Abraham Pierson, the elder facts for kids

Abraham Pierson, the elder (1611–1678) was an English clergyman. He was a Congregational minister, which means he led a type of Protestant church that was independent. He came to the American colonies in 1639 because he was a Puritan and faced challenges for his beliefs in England.

Later, he and other settlers from the Massachusetts Bay Colony started a new town on Long Island. They named this town Southampton. His last big move was in 1666. Pierson and many people from his church left the Connecticut Colony. They then started a new church and town in Newark, New Jersey.

Early Life and Journey to America

Abraham Pierson was born in Thornton, England. This was in an area called Yorkshire. He went to Trinity College, Cambridge, a famous university, and finished his studies in 1632.

Around that time, he worked as a curate (a church assistant) in York. He became a deacon (another church role) in September 1632. Some family stories say he was ordained in Newark-on-Trent. This might be why he later chose the name "Newark" for the town he founded in New Jersey.

Pierson faced difficulties in England because of his Puritan beliefs. Puritans wanted to "purify" the Church of England. To avoid these problems, he came to America in 1639. By early 1640, he was in New England. He became a Congregational minister in Boston.

Minister in New England

In 1640, Pierson and a group of settlers from Lynn, Massachusetts started a new town. This town was on Long Island and they called it Southampton. Pierson was the minister of the Congregational church there for four years.

In 1644, the church in Southampton had some disagreements. Because of this, many people left. They joined with another group from Wethersfield. Together, under Pierson's leadership, they formed a new church. This new settlement was in Branford, which was part of the New Haven Colony.

Later Life and Founding Newark

In 1666, Pierson moved again. This move happened because King Charles II gave a new official document, called a charter, to the Connecticut Colony. This new charter combined New Haven with Connecticut.

However, several towns in New Haven did not want to join. New Haven had strict rules, like Massachusetts. Only church members could have full citizen rights. Connecticut did not have such strict rules. Pierson did not agree with some changes, like the Half-Way Covenant, which made church membership less strict. He wanted to create a place where church rules were very important, a type of theocracy.

The people of Branford, supported by Pierson, did not want to join Connecticut. When they realized they had to join, they left their homes. Branford became almost empty. They took their important town and church papers with them. They then started a new church and town in Newark. Pierson died there on August 9, 1678.

His Writings

In 1659, Pierson published a small book. It was called Some Helps for the Indians. This book aimed to help Native Americans understand God and the Christian religion. It explained the basic ideas of monotheism (belief in one God). It also had a translation into the Quiripi language. Pierson worked on this translation with Thomas Stanton and some Quiripi translators. Pierson also wrote some poems in Latin. These poems were about the death of a person named Theophilus Eaton.

His Family

Abraham Pierson married Abigail Mitchell. She was the daughter of Matthew Mitchell and Susan Wood. Some old stories incorrectly said she was Abigail Wheelright.

Abraham and Abigail had a son named Abraham Pierson. He was also a minister. Their son became the first leader, called a rector, of the Collegiate School. This school later grew into Yale University. He was rector from 1701 to 1707. Their daughter Abigail married John, who was the son of John Davenport. Abraham and Abigail had at least six other children.