Edward Taylor

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Edward Taylor's life remains somewhat enigmatic, with limited details about his early years. Born around 1645 in the vicinity of Sketchley, Leicestershire, England, Taylor likely pursued higher education at either the University of Cambridge or a dissenting academy. His academic background was evidently robust enough to earn him an advanced placement at Harvard when he arrived in 1668, marking the beginning of his journey into the ministry. Taylor's relocation to New England was precipitated by the 1662 Act of Uniformity enacted by Charles II, which compelled schoolmasters and ministers to swear allegiance to the Anglican Church—a doctrine Taylor, a devout Puritan, could not accept.

A Journey Across the Atlantic

Edward Taylor's voyage to New England is vividly chronicled in his Diary. Before the ship could depart the British Isles, it faced a "violent storm" that flooded the forecastle and drenched the mate, "the water ran out of the waist of his breeches." Despite often being overwhelmed by the vessel's ceaseless rocking, Taylor found intrigue in the marine life that surrounded him, documenting over ten species of fish and several types of "sea fowl." The journey was punctuated by encounters with driftwood, one of which revealed "a piece of white fir-wood full of barnacles," providing a surprising meal of shellfish. Nearing land, Taylor witnessed his first fireflies, described as "a flying creature like a spark of red fire," a sight that would fuel his enduring fascination with nature, later reflected in poems like “Upon a Spider Catching a Fly” and “Upon a Wasp Chilled with Cold.”

Harvard and Early Ministry

Within his Diary, Taylor recounts his entrance into Harvard and various amusing anecdotes from this period. During his studies, he shared a room with Samuel Sewall, who would become known for his own Diary and role as a judge at the Salem witch trials. Sewall's writings mention Taylor fourteen times, crediting him with encouraging his attendance at Harvard. In his student days, Taylor served as the college Butler, a position that did not exempt him from youthful misadventures. Despite these, he approached his pastoral role at Westfield with earnestness, reflecting on his fitness for the ministry in his writings. This introspection marked the beginning of a deeply personal and spiritual journey, revealed in his "Meditations," series 1 and 2.

Family Life and Later Years

On November 5, 1674, Taylor wed Elizabeth Fitch of Norwich, Connecticut, whom he had courted through letters and poetry. Their marriage, although cut short by Elizabeth's death fifteen years later, was blessed with eight children. Taylor's poignant grief is immortalized in his "A Funerall Poem upon the Death of My Ever Endeared and Tender Wife." In 1692, Taylor remarried Ruth Wyllys from Hartford, who gave him six more children and outlived him by nearly six months. Taylor's near six-decade-long ministry was marked by commitment and versatility, balancing his congregation's spiritual and medical needs. He also penned "Preparatory Meditations," critiqued Stoddard's "liberalism," and earned a master's degree from Harvard in 1720. Taylor's correspondence with Sewall included arranging an apprenticeship for his son in 1691. Upon his death on June 24, 1729, Taylor left behind a legacy of devotion, as inscribed on his tomb: a "Venerable, Learned, and Pious Pastor" who "had served God and his Generation Faithfully."

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