Jacob Bailey
Jacob Bailey was a notable figure in 18th-century America, born in 1731 in Rowley, Massachusetts, to a modest farming family. He received an education under his local pastor, which paved the way for his graduation from Harvard in 1755. Initially serving as a Congregational minister, he converted to the Church of England and was ordained as an Anglican clergyman in 1760. Bailey became a missionary in Pownalborough, Massachusetts (now Wiscasset, Maine), where he faced conflicts with Congregationalists. A loyalist during the Revolutionary War, he emigrated to Nova Scotia in 1779, where he played a significant role in bridging divides between loyalists and non-loyalists. He eventually became the rector of St. Luke's Church in Annapolis Royal, where he served until his death in 1808. Although his formal published works were limited, Bailey is recognized as an early figure in Canadian literature, with his writings reflecting his experiences and critiques of both religious nonconformity and political dissent. His literary contributions included poetry, theological essays, and writings on American history and geography.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Jacob Bailey
Nonfiction Writer
- Born: 1731
- Birthplace: Rowley, Massachusetts
- Died: July 25, 1808
- Place of death: Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, Canada
Biography
Jacob Bailey was born in Rowley, Massachusetts in 1731 into a humble farming family. He was the second child of David Bailey and Mary Hodgkins Bailey. Though of humble means, he received sound educational preparation for his future studies from his pastor, Jedediah Jewett, a Congregational minister in Rowley. He graduated from Harvard in 1755, taught school in several New England towns until 1758, and then returned to Harvard for further study. He served briefly as a Congregational minister in New Hampshire; however, his admiration for the Church of England led to his conversion to that denomination in 1759. He was ordained as an Anglican clergyman in London on March 16, 1760.
Following his ordination, he returned to the Americas as a missionary to the residents of Pownalborough on the northeastern border of Massachusetts (now Wiscasset, Maine). He married Sally Weeks of Hampton, New Hampshire in August, 1761. The marriage produced three daughters and three sons.
A loyalist who openly supported the British monarchy during the Revolutionary War, he emigrated to Nova Scotia in 1779 in response to significant conflicts with the Congregationalists in Pownalborough opposed to an Anglican presence in the area. While in Nova Scotia, he held missionary assignments in Halifax and Annapolis Royal, where he was an energetic missionary who attempted to alleviate conflicts between loyalists and non- loyalists. In 1782, Jacob Bailey assumed the rector of St. Luke’s Church in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, where he remained until his death on July 25, 1808.
Jacob Bailey is regarded as one of the first important figures in Canadian literature despite a paucity of formally published works, as his writings circulated widely amongst friends and acquaintances. Prior to his emigration to Nova Scotia, Jacob Bailey’s literary accomplishments were limited to light lyrical poetry. His future writings were markedly influenced by the persecution and injustices he suffered in conflicts with rebel proponents; his subsequent writings turned toward a more substantial verse satire form used to criticize both nonconformist religions and rebel positions and causes. Though primarily known for his poetry writings, his substantial prose works focused on theology, morality, American history, and the geography of Maine and Nova Scotia. He also dabbled in several incomplete works, such as epistolary novels and plays.