Boston: The Prequel

We think of Boston, Massachusetts, as the starting point for the American Revolution. But the history of Boston far predates the 1770s - into the Middle Ages and beyond. Welcome to the forebears of Boston, Massachusetts - in the small town of Boston, Lincolnshire, on the east coast of England. Few Americans have heard of it, but Boston, Lincolnshire, plays a unique role in US history as the source of many of the Puritans who founded the Massachusetts Bay Colony and consequently, and unsurprisingly, named their new town Boston. They chose the name not simply for reasons of nostalgia. As Puritans, they wanted to re-create the society which they had largely established in Boston, LIncolnshire, but without the pressure for religious conformity they had faced under the Church of England. Prominent Puritans in Lincolnshire - people such as Thomas Dudley, later a Massachusetts governor, Richard Bellingham, Isaac Johnson and his wife, Lady Arbella, Simon Bradstreet and his soon-to-be famous wife, the poet Anne Bradstreet - sought to establish a new Puritan society on the far side of the Atlantic. Ministers John Cotton and Samuel Whiting, also from Boston, provided spiritual leadership. This talk, by Neil Wright, Boston's leading historian, describes the town from which the Puritans came, how that town became a Puritan stronghold, and what compelled them to leave their English home. It will describe the old town and its isolated setting amidst extensive fens, its medieval street layout and ancient buildings. Seventeenth century Boston, Lincolnshire, had a proud past but was less prosperous than it had been hundreds of years earlier. Boston had received its charter of incorporation as late as 1546 and by the early 1600s Puritans dominated the town and created the sort of community that they desired. It had become a secure Puritan town. Puritans occupied positions as Vicar of the town's only church, Master of the Grammar School, magistrates, Member of Parliament, and Aldermen of the Corporation that ran the town. The Puritan ethos of old Boston attracted other Puritans to visit the town to hear John Cotton's sermons or to live there. These included Isaac Johnson and his wife Lady Arbella who at times lived in the Earl of Lincoln's house in Boston, and Anne Hutchinson and her family from Alford. It was only when pressure from London and the Church of England hierarchy became unbearable, with increasing repression and financial demands by the King, that they decided to transplant that community from the old world to the new. When the men from old Boston gave their new leading town the name of “Boston” it was a desire to recreate on new soil the sort of Puritan community that they had enjoyed in old Boston. The Puritan ethos of the new Boston has influenced the character of the United States, and that ethos had been brought to Massachusetts by the men from old Boston in Lincolnshire. In this presentation, historian Neil Wright will take us the buildings that would have been familiar to those Puritans who crossed the Atlantic - the massive St Botolph's church, the old brick Hussey Tower, the Guildhall where many of the future leaders of Massachusetts had governed the old town, the Grammar School whose schoolmaster they appointed, and a small number of private homes. Nearby is Tattershall Castle, home of the Earl of Lincoln in the 1630s, where Thomas Dudley and Simon Bradstreet had worked. In the last two centuries the links between the two Bostons have been marked in various ways, including civic visits, financial help to restore old buildings, and meetings between people interested in the history of both the town and the city. The Partnership of Historic Bostons, of which Neil Wright is a board member, was born out of one such connection. Neil Wright&nbsp;is a published historian who was born and bred in Boston, Lincolnshire, England. From 1962 to 2010 he worked in county government in Lincolnshire and and was nominated for a national award. Since retirement he has continued to publish books and articles, and give talks, on the history of Boston and Lincolnshire. He is a chairman emeritus of the Society for Lincolnshire History and Archaeology, founded in 1844, and continues to be a leading member.

Online

Partnership of Historic Bostons

S22: conversations

Wondering what to do in Boston? Places to eat? Free activities? Good for a group? Date night spot? Girls night out? The best things to do? Ask Joyraft!

Best places to go in Boston? Things to do? Places to eat?

Questions & answers about things to do in Boston

Recs 💬

Community recs 💬

S4: top picks

The most fun, cool and unique things to do in Boston. Can’t miss events, shows and experiences. Concerts, restaurants, bars, free things in Boston and beyond.

The most fun and cool events happening around Boston

Hot and new things to do in Boston

Hot & new 🔥

S11: happening this weekend

What to do in Boston this weekend? From festivals, concerts, performances, free events, screenings and more, Joyraft has the best things to do in Boston.

25+ things to do in Boston/Cambridge/Somerville this weekend

Things to do in Boston this weekend

This wknd

This weekend for you

S21: roundups

Our top picks: outdoor dining, free events, spring festivals, best bars, upcoming concerts, museum parties - the latest in and around Boston.  Slug: joyraft-top-picks-best-things-to-do-boston-ma

Top picks of the best things to do in and around Boston

Joyraft picks: Boston’s best things to do

Best of 💫

Curated by Joyraft ⭐️

S20: c+d experiences

Discover new, unique events and experiences happening in and around Boston. Perfect for date night, good for a group or with a friend. Be the first to know.

The newest events happening in and around Boston

The newest events on Joyraft

Just added to Joyraft

S16: editor picks

The most unique and can’t miss things coming up in Boston / Cambridge / Somerville and beyond. Festivals, food, drinks, fairs, concerts, art and free activities.

Unique and Can’t Miss Things to Do in Boston

Can’t-miss things to do in Boston 🚨

Can't-miss things to do 🚨

S2 (A): top experiences

The most popular things to do on Joyraft. Concerts, restaurants, bars, events, parties, openings, kid friendly, date ideas, free things in Boston and beyond.

Top 20 things to do in Boston

Top 20: Joyraft’s most popular

Top 20 on Joyraft

S3 (A): trending experiences

Discover can’t miss events and things to do in Boston. The most fun, unique and cool events coming to the Boston area this spring and summer.

The hottest events happening in Boston

Trending events on Joyraft

Trending 📈

S17: interest based

Your guide to everything free in and around Boston. From events, to fairs, to festivals, to outdoors. Joyraft has all the free events happening near you.

100+ free things to do in Boston and beyond

Free things to do in Boston

Free things to do

S19: interest based

Discover kid-friendly fun in Boston, Massachusetts, and surrounding areas! Enjoy hands-on exhibits at the Boston Children’s Museum, explore the New England Aquarium, and visit the Franklin Park Zoo. Find parks, playgrounds, and seasonal events perfect for families across Massachusetts.

Top 20 kid-friendly things to do in Boston, MA

Kid-friendly things to do in Boston

Kid-friendly events

S18: interest based

Where to eat and drink in Boston? Joyraft has Boston’s newest bars, restaurants and specials. Drinks and pre fixe dinner menus. Cambridge & Somerville too.

Boston Bars and Restaurants: Events and Openings

Food & drink experiences in Boston

Food & drink experiences 

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Boston: The Prequel

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