EDWARD WIGGLESWORTH. 303 



est of civilized society, — these are the works of his life. To the 

 results of them uo limit can be easily assigned. 



His friends (no one could know him, aud not call him friend) all 

 recognize that these crowning works of his life had their origin in the 

 governing elements of his character, — devotion to duty and good-will 

 to man. In him, wisdom and charity in its largest sense were most 

 completely blended. His life, moreover, was fully rounded and his 

 work well done. As he often expressed the wish, he died before "his 

 eye was dim or his natural force abated." Never to have known weari- 

 ness during a life of nearly fourscore years, full of usefulness, honor, 

 and domestic comfort, is as great a blessing as ever falls to the lot of 

 man, and this blessing Judge Washburn fully enjoyed. 



EDWARD WIGGLESWORTH. 



Edward Wigglesworth, a Fellow of the Academy of Class IH., 

 Section IV., died at his residence on Sunday, October 15, 1876, in this 

 city, where he was born, January 14, 1804. He was in his seventy- 

 third year. 



His ancestral and family name connects him with individuals conspic- 

 uous and honored in their several generations, from the first settlement 

 of the country, for their characters and services in the various ranges 

 of life. His first progenitor in this country was li^dward Wigglesworth, 

 from Yorkshire, in old England, who, coming to Charlestown in this 

 colony in the summer of 1638, removed in the autumn to New Haven, 

 where he died, October 1, 1653. A stone in the Green in that place, 

 marked with the initials " E. W.," was long supposed to designate the 

 grave of Colonel Edward Whalley, a member of the High Court of 

 Justice which condemned Charles I. ; but it is now reasonably believed 

 to denote the grave of the first Edward Wigdeswoi'th. Among; the 

 children whom he brought with him to this country was one, then 

 nearly seven years, who, bearing the name of Michael Wigglesworth, 

 won great distinction in this colony as divine, physician, and poet. 

 Having been trained by the famous school-master, Ezekiel Cheever, 

 whose service as a pedagogue in New England covered a period of 

 nearly seventy years, Michael became, in 1647, one of the earliest of the 

 students in Harvard College. Graduating in 1651, he became a tutor 

 and a Fellow of the college, while preparing for the ministry. Having 

 labored for a season in the instruction of the Indians at INIartha's 

 Vineyard, he was ordained as pastor of the church in Ma'den, in this 

 colony, in August, 1656. Here, after a long service, he died in office, 



