Robert Traill Spence Lowell
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Robert Traill Spence Lowell (October 8, 1816 – September 12, 1891) was an Episcopal clergyman and educator.


Biography

Lowell was born in
Boston, Massachusetts 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 ...
, a son of
Charles Russell Lowell, Sr. Charles Lowell (15 August 1782 – 20 January 1861) was a Unitarian minister and a son of judge John Lowell, as well as the father of James Russell Lowell and Robert Traill Spence Lowell. Biography He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and atte ...
and Harriet Traill Spence. He studied at
Round Hill School The Round Hill School for Boys was a short-lived experimental school in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was founded by George Bancroft and Joseph Cogswell in 1823. Though it failed as a viable venture — it closed in 1834 — it was an early effor ...
, under
Joseph Cogswell Joseph Green Cogswell (September 27, 1786 – November 26, 1871) was an American librarian, bibliographer and an innovative educator. Education Born in Ipswich, Massachusetts, Cogswell received a grammar school education in Ipswich, and attended ...
and
George Bancroft George Bancroft (October 3, 1800 – January 17, 1891) was an American historian, statesman and Democratic Party (United States), Democratic politician who was prominent in promoting secondary education both in his home state of Massachusetts ...
, and graduated from
Harvard Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher lear ...
in 1833. He then took a full course at
Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School (HMS) is the medical school of Harvard University and is located in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Founded in 1782, HMS is the third oldest medical school in the Un ...
, and engaged in mercantile pursuits for a time. In 1839, he began the study of theology under advice of Alonzo Potter (afterward bishop of Pennsylvania), and prepared for orders. He was invited by Bishop Spencer, of
Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
, to go to
Bermuda Bermuda is a British Overseas Territories, British Overseas Territory in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean. The closest land outside the territory is in the American state of North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. Bermuda is an ...
, where he was made deacon in December 1842, and priest in March 1843, and was also appointed domestic chaplain to the bishop and inspector of schools in the colony. He went to Newfoundland in 1843, and was appointed to the charge of Bay Roberts ("Peterport" in his novel ''The New Priest''). While he was occupied in duty here, fishery failure and potato blight brought a severe famine upon the people (1846), during which Lowell's medical training proved to be especially useful. He was chairman of the relief committee of the district, and earned the thanks and gratitude of the government and people. His health and strength gave way, and he found it necessary to return to the United States in 1847. He next began mission work among the poorer people in
Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...
, gathered a congregation called Christ Church, and built a stone church in 1849–50, which was open and free to all, with daily services. In 1859 he accepted a call to Christ Church,
Duanesburg, New York Duanesburg is a town in Schenectady County, New York, United States. The population was 5,863 at the 2020 census. Duanesburg is named for James Duane, who held most of it as an original land grant. The town is in the western part of the county. ...
, which post he held for ten years. Thence he went to
Southborough, Massachusetts Southborough is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It incorporates the villages of Cordaville, Fayville, and Southville. Its name is often informally shortened to Southboro, a usage seen on many area signs and maps. At th ...
, where for four years he was headmaster of St. Mark's School. In 1873 he became professor of the
Latin language Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
and literature in
Union College Union College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the s ...
,
Schenectady, New York Schenectady ( ) is a City (New York), city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the United States Census 2020, 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-most populo ...
, and discharged the duties of that department for six years. He died in Schenectady on September 12, 1891.


Works

Lowell's publications are ''The New Priest in Conception Bay'' (Boston, 1858; new ed., illustrated by F. O. C. Darley, 1863), ''Fresh Hearts That Failed Three Thousand Years Ago, and Other Poems'' (1860), ''Antony Brade, a Story of School-Boy Life'' (1874), ''Burgoyne's March'', the poem at the Saratoga county centennial celebration at Bemis Heights (1877), and ''A Story or Two from a Dutch Town'' (1878). He has also been during a large part of his life a frequent contributor in both verse and prose to reviews, magazines, and literary journals. One of his most striking productions, "A Raft That No Man Made", is an imaginative story, which a year or two after its publication was almost exactly paralleled by the actual experience of a portion of the crew of the ''
Polaris Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris (Latinisation of names, Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an ...
''.


Notes


References

* ; Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Lowell, Robert Traill Spence 1816 births 1891 deaths 19th-century American Episcopal priests American male writers Harvard University alumni Harvard Medical School alumni People from Duanesburg, New York Writers from Boston Lowell family