Boston and preached for a few months. He published in 1704, A Discourse on the Holiness of the Sabbath Day, with an admiring preface by the elder Mather. Jeremy was not popular as a preacher, and in the fall of 1708 he returned to England to study law and politics. On II Nov. 1710 he was appointed agent of the Massa- chusetts Bay Colony thru the aid of Sir William Ashurst. He served the Colony well for eleven years, and in 1715 wrote his famous pamphlet The Defense of the New England Charters, that won for him the gratitude of that and later generations. Jeremy Dummer was also agent for the Connecticut Colony at London, and in 1713 was active in securing gifts for the Collegiate School that had been organized at Saybrook in 1701. As a result of his efforts nearly IOOO volumes of considerable value were sent from England in 1714-15, and Elihu Yale was among a notable list of donors. In Jan. ITIS Cotton Mather wrote Elihu Yale urging his financial support of the College that was now building in New Haven. As a result of this application, and further urging from Jeremy, there arrived at Boston in Aug. 1718 a large box of books, a portrait of the King, and East India goods that were sold for more than IO

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William Dummer continued at the head of the Province until IQ July 1728 when William Burnett was transferred from the chief magistracy of New York and New jersey to that of Massachusetts. Burnett's sudden death on 7 Sept. 1729 again called Dummer to the chief magistracy until the arrival of Belcher on II June 1730, when he retired to private life. , William Dummer was an active memher of the Hollis Street Church in Boston and contrihuted toward the cost of its huilding. He gave the Church a large folio Bihle of the Oxford 17311 edition, now in the keeping of the Massachusetts Historical Society. The inscription on the llyleaf, presumahly in the handwriting of the pastor, is as follows: The gift of His Honor W'illiam Dummer, late Lieut. Governor and Commander in Chiefof this Province. M. Bylesf' The lfirst Church of Boston has a silver flagon made hy William Cowell Jr. with the following inscription: Presented to the Church of Christ in Hollis Street under the Pastoral care of the Rev. Mather Byles, l7.lD., and helow the llummer Coat of Arms: By the Honorahle W'illiam Dummer lfsq. l.ate l.ieut. Governor and Commander in Chief of Massachusetts. On the hottom is engraved: This Humhly Dedicated hy Wlilliam Dummer to the Church of Christ in Hollis Street for the Communion 'Tl21l1lC7I'Q'5-'LU In 1719 William Dummer was memher and Captain of the Ancient and Hon- orahle Artillery Company. His Boston home was on the south-east corner of School and Province Streets. The farm at Newhury Cliyfieldl of the immigrant Richard Dummer came into the possession of William, and ahout 1720 he huilt a house there. This line colonial huilding, called the Mansion House, was used as his summer resi- dence. William Dummer died in Boston on IO Oct. 1761, heing 84 years old. He was huried in the Dummer tomh in the Granary Burying Ground. His funeral sermon was preached hy Mather Byles on Octoher ioth from the text, The liheral deviseth liheral things. ln the sermon he speaks of the qualities of William Dummer as a magistrate and citizen, hut dwells mainly on his excellence as a humhle, henevolent, Christian man. The Boston G!l2t'fft'!lHt77C0IlHfI1V :70Il7'7IIZ! on Octoher Czothihad a long ohituary notice dwelling on the many line qualities of the former Lieut. Governor. In his will William Dummer set apart his Mansion House and farm in Newhury for the estahlishment of a school to stand forever on the farm. The property was given in trust to Rev. Thomas lfoxcroft and Rev. Charles Chauncy, ministers of the First Church in Boston, and Nathaniel Dummer of Newhury. ln 1762 a small school huilding was erected, and in 1763 the school was opened with Samuel Moody as the hrst Master. Formal incorporation followed on 1 Oct. 1782, and Governor Dummer Academy continues today the oldest hoys' hoarding school in the llnited States. The original school house is still there, and the heautiful Mansion House now serves Cady Cfaaaf as the home of the Headmaster. Il