Elizabeth Glover
She was born into a family of notable ecclesiastical and academic prestige, and presumably this context shaped her role as the wife of Harvard's first president.
[1] One historian writes of Glover:His heart was wrapt in its progress and advancement; and during the interim of his retirement from the Rectory of Sutton, he had been untiring in his efforts to promote its growth under the influence of an educational system.
As soon as they had made those provisions that were necessary for their existence in this land, which was then a rude wilderness, their next objects were, the establishment of schools, and a printing press.
With financial support from friends and at his own expense, Joseph purchased a press, font, and other supplies needed to establish a printing business.
[2] The Glovers needed someone to do the actual printing, so on June 7, 1638, Joseph contracted with a man named Samuel Daye.
[1][2] Elizabeth decided to live near the college in Cambridge to be closer to her printing business, even though Joseph had purchased land and built a house for them in Boston.
][2][5] As one historian [specify] states: "It is cheering to know that the widow and children, so suddenly bereft, found so soon a pleasant and substantial dwelling in which to make a new home in the new country.
Former domestics remembered eleven feather beds, one with 'philop and Cheny curtaines in graine with a deep silke fring on the vallance, and a smaller on the Curtaines, and a Coverlett sutable to it, made of Red Kersie, and laced with green lace, round the sides, and 2 downe the middle'; a blue bed-rug and an 'outlandish quilt'; a chest full of fine linen and damask; tapestry and green dornick hangings on the walls; a great store of brass, pewter, and latten ware; and as 'faire and full cubbard of plate there was as might ordinarily be seene in most Gentlemens houses in England.
The exact date the printing business began is unclear, but it appears to be almost immediately after Elizabeth arrived in Cambridge.
In October 1638, a man named Hugh Peter wrote a letter to a friend stating: Wee have a printer here and thinke to goe to worke with some special things, and if you have anything you may send it safely by these.
[7] The contract states:The condition of this obligation is such that whereas the above named Josse Glover hath undertaken and promised to bear the charges of and for the transportation of the above bounded Stephen Day and Rebecca his wife, and of Matthew and Stephen Day, their children, and of William Bordman, and three menservants, which are to be transported with him the said Stephen to New England in America, in the ship called the John of London;[3]The contract lists specific items and tasks that Joseph purchased and performed to help Daye transition into his new life, as well as consequences and responsibilities for carrying out the charges of the contract.
As historian Leona M. Hudak states: "From what few facts are available, we may conclude that Mrs. Glover, as the owner, might be termed proprietress or publisher of the press, while Stephen Daye was the overseer or manager.
[5] As Robert F. Roden describes his printing work in the Bay Psalm Book:Daye is not supposed to have been a learned typographer, his workmen were untrained, his types were poor; the operations of the press, therefore were slow.
The result of his labors was a rudely printed quarto of 148 leaves or 37 sheets […] In addition, a few words in Hebrew letters are employed in the preface and may have been specially cut on wood or metal for this book.
The first thing which was printed was the freemen's oath; the next was an almanac made for New England by Mr. William Peirce, mariner; the next was the Psalms newly turned into the metre.
[8] This reprint is found in the book New England's Jonas cast up at London 1647[8] and contains a record of the proceedings of the Boston court.
In 1985, a man named Mark Hoffman claimed to have found two original printed copies of Oath of a Freeman.
[9]A.B., being, by Gods providence, an inhabitant & ffreeman within the jurisdiccon of this comonweale, doe freely acknowledge my selfe to be subiect to the govermt thereof, & therefore doe heere sweare, by the greate & dreadfull name of the eurlyving God, that I wilbe true & faithfull to the same, & will accordingly yeilde assistance & support therevnto, with my pson & estate, as in equity I am bound, & will also truely indeavr to mainetaine & preserue all the libertyes & previlidges thereof, submitting my selfe to the wholesome lawes & orders made & established by the same; and furthr, that I will not plott nor practise any evill against it, nor consent to any that shall soe doe, but will timely discovery & reveale the same lawfull aucthority nowe here established, for the speedy preventing thereof.
Moreouer, I doe solemnly binde myselfe in the sight of God, that when I shalbe called to giue my voice touching any such matter of this state, wherein ffreemen are to deale I will giue my vote & suffrage, as I shall iudge in myne owne conscience may best conduce & tend to the publique weale of the body, without respect of psons, or favr of any man.
Soe helpe mee God in the Lord Jesus Christ.According to Robert F. Roden, Captain William Pierce was "one of the most esteemed and accomplished navigators of his time, master of three of the five ships that brought the first settlers to New England, and an intimate of Bradford, Winslow, and Winthrop".
The full title of the book reads, "The Psalms in Metre, Faithfully translated for the Use, Edification, and Comfort of the Saints in Publick and Private, especially in New England.
Samuel Morison notes: "The fact that Sam Nowell of the Class of August 9, 1653, had his 'study in the printing roome' indicates that the press had very little business; which Stephen Day's accounts show to be the case.
[4] As described by Samuel Morison:Like so many country boys who find themselves in a great university, Henry entered into the fascinating game of acquiring knowledge with more zeal than discretion – at least so he thought in later years.
But here was my falseness that I was loath to read such bookes as might make me see such truths, but the Lord helped me..."[4] In the summer of 1640,[4] Dunster left for New England; he lived in Massachusetts only three weeks before becoming President of Harvard University.
As Morison writes:It would be interesting to know why Dunster was chosen – what evidence he had given of those remarkable qualities he was to show as a teacher and administrator, or what there was in his personality that appealed to the Overseers...Dunster possessed but one visible asset, a master’s degree...He belonged to an obscure family of a county that sent few emigrants to New England; and he was proud of his native Lancashire...He had published nothing, shone with no reflected glory...Yet, after all the magistrates and elders by the summer of 1640 may have felt so desperate a need of someone to revive the College as to draft any well-appearing university man who seemed likely to accept.
Centuries later, Harvard's 21st president, Charles William Eliot, said of Dunster:Two Hundred and forty-five years ago, Henry Dunster, the first president of Harvard College, was turned out of his office by the Congregationalists, who then ruled Massachusetts, because he had ceased to believe in infant baptism, finding adult baptism more scriptural and edifying.
He was turned out on a cold, rough, thankless world after fourteen years of the most devoted service, under the most adverse conditions; but today Dunster is one of Harvard's saints and heroes, and for a hundred years Harvard has been devoted in every fiber of her body and every drop of her blood, to freedom of thought and speech.
[12] As Morison states: The College certainly owes a debt of gratitude to the widow Glover, whose love cheered the first president in his well-nigh impossible undertaking, and whose property enabled him and the College to carry on.After Elizabeth's death, Dunster continued his crisis of faith to the point that he showed open opposition to Reverend Jonathan Mitchell, Harvard graduate and minister.
[7] John Glover, Elizabeth and Joseph’s son, filed a lawsuit against Dunster, his stepfather, to reclaim his inheritance.
John Hruschka notes, "Dunster simply ignored the court ruling and retained most of the value of the estate and possession of the press.
