Peter Pelham - Mather Byles - Google Art Project

Mather Byles (born 26 March 1706, Boston, Massachusetts – 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 Jamestow ...

. 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 in Lowton in the p ...

and was a grandson of

Increase Mather Increase Mather (; June 21, 1639 Old Style – August 23, 1723 Old Style) was a New England Puritan clergyman in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and president of Harvard College for twenty years (1681–1701). He was influential in the administ ...

and nephew of Cotton Mather. As a young man, he corresponded with

Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early 18th century. An exponent of Augustan literature, ...

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 the ...

. Byles graduated at

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of high ...

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 Scotland 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 (see

1744 in poetry Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France). Events Works published Colonial America * John Armstrong, ''The Art of Preserving Health''Ludwig, Richard M., and Cliffo ...

). 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 author who is considered the first African-American author of a published book of poetry. Gates, Henry Louis, ''Trials of Phillis Wheatley: Ameri ...

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 was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

, 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, film director, and producer. He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apoca ...

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 I of Antioch (d. 790) * George I of Abkhazia (ruled 872/3–878/9) * George I of Georgia (d. 1027) * Yuri Dolgor ...

'' (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 J ...

# 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 October 11, 1761 – May 25, 1831) was an American painter who was born in Boston, Massachusetts and was active in England. Early life Brown was the son of Gawen and Elizabeth (Byles) Brown, and descended from the Rev. ...

(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'', ''The Death of General Wolfe'', the '' Treaty of Paris'', and '' Benjamin Franklin Drawin ...

(Gwan Brown married as his third wife Susannah Hill-the widow of Dr. Joseph Adams (a brother of

Samuel Adams Samuel Adams ( – October 2, 1803) was an American statesman, political philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a politician in colonial Massachusetts, a leader of the movement that became the American Revolution, an ...

). # 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
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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Byles, Mather 1706 births 1788 deaths 18th-century American poets 18th-century American male writers American male poets Colonial American 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