'Charles Chauncy' (
November 5,
1592 –
February 19,
1672) was an Anglo-American clergyman and educator. He was born at
Yardleybury (
Ardeley),
Hertfordshire,
England and educated at
Trinity College, Cambridge, where he later was a lecturer in
Greek. After serving as a
pastor in
England at
Marston St. Lawrence,
Northamptonshire (
1633-
37), he emigrated to
America in
1638. He preached at
Plymouth until
1641, then at
Scituate where, says
Mather "he remained for three years and three times three years, cultivating the vineyard of the Lord." He was appointed
president of Harvard College in
1654. He held that office until his death in
1672. He is said to be the ancestor of all of the people named Chauncy or Chauncey in the
United States. His descendants also include
Connecticut Governor and
National Baseball Hall of Fame member,
Morgan Bulkeley.
[1] Besides a number of sermons, Chauncy published ''The Doctrine of the Sacrament, with the Right Use Thereof'' (1642); ''The Plain Doctrine of the Justification of a Sinner in the Sight of God'' (1659), a collection of 26 sermons; and ''Antisynodalia Scripta Americana'' (1662).
His great-grandson was also named 'Charles Chauncy' (1705-1787), minister of the First Church (Congregational) of Boston 1727-1787, an Old-Light opponent of
Jonathan Edwards and the New Light ministers of the
Great Awakening, and a precursor of
Unitarianism.
Literature
★
Cotton Mather, ''Magnalia'' (London, 1702)
★ Fowler, ''Memorials of the Chaunceys'' (Boston, 1858)
References
1.