
Mather Byles (born 26 March 1706 – 5 July 1788) was an American
clergyman
Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...
active in
British North America
British North America comprised the colonial territories of the British Empire in North America from 1783 onwards. English colonisation of North America began in the 16th century in Newfoundland, then further south at Roanoke and Jamestown, ...
.
Byles was descended, on his mother's side, from
John Cotton and
Richard Mather
Richard Mather (1596 – 22 April 1669) was a New England Puritan minister in colonial Boston. He was father to Increase Mather and grandfather to Cotton Mather, both celebrated Boston theologians.
Biography
Mather was born to Thomas Mather ...
, and was a grandson of
Increase Mather
Increase Mather (; June 21, 1639 Old Style – August 23, 1723 Old Style) was a History of New England, New England Puritan clergyman in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the sixth President of Harvard University, President of Harvard College (la ...
and nephew of
Cotton Mather
Cotton Mather (; February 12, 1663 – February 13, 1728) was a Puritan clergyman and author in colonial New England, who wrote extensively on theological, historical, and scientific subjects. After being educated at Harvard College, he join ...
. As a young man, he corresponded with
Alexander Pope
Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early ...
and
Isaac Watts
Isaac Watts (17 July 1674 – 25 November 1748) was an English Congregational minister, hymn writer, theologian, and logician. He was a prolific and popular hymn writer and is credited with some 750 hymns. His works include " When I Survey th ...
.
He graduated at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
in 1725, received his A.M. degree there in 1728 and in 1733 he became pastor of the
Hollis Street Church
The Hollis Street Church (1732 - 1887) in Boston, Massachusetts, was a Congregational (1732 - c. 1800) and Unitarian (c. 1800 - 1887) church. It merged with the South Congregational Society of Boston in 1887.
Brief history
1732-1825
In the ...
(Congregational), Boston. In 1765 he received a degree of Doctor of Divinity from the
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen (abbreviated ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; ) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Scotland. It was founded in 1495 when William Elphinstone, Bis ...
.
Byles held a high rank among the clergy of the province and was noted for his scholarly and well-written sermons, as well as his ready wit. He often exchanged poetic satires and parodies with another Boston wit of that time,
Joseph Green. At state funerals, he was often a picked to give the sermon.
He published a book of verse, ''Poems on Various Occasions'' in 1744. In 1773, he was chosen to be one of the eminent Boston literary intellectuals to examine
Phillis Wheatley
Phillis Wheatley Peters, also spelled Phyllis and Wheatly ( – December 5, 1784), was an American writer who is considered the first African-American author of a published book of poetry. Gates Jr., Henry Louis, ''Trials of Phillis Wheatley: ...
in order to determine if the black woman was actually the author of a proposed book of poems. (He and the rest of the panel determined that she was.)
At the outbreak of the
American Revolution
The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...
, Byles was outspoken in his advocacy of the royal cause, and after the British evacuation of Boston his connection with his church was dissolved.
Byles remained in Boston, however, and subsequently (1777) was arrested, tried and sentenced to deportation. This sentence was later changed to imprisonment in his own house. (He called the sentry stationed outside the house his "Observe-a-Tory".) He was soon released, but never resumed his pastorate.
He is known for saying "Which is better - to be ruled by one tyrant three thousand miles away or by three thousand tyrants one mile away?" A variation of the quote is spoken by
Mel Gibson
Mel Columcille Gerard Gibson (born January 3, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. The recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Mel Gibson, multiple accolades, he is known for directing historical films as well for his act ...
in
''The Patriot''.
Byles died in Boston on 5 July 1788, aged 82.
Besides many sermons Byles published ''A Poem on the Death of
George I George I or 1 may refer to:
People
* Patriarch George I of Alexandria (fl. 621–631)
* George I of Constantinople (d. 686)
* George of Beltan (d. 790)
* George I of Abkhazia (ruled 872/3–878/9)
* George I of Georgia (d. 1027)
* Yuri Dolgoruk ...
'' (1727).
Personal life
Married twice:
# February 14, 1733 Anna
oyesGale (April 17, 1704 – April 27, 1744); she was a niece of Governor
Jonathan Belcher
Jonathan Belcher (8 January 1681/8231 August 1757) was a merchant, politician, and slave trader from colonial Massachusetts who served as both governor of Massachusetts Bay and governor of New Hampshire from 1730 to 1741 and governor of New ...
# June 11, 1747 Rebecca (died July 23, 1779), daughter of Massachusetts acting Governor William Tailer
By first marriage-he had six children of whom only three lived:
#
Mather Byles (January 12, 1734/1735 – March 12, 1814), married 1st to cousin Rebecca Walter daughter of Rev Nathaniel Walter; 2nd Sarah Lyde; 3rd Mrs Susanna Reid
idow
# Elizabeth (March 22, 1737 – June 6, 1763), married to Gwan Brown; parents of
Mather Brown
Mather Brown (baptized 11 October 1761 – 25 May 1831) was an American painter who was born in Boston, Massachusetts and was active in England.
Early life and education
Brown was the son of Gawen and Elizabeth (Byles) Brown, and descended from ...
(October 7, 1761 – May 25, 1831), a portrait painter who studied under
Benjamin West
Benjamin West (October 10, 1738 – March 11, 1820) was a British-American artist who painted famous historical scenes such as ''The Death of Nelson (West painting), The Death of Nelson'', ''The Death of General Wolfe'', the ''Treaty of Paris ( ...
(Gwan Brown married as his third wife Susannah Hill-the widow of Dr. Joseph Adams (a brother of
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams (, 1722 – October 2, 1803) was an American statesman, Political philosophy, political philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a politician in Province of Massachusetts Bay, colonial Massachusetts, a le ...
).
# Dr Samuel (1743 – June 16, 1764)
By second marriage-three children of whom only two lived:
# Joseph – died young
# Mary (1750 – October 1, 1832)
# Catherine (1753 – July 19, 1837)
Both Mary and Catherine remained spinsters; they became renowned for maintaining themselves as loyalists in Boston for nearly sixty years after the American Revolution.
The famous Mather Byles: the noted Boston Tory preacher, poet, and wit, 1707 … by Arthur Wentworth Hamilton Eaton 1914
/ref>
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Byles, Mather
1706 births
1788 deaths
18th-century American poets
18th-century American male writers
American male poets
18th century in Boston
American Congregationalists
American religious writers
Harvard University alumni
Harvard College Loyalists in the American Revolution
American Loyalists from Massachusetts
Clergy from Boston
People from colonial Boston
American male non-fiction writers
18th-century American clergy