John Winthrop’s family relationships and Puritan background

John Winthrop’s grandfather Adam Winthrop, father Adam Winthrop, mother Anne Winthrop and uncle William Winthrop and other family members have been known as Their unique life experiences had a profound impact on Winthrop.

1. Grandfather Adam Winthrop

On October 9, 1498, he was born in Levenham, Suffolk, an important British textile industry center. His father died when he was young, and his mother remarried. Adam Winthrop started as an apprentice and not only established a firm foothold in London, but also became a leader in the woolen trade guild. In September 1526, Adam was admitted as a member of the Fullers Company in London. Soon after, he was sworn to be a freeman of the company and obtained the qualifications of a London citizen. In 1528, Fullers Company merged with another company producing woolen cloth, Hillsman Company, to form a more powerful company, the Woolen Workers Company. This company quickly emerged as one of the most powerful guild companies in London. one. In 1531, Adam himself began to recruit apprentices; in 1537, he was elected as one of the directors of the company; in 1546, he was selected as the main manager of the company; in 1551, Adam took the top position in the company and became prominent figures in London. Adam is mainly engaged in trade with Europe. Foreign trade has expanded his horizons and enriched his life experience. In the 16th century, the scope of British public life and social interaction was narrow, limited to the area around the church, and the furthest they visited were nearby village markets or the seat of the county government. Winthrop's grandfather Adam has gone abroad to interact with the world outside England, which cannot but be said to be a remarkable thing. In addition to being engaged in trade with Europe, Adam is also engaged in maritime transportation. He owned at least three-quarters of a merchant ship named Mary Flower and another merchant ship named John. In the 1640s, he was the third richest man in his parish.

2. Mother Anne Winthrop

John Winthrop’s mother was Anne Brown, and his father Henry Brown once served as the parish priest of Groton. long. Brown was not just a clergyman but a wealthy businessman with extensive estates in Essex and Suffolk, a dyehouse in Bocusford and a share in a ship. Brown bequeathed a large amount of property to his daughter Anne Brown and her grandson. The Winthrop family's Edwardston mansion was bequeathed to her by Brown. In addition to leaving a large amount of wealth to his children, Brown is more valuable because his descendants received a good education. Anne was clearly well educated and had a level of education that was unusual for her time. Volume 1 of "Winthrop Collected Works" contains a letter she wrote to her husband Adam. The main text is written in English and the postscript is written in proficient French, thus proving that Anne is also proficient in French. In addition to being proficient in her native English and French, she may also be proficient in other languages, as evidenced by several foreign language books signed by her. The surviving letters between Anne and her husband Adam are testimony to her good educational background. Anne Brown was a devout Puritan who conscientiously acted and behaved according to the Puritan moral standards. She also required her family members and relatives to follow this standard. According to Adam's diary, Anne, the wife of Adam's nephew Joshua, came to Groton as a guest. Winthrop's mother criticized Anne for wearing extravagant clothes and not going to church, causing Anne to leave angrily. This example can let people understand Anne Brown's attitude and style towards life. Childhood is an important period for the formation of a person's worldview. The influence of his mother on the formation of Winthrop's character and worldview in childhood can be confirmed from another aspect. Winthrop's father, Adam, was not only the butler of Groton Hall, but also a lawyer and had served as auditor of the accounts of Trinity College, Cambridge. During Winthrop's teenage years, Adam often went out, and Anne Brown took care of the family affairs alone. Winthrop, who had been with his mother for a long time, was directly affected by her mother's words and deeds. Winthrop's religious orientation, portrait The elegant style revealed in the book reflects the mother's shadow to a certain extent.

3. Father Adam Winthrop

Adam Winthrop was born in 1548 and was the youngest son of the family. He also had two elder brothers, William and John. His first wife, Alice Still, died in childbirth without issue.

His second wife, Anne, bore him four children. John Winthrop was their only son. Adam's two marriages both brought him wealth and elevated his social status.

In the Elizabethan era, universities were the center of the Puritan movement. The children of the squire received the influence of Puritanism in college and became staunch Puritans. They further influenced the religious stance of their respective family members, which was also an important reason why there were more Puritans among the squires. After several years of studying and living in Cambridge, Adam eventually became a Puritan who firmly believed in Puritan ideas. In the 16th and 17th centuries, Cambridge University was the birthplace of new ideas and the main battlefield of the Puritan Reform. Magdalen College was one of the colleges with the strongest religious reform atmosphere in Cambridge University. The academic palace of Cambridge University cultivated and created many Puritan thinkers. They preached the ideas of the Reformation on the university platform. Their students spread these ideas to all parts of the UK, gradually changing the British religious beliefs. The ideas of these thinkers It also deeply affected Adam. Living and studying in Cambridge not only increased Adam's knowledge, but also caused a major change in his worldview. If his belief in Puritanism before this was the influence of his family, then several years of immersion at Cambridge University, the cradle of the Puritan reform, gradually immersed him in Puritan doctrines, and his religious tendencies in turn further influenced Wen Si. The religious beliefs of other members of the Ropp family, son John Winthrop, are not unrelated to Adam's influence.

The establishment of Adam's worldview was largely influenced by the teachers he came into contact with. College is an important period for young people to form their worldview and set goals in life. It is also a good place to make friends. While studying at Cambridge, Adam met many radical and talented Puritan reform fighters and formed deep friendships with them. These mentors in Adam's future life had a great influence on Adam himself, his son John Winthrop, and even his family. deep. Adam once copied the book "Christian Doctrine" written in the form of questions and answers in his notebook. According to research, this book was used by Sands or written by him. Sands and Newstab had close contacts with Adam. They often visited Groton Manor and exchanged ideas with Adam. Adam often went to listen to their sermons and supported and cared about their careers. Witnessing Adam's interactions with the Puritan reformers and listening to them talk about the development of the Puritan cause must have a direct impact on John Winthrop, who was in the formative period of his worldview.

4. Uncle William Winthrop

Winthrop’s Puritan belief is closely related to family tradition. In the Winthrop family, his grandfather and father , mother, and uncle William Winthrop are all devout Puritans. Among them, Winthrop's uncle William Winthrop is particularly worth mentioning. He personally and actively supported the Puritan movement. His enthusiasm for the Puritan reform not only influenced his younger brother Adam Winthrop , and influenced the sons of Adam.

The famous New England historian Cotton Mather (Cotton Mather) described William this way: He was a memorable defender of Protestantism in the era of Queen Mary. It was because of his help that the famous Only the martyr Philpott was honored to be recorded in history. ⑧William's enthusiasm and persistence in the cause of Puritan reform undoubtedly influenced his brother Adam Winthrop and nephew John Winthrop. Puritanism became their unchanging faith, and completing the Puritan reform became their lifelong goal. Francis J. Bremer, a scholar who studies Winthrop, spoke highly of William's influence on the Winthrops. He believed that the example set by William became a beacon guiding their lives.

5. Second uncle John Winthrop

If Winthrop’s grandfather, father and uncle William Winthrop are his role models in life, then with His uncle of the same name, John Winthrop, set a negative example in his life.

Winthrop’s second uncle, John Winthrop, was born in 1547 and died in Ireland in 1613. His father's will in 1562 specified that he would inherit Groton Manor. If he died without male heirs, his brother Adam, Winthrop's father, would inherit Groton Manor. After his father's death, John Winthrop inherited Groton Manor and became its owner.

John Winthrop's character was far from the moral standards that Puritans should achieve. He violated the canons and divorced his wife and did not give her divorced wife living expenses, leaving her with no choice but to apply to the justice for relief. In addition, he also plundered a small cabin specially prepared for bell ringers by the parish in the church yard. The church deacon took him to court. John, who was notorious in his hometown, was later forced to leave England and move to Ireland. Winthrop was married four times in his life. In 1605, 17-year-old Winthrop married 22-year-old Mary Forth. Mary was the sole heir to John Forth's estate. Her grandfather, William Foah, was a justice of the peace in Suffolk and became a wealthy country squire with multiple estates by selling his abbey estate. Winthrop's marriage to Mary brought wealth to the Winthrop family. According to Winthrop's father's diary, in September 1606, Force transferred part of his property to the Winthrops. This was undoubtedly a lucky thing for Winthrop, who had no hope of becoming the owner of Groton Manor. When Forth died in 1613, the Winthrops inherited his family business and received a large estate in Great Stanbridge, Essex. Foss also left an inheritance to Winthrop's children in his will. Although his union with Mary improved Winthrop's economic status, it put an end to his college life. His eldest son, John Winthrop Jr., was born in the second year of his marriage; in 1608, his second son, Henry, was born; in 1610, his third son, Forth, was born; in 1612, his daughter Mary was born; in 1614 In 1615 and 1615, two daughters with the same name were born, but they both died in infancy. On June 26, 1615, Mary Force died at the age of 32, leaving Winthrop with 4 young children, the eldest of whom was only 9 years old.

Winthrop lived in an era when remarriage after the death of a husband or wife was a common phenomenon. In order to care for their young motherless children, Winthrop married Tomasine Clopton less than six months after Mary's death. The Clopton family's social status was slightly higher than that of the Winthrop family, and this marriage also enhanced the Winthrop's social status in Suffolk County. Clopton's father, William Clopton, was the owner of Castleleigh Manor, not far from Groton Manor, and his mother, Margery, came from a prominent Essex family. Waldegrave family. In 1616, Thomasin died in childbirth just one year after her marriage. Although she lived with Winthrop for a short time, she and Winthrop had similar temperaments and similar thoughts. In addition, she was very caring for Winthrop's children from his previous marriage, so her death made him very painful. He deliberately wrote a long diary in memory of his late wife, recording the entire process of her death, describing her character and expressing his grief at losing his wife.

Winthrop's third wife, Margaret Tyndal, was born into a prominent family in Essex. Margaret Tyndale married 30-year-old Winthrop on April 29, 1618, and gave birth to eight children for Winthrop. Four children died in infancy, including four children, Stephen and Adam. Adam, Deane and Samuel grew up.

The love story of Margaret and Winthrop has been passed down as a legend by future generations. In 1630, Winthrop left England and immigrated to New England. Since Margaret was pregnant and unable to accompany her husband, the couple agreed to miss each other every Monday and Friday from 5 to 6 pm. Winthrop mentioned this agreement between them more than once in his book between the two places. In the Book of Two Places on September 9, 1630, Winthrop wrote: "I feel sad to think of leaving you so soon, and my husband and wife are separated. Sometimes I am busy with business and often forget our agreement, I feel sorry for you, and I long for the time when I can see you again." Samuel Eliot Morison was moved by Winthrop's tenderness for his wife. Moved, he wrote with exclamation: "His letter to his 'dear wife' Margaret is the most affectionate letter a man can write to a lady.

John Winthrop notified his wife of various messages, but also talked about his feelings about God. At the end of the letter, he wrote, "Give me a kiss of love." Goodbye, I will always love your husband, John Winthrop. . "These letters that have survived to this day bear witness to the love between Winthrop and Margaret.

In June 1647, Margaret died of an epidemic. Winthrop, who was the governor at the time Ropp commented on his wife in his diary: "She is a person of extraordinary character, prudent conduct, modesty, and full of love for God. For this reason, she is particularly loved and respected by people all over England. "James Savage, editor of "Winthrop's Diary", believes that Winthrop's evaluation of Margaret is not sufficient. Margaret is also a "person of simple language and elegant manners."

Winthrop married for the fourth time two years before his death, to a widow named Martha Rainspano Cotimore, Jr. (1606～1676) British colonist. Son of Governor Winthrop of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. In 1633, he was appointed governor of the new colony of Saybrook. In 1646, he served as governor of Connecticut. Union with the New Haven Colony

John Winthrop III (1638～1707) British colonist, born in Ipswich, Massachusetts, grandson of Winthrop, governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. . He went to England to join Oliver Cromwell's army. He returned to the United States in 1663 and participated in King Philip's War (1675-1676). In 1698, he was elected governor of the Connecticut Colony.