Eckley, Joseph, 1750-1811

Joseph Eckley (1750-1811) was born in London and moved to America to settle in New Jersey around 1767. He graduated from Princeton in 1772 and was licensed by the Presbytery of New York in 1776. In 1779, he was ordained pastor of the Old South Church in Boston, Mass., where he served until 1811. He received the degree of Doctor of Divinity from Princeton in 1793 and he died in Boston.

Joseph Eckley was born in 1750 in London, England. His parents, Katherine and Thomas Eckley immigrated to Hanover, Morris County by 1767. After graduating from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1772, Eckley stayed in the Princeton area to be near his family and to study theology with President Witherspoon. He pursued the rest of his theology education with Joseph Bellamy in Bethlehem, Connecticut. Shortly after, he returned to New Jersey in order to recover his health before seeking his license from the Presbytery of New York. His license was granted on May 7, 1776. After being sent to Albany, New York to supply pulpits, Eckley went on to serve several churches in Boston in 1777. In 1778 he became the permanent pastor at the Old South Church, Boston, where he remained until his death in 1811.