Memoirs, 1807.

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Memoirs, 1807.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/207178312

Rev. West's memoirs were written in 1807 and copied by his son Benjamin West (1776- ) following his father's death. His narrative includes descriptions of scenes and anecdotes from his early life in Martha's Vineyard and Rochester, Mass., his studies at Harvard, and details of his initial reactions to the people of Needham, and his settlement and ordination there, as well as the reasons for his removal to Boston in 1788. The text contains West's opinions of all aspects of life, including marriage, death, raising children, medicine, and many theological questions. West's reminiscences of his father Thomas and his sketches of all his brothers and sisters compose a good part of the volume and reveal much concerning the people and the times. Included are many genealogical notes based on West's recollections. The memoirs also contain West's reactions to the outbreak of the Revolution and his description of the events of 19 April 1775 as viewed from Needham. Of special interest are copies of letters from his brother Benjamin West (1746- ) who traveled from Charlestown, N.H. to Charleston, S.C. in 1778, where he was hired as tutor to the children of a plantation owner. His letters are a rich source for life in the South, including descriptions of slavery, social life, agriculture, climate, and the scenery of Charleston as well as of sections of Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Benjamin also discussed his becoming a soldier and subsequently a prisoner of the British until his exchange in 1779 and his return to New Hampshire.

1 v. (548 p., 220 blank) ; octavo.

American Antiquarian Society

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SNAC Resource ID: 7000723

American Antiquarian Society

Related Entities

There are 5 Entities related to this resource.

Harvard University

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64n9x97 (person)

Harvard College was founded by a vote of the Great and General Court of Massachusetts on October 28, 1636 that allocated “400£ towards a schoale or colledge.” Subsequent legislative acts established the Board of Overseers, but it was the Charter of 1650 that created the Harvard Corporation as the College's primary governing board and defined its composition and authority. The College Charter became a contentious target for College officials, the Massachusetts Governor and General C...

West, Benjamin, 1746-1817

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6n02jfx (person)

West, Benjamin, 1772-1848

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w64187p9 (person)

Son of the American painter Benjamin West (1738-1820). From the description of Letter : London, to Nathaniel Ogle, London, 1836 May 27. (Bryn Mawr College). WorldCat record id: 24851343 ...

West, Thomas, 1708-1790

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6x07jz1 (person)

West, Samuel, 1738-1808

http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6h14cnd (person)

Samuel West (1738-1808) was the son of the Rev. Thomas West (1708-1790), of Rochester, Mass., and the cousin of the renowned Rev. Dr. Samuel West (1730-1807), of New Bedford, Mass. Samuel West, the former, graduated from Harvard in 1761 and settled as minister in Needham, Mass., from 1764 to 1788, when he became minister of the Hollis Street Church in Boston. From the description of Memoirs, 1807. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 207178312 West was the pastor of the Hollis Str...