Samuel Man

Samuel Man (July 6, 1647 – May 22, 1719) was an early teacher in Dedham, Massachusetts, and minister in Wrentham, Massachusetts.

Personal life

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Man was born on July 6, 1647, to William Man and Mary, née Jarrad, of Cambridge, Massachusetts.[1][2][3][4][5] Man was an only child and his parents designated their son for the ministry from an early age.[1] He married Esther Ware, the granddaughter of John Hunting, on May 13, 1673, and they had seven sons and four daughters.[5][2][1] He was graduated from Harvard College in 1665.[2][1] He was the great-grandfather of Horace Mann[4] and a descendant of John Man.[1] He died on May 22, 1719[5][1] and his funeral sermon was later published.[6]

Dedham

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While living in Dedham, Man was hired to teach in the Dedham Public Schools on May 13, 1667, at a salary of £10 a year.[3][7][8][2][1] He continued in that position until 1672 when he was required to give two months notice before he moved to Wollomonopoag.[1][3][9][2]

Wrentham

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Man moved from Dedham to the area soon to be known as Wrentham in 1672, one year after the first settlers arrived.[8][1] He preached to the settlers there until he was called away to fight in King Phillip's War.[3] Each resident was required to pay one shilling and one sixpence per common right to pay Man's salary.[10] His selection as minister seems to have been an easy decision. He was selected by the residents of Wollomonopoag and their decision was quickly ratified by a committee of John Allin, John Hunting, and Eleazer Lusher.[10] After Wrentham was burned to the ground, he returned to Dedham and taught there again from 1676 to 1678.[3][1]

He was made a freeman in 1678.[2] In the spring of 1678 he turned down an opportunity to be ordained in Milton and to preach for the winter in Rehoboth,[11][3] though he lived and preached in Milton for four years.[1] When the people of Wrentham heard that he was about to be called to Milton, they sent a committee to entice him to return and be their minister.[3] He returned on August 26, 1680.[1][3] Due to the "troublous times and divers hinderances," it was not until April 13, 1692, that a church of 10 people was gathered in Wrentham with Man ordained as the pastor.[1][2][3][5]

His ordination was attended by Judge Samuel Sewall[2] and he preached from 1st Corinthians IV Chapter 2nd verse.[1] He would minister there for the next 49 years[8] and his last sermon was preached on March 1, 1719, from Ecclesiastes 1st chap 14th verse.[1]

His house burned, along with the church records, on October 26, 1699.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Messinger, George W. (1859). "Man or Mann Genealogoy". The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. 13: 325–6.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Gay, Frederick Lewis (1892). "Extracts from the Sewall Diary". The Dedham Historical Register. Dedham Historical Society: 123.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Sibley, John Langdon (1881). Sibley's Harvard Graduates: Biographical Sketches of Those who Attended Harvard College ... with Bibliographical and Other Notes. 1659-1677. Massachusetts Historical Society. pp. 191–193. Retrieved April 19, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Yale University (1921). Obiturary Record of Graduates. Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Company. p. 579. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d Blake 1879, p. 20.
  6. ^ Thatcher, Peter (1720). The Reverend Mr. Samuel Man, His Funeral Sermon, on Matt. XIV. 12: Preached at Wrentham, 1719. Upon Occasion of His Decease. Samuel Kneeland.
  7. ^ Fiore 1973, p. 10.
  8. ^ a b c Hanson 1976, p. 73.
  9. ^ Fiore 1973, p. 11.
  10. ^ a b Blake 1879, p. 16.
  11. ^ Fiore 1973, p. 28.

Works cited

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