Francis Higginson

Francis Higginson (1588-6 August 1630) was an early Puritan minister in Colonial New England, and the first minister of Salem, Massachusetts.

The son of a minister, Francis Higginson received his B.A. degree from Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1610 and his M.A. in 1613.^[1] About 1615, he became minister at Claybrooke, one of the parishes of Leicester, and acquired great influence as a preacher.^[2] Through his acquaintance with Arthur Hildersham and Thomas Hooker, he became disenchanted with the church of England and began to associate himself with Puritan congregations. Puritans in England were persecuted for their beliefs and practices. Higginson left his parish, although he continued to preach occasionally in the pulpits of the church of England. He refused offers of many excellent livings on account of his opinions, and was supporting himself by preparing young men for the university, when, in 1628, he was invited by the Massachusetts Bay Company to accompany its expedition to New England.^[2] Higginson joined, and in 1629 the Company obtained a Royal Charter to form a plantation in New England.

Higginson led a group of 300 settlers (including many of his own congregation) on five ships from England to New England. These were the first of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the main body who would come the next year on the Winthrop Fleet. The Higginson Fleet set sail on the first of May, 1629, arriving in Salem harbor on the 24th of June. The ships in the fleet were:

• Talbot
• George
• Lyon's Whelp, carried only provisions
• Four Sisters
• Mayflower (A different ship than that of the Pilgrims)

Higginson's fleet was greeted in Salem by a small group of settlers, led by John Endecott. There were five houses besides Endecott's. They had no trained minister, however, so Higginson and Samuel Skelton began those duties immediately. Higginson drew up a confession of faith, which was assented to, on 6 August, by thirty persons. In the following winter, in the general sickness that ravaged the colony, he was attacked by a fever, which disabled him, and finally caused his death^[2] at the age of 43, leaving behind a widow and eight children.

He had married Anne Herbert (died in or before 1640) on 8 January 1616 at St Peter's, Nottingham.^[3] Their eldest son, John (1616–1708), also trained for the ministry. He succeeded his father-in-law Henry Whitfeld or Whitfield (1597-1687)^[4] as minister at Guilford, Connecticut, and served as pastor of Salem from 1659. Another son, Francis Higginson (1618–1673), returned to England and became vicar of Kirkby Stephen, Westmoreland, where he lived until his death.^[5]

A portion of his diary was published in 1630 under the title, New Englands Plantation, or a Short and True Description of the Commodities and Discommodities of that Country. He also wrote an account of his voyage, which is preserved in Hutchinson's collection of papers.^[2]

References

• Higginson, Thomas (1891). Life of Francis Higginson, First Minister in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. New York: Dodd, Mead, & Co.. http://books.google.com/books?id=1mcvKTPkghQC&printsec=titlepage. Retrieved 2008-12-17.