until 1642, except by the dropping out of Roger Harlakenden, who died in 1638. John Endicott appears as a member in 1642, the full Board being then made up of twelve men, as follows: John Winthrop, John Endicott, Thomas Dudley, Richard Bellingham, John Humphrey, Israel Stoughton, also John Cotton, John Wilson, John Davenport, Thomas Weld, Hugh Peter, Thomas Shepard, "inspectoribus.' At the first Commencement only six were probably present, viz. Winthrop, Endicott, Bellingham, Cotton, Wilson, Shepard. Of the other members, Weld, Peter, and Humphrey were then in England, Stoughton was apparently on the way thither, and Davenport had gone to New Haven in 1638. Sibley says, "I do not find any record of the day or the month, in 1642, when the first Commencement was held. Probably it was in October." Although quoted by him on his next page, he overlooks the fact that the letter sent over by the governor and divers of the ministers describing the manner of the late Commencement is plainly dated "September the 26. 1642." 2 This proves that Commencement took place before September twenty-sixth.

On the very next day after this letter was written the General Court changed the membership of the Board of Overseers:

Coll.

College overseers.

Whereas ... there was appointed & named six matrats & six eld's to order the colledge at Cambridge, of wch twelue some are removed out of this iurisdiction,— It is therefore ordered, that the Govern & Deputy for the time being, & all the matrats of this iurisdiction, together with the teaching eld's of the sixe next adioyning townes, that is, Cambridge, Watertowne, Charlestowne, Boston, Roxberry, & Dorchester, & the psident of the colledge for the time being, shall have from time to time full power & authority to make & establish all such orders, statutes, & constitutions as they shall see necessary . . .3

From 1642 until 1780 it is an easy matter to tell who was an Overseer for a given year by referring to Whitmore's Civil List and six town histories, some of which have indexes.

Hugh Peter, fourth pastor of the Salem church, was one of the

1 New Englands First Fruits, p. 18.

3 Massachusetts Colony Records, ii. 30.

2 P. 17.

first Board of Overseer
and many of his letters
lish journals of the day
torical value, and, apart
deserves a place in some
educated at Trinity Colle
A.M. in 1622. As preacher
London, he attracted crowds
established church forced fro
discipline. Again he found hi

Master Hugh Peter was appreh
a time in the New-prison, silencec
into Holland by the Arch-bishop, or
for the Queen, in these words, That a
so the light of Goshen might shine into
in the day of Christ; as himselfe and s

When in Holland he wrote the fir notice. It is a little catechism, of wh days before they were superseded by Longer and Shorter Catechisms. As tion of the volume has yet appeared, and I venture to lay it before you for examina

Milk for Babes, / And / Meat for Men./ to bee known/ and learned, of such as would known of him/hereafter. /[5 lines from Bi lines from Bible] / Imprinted Anno 1630. Collation: Title-page, verso blank, 1 leaf; “Epistl

in Sepulchers London," etc., 1 leaf; “Epistle etc., 1 leaf; text, pp. 1-39; verso of p. 39 blan Signatures: A-B in eights, C in seven (copies in or a blank leaf, completing C in eight). "D4" is & [6] + 39 p. 24 mo. No place or name of printer. The two Epistles follow:

Epistle.

To those, whom I have reason to hold deere in Se elswhere in England, where I have spent the poore hath lent mee.

1 William Prynne, Canterburies Doome, London, 1646, p. ·

LATION

grefs of the Parlaments Forces in

OTLAND:

Together with the

NGS

doning Scotland, and, in de-
at Forces were left them, march-
ngland: with part of our
s in his Van: and my

GENERAL

ving in his Reer.