Cutler, Manasseh, 1742-1823

Congregational clergyman; botanist; one of the founders of the Ohio Co. which colonized the Ohio River Valley; member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Cutler (Yale University, B.A. 1765 and Harvard, A.M.1770) was appointed minister of Ipswich Hamlet in 1771. He published a botanical paper in the first volume of the Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1785, and also kept detailed notes on plants in an effort to improve upon the Linnaean system. Cutler never completed the revised work he intended to publish. He was also active in politics; and served as a member of Massachusetts General Court, 1800, and U.S. Congressional representative, 1800-1804.

Manasseh Cutler worked as a clergyman and botanist.

Land agent for the Ohio Company of Associates.

Clergyman, U.S. Congressman from Massachusetts, 1801-1805

Manasseh Culter graduated from Yale in 1765. In October 1768 he decided to study for the ministry, in November 1769 he left Edgartown and returned to Dedham to continue his divinity studies with his wife's father, Rev. Thomas Balch. He received a master's degree from Harvard in July, 1770, and he was appointed minister of Ipswich Hamlet in 1771. During the Revolutionary War Culter seved at intervals as an army chaplain and began to study medicine. His medical studies led to an interest in botany. He prepared a major botanical paper titled: An account of some of the vegetable productions naturally growing in the part of America botanically arranged, which was published in the first volume of the Memoirs of the American Academy of Arts and Science, 1785. Cutler was dissatisfied with the Linnaean arrangement which he had used in his account and in 1783 began making detailed notes on plants he saw in an effort to find some better system. He continued making these notes for many years, but he was never able to complete the revised work he intended to publish. Most of his notebooks survive but his herbarium which was said to be extensive was destroyed by fire. He served as a U.S. Congressional representative, 1800- 1804.

Manasseh Cutler was a clergyman and botanist.

Manasseh Cutler was born in Killingly, Connecticut on May 3, 1742. He was educated at Yale and graduated in 1765. The following year he taught school in Dedham, Massachusetts where he met and married Mary Balch. The couple moved to Edgartown, Massachusetts where Cutler took over the merchant business of his wife's aunt's deceased husband. A source claims he studied for the bar examination and was accepted. Another source claims he was awarded a master's degree from Yale in 1768.

In October 1768 he began studies for the ministry and returned to Dedham in 1769 to continue divinity studies with his wife's father, Reverend Thomas Balch. He became the minister at Ipswich Hamlet (now Hamilton, MA) in 1771. He kept this post, with interruptions, until his death.

During the American Revolutionary War, Cutler served as an army chaplain and began the study of medicine. His medical studies led to an interest in botany. He was elected a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences at its first meeting in January 1781. He kept notes on his botany projects for many years. A fire destroyed his herbarium, but most of his notebooks survived.

Cutler was also interested in archaeological remains, particularly the mounds of Ohio. He proposed theories regarding their age and purpose. He also made estimates of the elevation of the White Mountains on a trip there in 1784.

Cutler played a key role in the founding of Ohio University. At the close of the Revolutionary War, he participated in drafting the Ordinance of 1787 and personally applied to Congress for the grant of land on which to place a university.

Cutler was awarded an LL.D. by Yale in 1791 and for a brief period he was active in politics, being elected as a member of the Massachusetts General Court in 1800 and serving as a representative to the United States Congress from 1800 to 1804. He died on July 28, 1823 in Hamilton, Massachusetts.