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dence of his family since the sixth year
of the reign of Edward III (1333), and
probably earlier. Early in April, 1636,
accompanied by his wife and two chil-
dren, he left England. They arrived in
Boston, Massachusetts, May 26, 1636. In
the following November, Mr. Whiting
was established as minister of the church
in Saugust, which was soon afterward
called Lynn in his honor. In December,
1636, he was admitted a freeman and soon
after established his permanent residence
opposite the meeting house in Shepard
street. For forty-three years he ministered
to the spiritual wants of Lynn, and
throughout this period was the best beloved
figure in its life and affairs. We
get some of our finest pictures of Rev.
Samuel Whiting both as man and minister
from the invaluable journal of one
of his parishioners, Mr. Turner: The following
entry was made shortly after Mr.
Whiting's death:
Decemr ye 12 : Yester even died ye dear &
reverend Mr. Whiting. He hath laboured among
us this fortie yeare and upwards, and mch beloved
both here and abroad. Hjs godlie temper was seen
in ye sweet smile yt he alwaies wore. Hjs learn-
ing was great. In ye Hebrewe jt hath been said
none on this side of ye water could come up to
him. He greatlie labored for ye children, and for
manie yeares would haue as manie as he could
come to hjs house on everie Lord his day after ye
publique worship was over, and be catechized and
instructed by him in Bible truths. And on week
dales he also instructed ye children, such as would,
in Latin and other learning of ye schooles. He
was not fond of disputations and wotdie wran-
glings about doctrine, but laid down hjs poynts
plainlie and then firmlie defended them by ye
Scriptures, not taking ye time, as ye manner of
some is, to tell how others look upon ye same and
then to tell how false was ye eye with wch they
looked. He writ some things yt come out in
print, and all testified to their being sound in doc-
trine, liberal in sentiment, and plain and practicall.
Mr. Whiting was of a quiet temper and not mch
given to extasies, but yet he would sometimes take
a merrie part in pleasant companie. Once coming
among a gay partie of young people he kist all ye
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF BIOGRAPHY
maides and said yt he felt all ye better for it
And I think they too felt all ye better for it, for
they did hug their armes around hjs neck and kiss
him back again right warmlie; they all soe loved
him.
He was a man of middle size, dark skin and
straight fine hair. Hjs hands were white and soft,
mch like some fine ladys. In preaching he did not
mch exercise his bodie. But hjs clear voice and
pleasant way were as potent to hold fast ye thought
of old and young. He had great care in his dress
while preaching, saying yt his hearers should not
be made to haue their eyes upon an unseemlie object,
lest ye good instruction might be swallowed
up in disgust. And for a reason like unto yt he
would also have his discources in mild and winning
wordes. In generall ye sermon would be an
hoour and a half long and ye long praier another
half houre, wch wyt ye reading of ye scriptures
and ye singing would made ye whole above two
hours ; ye hour-glass upon ye pulpitt tellint ye
time.
Ye towne was called Lin in compliment to Mr.
Whiting, who came here from Lin in old Norfolki..
Dr. Mather, in his "Magnalia," first
published in 1702, pays tribute to Mr.
Whiting, as follows:
And he (Mr. Whiting was no less a man of
the peculiar sweetness and
temper than a learning :
goodness of his temper must be deemed an essen-
tial stroke in his character : he was wonderfully
happy in his meek, his composed, his peacable disposition
: and his meekness of wisdom outshone all
his other attainments in learning; for there is no
humane literature so hardly attained as the dis-
cretion of man to regulate his anger. His very
countenance had an amiable smile continually
sweetening of it; and his face herein was but the
true image of his mind, which, like the upper
regions, was marvellously free from the storms
of passions.
William Whiting, one of his lineal descendants,
president of the New England
Historic-Genealogical Society, in his
"Memoir of Rev. Samuel Whiting, D. D.,
and of his wife, Elizabeth St. John,"
closes his masterly work with the follow-
ing tribute:
A man of God, and an honorable man,
Of whom both Englands may with reason boast