Charles Chauncy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Charles Chauncy
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| President of Harvard College | |
| In office 1654–1672 |
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| Preceded by | Henry Dunster |
| Succeeded by | Leonard Hoar |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1592 Ardeley (then known as Yardley), Hertfordshire |
| Died | February 19, 1672 (aged 79) Cambridge, Massachusetts |
Charles Chauncy (born in 1592, died in 1672) was an important person in early American history. He was a Congregational minister and a teacher. He is best known as the second president of Harvard College. He also had some medical knowledge.
Contents
Life of Charles Chauncy
Early Life and Education
Charles Chauncy was born in a village called Ardeley in Hertfordshire, England. This was in the year 1592. He went to school at Westminster School. After that, he studied at Trinity College, Cambridge, which is a famous university. He later taught Greek there.
In 1627, he became a vicar (a type of minister) at St Mary's Church in Ware, Hertfordshire. Later, in 1633, he moved to another church in Marston St. Lawrence.
Puritan Beliefs and Challenges
During his time as a vicar, Charles Chauncy held strong Puritan beliefs. Puritans were a group of Protestants who wanted to "purify" the Church of England. Because of his views, he faced problems with church leaders. For example, he disagreed with the use of communion rails in churches.
Moving to America
In 1637, Charles Chauncy decided to move to America. Many Puritans moved to America at this time to practice their religion freely. He first preached in Plymouth until 1641. Then he moved to Scituate.
A writer named Cotton Mather said that Chauncy worked hard in Scituate for many years. He was dedicated to his religious work there.
President of Harvard College
In 1654, Charles Chauncy was chosen to be the president of Harvard College. This was a very important job. He led Harvard until he passed away in 1672.
His family tree includes other famous people. One of his descendants was Morgan Bulkeley, who became a governor of Connecticut. Morgan Bulkeley is also in the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Charles Chauncy also wrote several books. These included The Doctrine of the Sacrament (1642) and The Plain Doctrine of the Justification of a Sinner in the Sight of God (1659). The second book was a collection of 26 sermons.
Debate on Baptism
While he was in Plymouth and Scituate, Chauncy had a big disagreement with other religious leaders. The debate was about baptism. Chauncy believed that people should only be baptized by being fully dipped in water (full immersion). However, other leaders thought that sprinkling water was also fine.
Sprinkling was more common in New England because the weather was often cold. The leaders of the Plymouth Colony held public discussions to try and change Chauncy's mind. They even asked other churches in Boston and New Haven for their opinions. All the churches agreed that both ways of baptism were valid.
But Charles Chauncy still stuck to his beliefs. This disagreement was one reason he left Plymouth for Scituate in 1641. In Scituate, he tried to baptize his twin sons by full immersion. One of his sons fainted from being dunked in the cold water. Another mother who was there refused to let her child be baptized that way.
When Chauncy was hired as Harvard's president, he had to promise to keep his views on baptism quiet. He died on February 19, 1672, and was buried in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Family Life
Charles Chauncy married Catherine Eyre in 1630. She passed away in 1668. They had six sons and two daughters. All of their sons became ministers and graduated from Harvard. One of his sons, Ichabod Chauncey, was also a physician and a minister.
His great-grandson, also named Charles Chauncy, was a minister in Boston. He was an important figure in the church during the 1700s.
Images for kids
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Charles Chauncy, the second president of Harvard College.
