Joseph Hulbert Nichols (August 20, 1805 - December 11, 1862) was an American minister and author. He was born, August 20, 1805, at

Newtown, Connecticut Newtown ( ) is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is part of the Greater Danbury area as well as the New York metropolitan area. Newtown was founded in 1705, and later incorporated in 1711. As of the 2020 census, its p ...

, where he resided until 1815, when his parents removed to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. He fitted for college in the

Episcopal Academy The Episcopal Academy, founded in 1785, is a private, co-educational school for grades Pre-K through 12 based in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. Prior to 2008, the main campus was located in Merion Station and the satellite campus was located in ...

Cheshire, Connecticut Cheshire ( ), is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. At the time of the 2020 census, the population of Cheshire was 28,733. The town is part of the Naugatuck Valley Planning Region. The center of population of Connecticut i ...

. He graduated from

Yale College Yale College is the undergraduate college of Yale University. Founded in 1701, it is the original school of the university. Although other Yale schools were founded as early as 1810, all of Yale was officially known as Yale College until 1887, ...

in 1825. After attending a course of medical lectures in New York, he studied law with

Seth P. Staples Seth Perkins Staples (Aug. 31, 1776- Nov. 6, 1861) was an American lawyer and politician. He founded what became the New Haven Law School, which was absorbed by Yale University as their Yale Law School. He was the brother-in-law of Roger Sherma ...

, Esq., and also in the

Litchfield Law School The Litchfield Law School was a law school in Litchfield, Connecticut, that operated from 1774 to 1833. Litchfield was the first independent law school established in America for reading law. Founded and led by lawyer Tapping Reeve, the proprietar ...

. He was admitted to the bar in 1828, at Albany, but soon gave up the profession of law and fitted himself for the ministry by a course of study in the General Episcopal Theological Seminary in New York. He graduated there in 1831, and was immediately ordained by Bishop Benjamin T. Onderdonk. He was then called to

Richmond, Virginia Richmond ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. Incorporated in 1742, Richmond has been an independent city (United States), independent city since 1871. ...

to assist Bishop

Richard Channing Moore Richard Channing Moore (August 21, 1762 – November 11, 1841) was the second bishop of the Diocese of Virginia (1814–1841). Life and career Moore was born in Manhattan. His classical education at King's College began at age eight, but ...

in the

Monumental Church Monumental Church is a former Episcopal church at 1224 E. Broad Street between N. 12th and College streets in Richmond, Virginia. Designed by architect Robert Mills, it is one of America's earliest and most distinctive Greek Revival churches ...

; his health failing, he returned to his native town and then from 1832 to 1839 was Rector of Christ Church,

Greenwich, Connecticut Greenwich ( ) is a New England town, town in southwestern Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it had a population of 63,518. It is the largest town on Gold Coast (Connecticut), Connectic ...

. He subsequently became assistant Minister of Trinity Church,

New Haven, Connecticut New Haven is a city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound. With a population of 135,081 as determined by the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, New Haven is List ...

, where he remained till 1846. After officiating as a minister in

Bristol, Connecticut Bristol is a suburban city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, southwest-west of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford. The city is also 120 miles southwest from Boston, and approximately 100 miles northeast of New York City. The ...

and Cheshire, he removed in 1851 to

Racine, Wisconsin Racine ( ) is a city in Racine County, Wisconsin, United States, and its county seat. It is located on the shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Root River (Wisconsin), Root River, south of Milwaukee and north of Chicago. It is the List ...

, where he was rector of St Luke's Church, until 1856, and Professor of English Literature in

Racine College Racine College was an Episcopal preparatory school and college in Racine, Wisconsin, that operated between 1852 and 1933. Located south of the city along Lake Michigan, the campus has been maintained and is today known as the DeKoven Cent ...

, till 1862. In 1862, he became chaplain of the

19th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 19th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 19th Wisconsin was organized at Madison, Wisconsin, and mustered into Federal service April 30, 1 ...

, and went with his Regiment to

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. It had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of cities in Virginia, third-most populous city ...

. While there, he was prostrated by a fever, which brought on delirium, terminated by his death, Dec. 11, 1862, in the Government Hospital for the Insane. He was buried in Washington. He was well known as a writer in verse and prose. His poem on the Future was delivered as an Inaugural at Racine. He married, Sept 17, 1844, Louisa, daughter of Rev, Edward Rutledge, of New Haven.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nichols, Joseph Hulbert 1805 births 1862 deaths American chaplains American Episcopal clergy Yale College alumni People from Newtown, Connecticut Litchfield Law School alumni Connecticut lawyers General Theological Seminary alumni 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American Episcopalians Cheshire Academy alumni 19th-century American clergy