Colonial New England Religious Freedom Heroes

Religious Freedom Heroes of early Colonial New England.
They left England to worship God according to their own conscience and not be limited by the state church established by the King. Life in the new colonies was very rough indeed and filled with a great many hardships. Listing of noteworthy stories of individuals pursuing religious freedom in the early New England colonies 1600-1700 :
= A =
== Allerton ==
* Isaac Allerton (1586-1658): Mayflower Pilgrim -
One of the high-ranking members of the English Separatists to help settle Plymouth Colony in 1620.
= B =
== Bradford ==
* Gov William Bradford (1590-1657): Mayflower Pilgrim - longtime governor and historian of Plymouth Colony.
== Brewster ==
* William Brewster (1567-1644): Mayflower Pilgrim - ruling elder of the Pilgrims that settled Plymouth Colony in 1620.
= C =
== Chilton ==
* Mary Chilton (c1607-1679): Mayflower Pilgrim - a 13-year-old girl, believed to be the first Anglo female to set foot in America, left orphan when her parents died during the first harsh winter at Plymouth Colony.
== Cooke ==
* John Cooke, Jr. (1607-1695): Mayflower Pilgrim- 13-year old immigrant to Plymouth Colony and later a deacon in the Pilgrim church before being excommunicated there and joining the Baptists.
= E =
== Eliot ==
* John Eliot (1604-1690) AKA: Apostle to the Indians - a Puritan missionary to the American Indians of Massachusetts and the founder of Roxbury Latin School in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1645.
== Emerson ==
* Hanna Emerson (1657-1738) - Famous lady Indian fighter of the 1697 Haverhill raid.
= F =
== Fletcher==
* Moses Fletcher (1564-1621): Mayflower Pilgrim - excommunicated by the Church of England, he joined the pilgrims and died in the first winter at Plymouth Colony. He left behind in the Netherlands a wife and 10 children and very large posterity there.
== Fuller ==
* Dr. Samuel Fuller (1580-1633): Mayflower Pilgrim - leading physician of Plymouth Colony who was involved in fighting several early epidemics in the new colony.
= H =
== Howland ==
* John Howland (1592-1672): Mayflower Pilgrim - is widely believed to have the greatest number of American descendants of any of the original passengers of the 1620 Mayflower that founded Plymouth_Colony. Descendants included numerous dignitaries, presidents and celebrities.
== Hutchinson ==
* Anne Hutchinson (1591-1643) - Famous Early New England Puritan Leader, mother of 15, and important participant in the Antinomian Controversy that shook the infant Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1636 to 1638. Killed in 1643 in an Indian raid.
= L =
== Lathrop ==
* Rev John Lathrop (1584-1653) - an English Anglican clergyman, who became a Congregationalist minister and emigrant to New England. He was among the first settlers of Barnstable MA. Perhaps Lathrop's principal claim to fame is that he was a strong proponent of the idea of the Separation of Church and State (also called 'Freedom of Religion'), keeping the government out of religion and religion out of the government. This idea was considered heretical in England during his time, but eventually became the mainstream view of people in the United States of America, because of the efforts of John Lothropp and others. Lothropp left an indelible mark on the culture of New England, and through that, upon the rest of the country. He has had many notable descendents, including at least 6 US presidents, as well as many other prominent Governors, and other government and business people.
= N =
== Noyes ==
* Rev Nicholas Noyes (1647-1717) - reverend of the Church of Salem that prosecuted the Salem witch trials.
== Nurse ==
* Rebecca Towne Nurse (1621-1692) - hung for witchcraft at the Salem witch trials.
= P =
== Phillips ==
* Rev George Phillips (1593-1644) - Early leader in Gov Winthrop's Fleet and founder of 1st Congregational Church in Watertown MA.
== Prescott ==
* John Prescott (1604-1681) - left England to escape religious persecution. Founder of the town of Lancaster MA.
== Putnam ==
* Ann Putnam, Jr. - she alone accused 62 people of witchcraft. In 1706 Ann made a public apology in the Salem Village church for her role, and stated her belief that all of the accused witches had been innocent.
= R =
== Robinson ==
* Rev John Robinson (1567-1625): Pilgrim Leader - religious leader of the English Separatists in Leiden Holland and organizer of the Mayflower expedition.
= S =
== Saltonstall ==
* Sir Richard Saltonstall (1586-1661) - arrived with Gov Winthrop in 1630 and was leader of group that founded Watertown MA. Later returned to England and served as ambassador to Holland.
= T =
== Tarbell ==
* John Tarbell (1652-1715) Led the revolt against the Church of Salem for its prosecution of the Salem witch trials.
== Tilley ==
* Elizabeth Tilley (1607-1687): Mayflower Pilgrim - 13 year old immigrant to Plymouth Colony where both her parents died the first winter leaving her an orphan. She married fellow pilgrim John Howland and is matriarch of the largest family descendency group in all of North America including numerous dignitaries, presidents and celebrities.
= W =
== Winslow ==
* Gov Edward Winslow (1595-1655): Mayflower Pilgrim - 3rd governor of the Pilgrim colony at Plymouth.
== Wiswall ==
* Rev Ichabod Wiswall (1637-1700): Congregationalist Minister - third pastor of the church in Duxbury, Plymouth Colony, and a leading proponent for the merger of the Plymouth Colony with Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Category:American missionaries
Category:Famous Puritans
Category:Famous Pilgrims
Category:Church Founders