Joseph Capen
Joseph Capen was a prominent pastor in Massachusetts during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, born in Dorchester in 1658. He graduated from Harvard College in 1677 and began his ministry in Dorchester before becoming the pastor of a church in Topsfield in 1684, a position he held until his death in 1725. Capen is known for his efforts to seek justice during the Salem Witch Trials, specifically attempting to exonerate the nineteen women who were executed in 1692. In addition to his pastoral duties, he composed several epitaphs, including the notable "A Funeral Elegy on John Foster," published in 1681, which influenced Benjamin Franklin's later work. Another surviving piece, "A Funeral Sermon Occasioned by the Death of Mr. Joseph Green," reflects his close connections with fellow ministers. Capen's legacy is also embodied in the Parson Capen House, a significant historical site that he built in 1683, which is preserved by the Topsfield Historical Society. His contributions to his community and his literary works have left a lasting impact on the region's history.
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Joseph Capen
- Born: December 20, 1658
- Birthplace: Dorchester, Massachusetts
- Died: June 30, 1725
- Place of death: Topsfield, Massachusetts
Biography
Joseph Capen was a pastor of some influence in the greater Massachusetts area in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. He was born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1658. Capen graduated from Harvard College in 1677 with a master’s degree, then briefly served as the minister in Dorchester. In 1684, he became the pastor of a church in Topsfield, Massachusetts, a position he held until his death in 1725. He notably tried, and failed, to attain the acquittal of the nineteen women who were hanged in the aftermath of the Salem Witch Trials in 1692.
Capen was noted for composing epitaphs. One of these lyrical tributes was the famous A Funeral Elegy on John Foster, published in 1681, that is credited as the basis for Benjamin Franklin’s even more famous epitaph of Foster, the man who established the first printing press in Boston. The only other work by Capen that has survived is A Funeral Sermon Occasioned by the Death of Mr. Joseph Green, Late Pastor of the Church in Salem Village (1717), an elegy for Capen’s close associate. Capen’s legacy is the Parson Capen House, a large home he built on a thirteen-acre plot of land in 1683, and where he intended to carry out some of his public duties. The property is maintained and protected by the Topsfield Historical Society.