Jeremiah Chaplin (January 2, 1776 – May 7, 1841) was a

Reformed Baptist Reformed Baptists, also called Particular Baptists, or Calvinist Baptists, are Baptists that hold to a Calvinism, Calvinist soteriology (salvation belief teached by John Calvin). The name "Reformed Baptist" dates from the latter part of the 20 ...

theologian who served as the first president of

Colby College Colby College is a private liberal arts college in Waterville, Maine, United States. Founded in 1813 as the Maine Literary and Theological Institution, it was renamed Waterville College in 1821. The donations of Christian philanthropist Gardner ...

(then called the Waterville College) in Maine. Chaplin was born in

Rowley, Massachusetts Rowley is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 6,161 at the 2020 census. Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Rowley. History The area was inhabited by the Agawam people under sachem ...

(now

Georgetown, Massachusetts Georgetown is a New England town, town in Essex County, Massachusetts, Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,470 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It was incorporated in 1838 from part of Rowley, Massachus ...

) in 1776 to a Baptist family. He attended

Brown University Brown University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. It is the List of colonial colleges, seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the US, founded in 1764 as the ' ...

, a school with a historical Baptist affiliation, graduating in 1799 with a Bachelor of Arts. Chaplin spent a year at Brown as a tutor and pursued additional theological study to become a minister. To this end, he studied under Thomas Baldwin of the Second Baptist Church in

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

. In 1802 he became minister of the Baptist church in

Danvers, Massachusetts Danvers is a New England town, town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, located on the Danvers River near the northeastern coast of Massachusetts. The suburb is a fairly short ride from Boston and is also in close proximity to the beach ...

. Chaplin remained in Danvers through 1817 with the exception of a 1804 stint at the

First Baptist Church in the City of New York The First Baptist Church in the City of New York is a Baptist church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, New York City. Its current structure was built in 1890–93 at the intersection of Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway and 79th Street (Manhat ...

. College left his pastorate in Danvers in 1817 to become president of the new Waterville College (later

) at which he served until 1833. Chaplin first met Gardner Colby during this period while Colby was still a child, and Chaplin assisted Colby's family after Colby's father died. During the remainder of his life, Chaplin preached in

and

Willington, Connecticut Willington is a New England town, town in Tolland County, Connecticut, Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region, Connecticut, Capitol Planning Region. The population was 5,566 at the 2020 United ...

, and then moved to

Hamilton, New York Hamilton is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Madison County, New York, Madison County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 6,379 at the 2020 census. The town is named after American Founding Father ...

where he died in 1841. Chaplin held to a Calvinist Baptist theology throughout his life. A

Liberty ship Liberty ships were a ship class, class of cargo ship built in the United States during World War II under the Emergency Shipbuilding Program. Although British in concept, the design was adopted by the United States for its simple, low-cost cons ...

constructed in 1943, the , was named in his honor.Liberty: The Ships That Won the War, Peter Elphick, Naval Institute Press, 2006, p 131.

Published works

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chaplin, Jeremiah 1776 births 1841 deaths Colby College faculty Presidents of Colby College Brown University alumni People from Waterville, Maine University and college founders 19th-century Baptist ministers from the United States People from Georgetown, Massachusetts People from Hamilton, New York People from colonial Massachusetts Baptists from New York (state)