Samuel Danforth
Samuel Danforth was a 17th-century clergyman and scholar born in 1626 near Suffolk, England. After the death of his mother, he immigrated with his father to New England in the mid-1630s. Danforth graduated from Harvard University in 1643, where he initially struggled with the classical pagan poets but eventually incorporated their influence into his work, particularly in his almanacs. Following his ordination in 1650, he dedicated his life to the ministry in Roxbury, Massachusetts, assisting Reverend John Eliot in his missionary efforts to translate the Bible into Native American languages. Danforth published three almanacs between 1649 and 1651, showcasing his keen interest in astronomy, which he regarded as a blend of scientific inquiry and spiritual reflection. He believed celestial events, like the appearance of a comet in the mid-1660s, carried significant meaning and warranted both scientific and theological study. Danforth passed away in 1674, survived by several of his twelve children, including sons who would continue his legacy as clergymen. His life reflects a blend of intellectual pursuit and religious commitment during a formative period in American colonial history.
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Samuel Danforth
Writer
- Born: September 1, 1626
- Birthplace: Framlingham, Suffolk, England
- Died: November 19, 1674
- Place of death: Roxbury, Massachusetts
Biography
Samuel Danforth was born in 1626, near Suffolk, England. After his mother died when he was quite young, he and his father immigrated to New England in the mid-1630’s. He studied at Harvard University and graduated in 1643, still in his teens. At Harvard College, Danforth was at first taken aback by the classical pagan poets, but eventually learned to appreciate them, modeling many of the poems in his first almanac on Virgil, among others. After college, Danforth was invited by the Reverend Thomas Welde to assist the Roxbury, Massachusetts, pastor John Eliot. Eliot’s missionary work as “the Apostle to the Indians,” which entailed translating the Bible into Indian tongues, often kept him from his congregation. Danforth accepted and after becoming ordained in 1650, stayed on in Roxbury for the remainder of his life.
Danforth went on to publish three almanacs from 1649 to 1651, although his true passion was astronomy. When a comet appeared in the sky in the mid-1660’s, he argued that while it should be studied scientifically by astronomers, it also should be studied by men of the cloth since he believed it to be a sign from God. Samuel Danforth died in 1674, leaving behind some of the twelve children he had with his wife Mary Wilson of over twenty years. In spite of the fact that many of his children died in infancy, his sons John and Samuel II went on to continue their father’s legacy as colonial clergymen.