Henry Ward Beecher (1813 - 1887)

Born 24 Jun 1813 in Litchfield, Litchfield, Connecticut, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Eunice White (Bullard) Beecher — married 3 Aug 1837 in Sutton, Massachusetts

Descendants

Died 8 Mar 1887 at age 73 in Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States

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Biography

Henry Beecher is Notable.

Henry Beecher was a New Yorker.

This profile is part of the 122-124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York One Place Study.

Henry Ward Beecher was educated at the Boston Latin School and Amherst College. After three years of study at Amherst College, Henry Ward Beecher graduated in 1837. He took his first ministerial position in Lawrenceburg, Indiana from 1837 until 1839. From 1839 until 1847, he served as the pastor for the Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. In 1847, he became the first minister of the new Plymouth Congregational Church located in Brooklyn, New York.

Beecher was very concerned about the spread of slavery into the territories and used his pulpit as the means of disseminating his abolitionist views.

Henry Ward Beecher, the seventh child of Lyman Beecher and Roxana Foote Beecher, became one of the most famous men in the United States during the 19th century.^[1] Among the Beecher family, only sister Harriet bested Henry's lifetime celebrity and historical legacy.

Henry was only three when his mother Roxanna died. The toddler formed a close reliance on five-year-old Harriet, and their bond remained throughout their lives. As a boy Henry was more attracted to open pastures and wooded fields than schools or books. As an adult, Henry turned this early affinity with nature into visions of a loving deity. Henry was barely 13 when his father Lyman and step-mother Harriet Porter Beecher moved from Litchfield, CT to Boston, MA. The city held only one attraction for Henry – sailing ships. Henry Ward Beecher, like many 19th-century children, associated sailing ships and the sea with travel, adventure, the possibility of fortune, and, freedom from the structure of schooling. Lyman Beecher convinced him to gain the credentials to become an officer. 14-year-old Henry enrolled at Mount Pleasant Institute in Amherst, MA. Henry found Mount Pleasant's military-type discipline difficult, but the school gave him the skills to eventually become a powerful orator. By the time Henry graduated, the boy who had been embarrassed into silence by a childhood speech impediment, presented speeches and performed in plays. This talent coupled with a religious revival led to Henry's determination to become a minister and his admission to Amherst College in 1830. He enjoyed classes in debating, speech, and English literature, but found no use for Latin, mathematics or science. While at Amherst, Henry met Eunice White Bullard, the sister of a schoolmate and daughter of a physician. The two became engaged to marry, but it would be years before they wed.

After graduating from Amherst College in 1832, Henry joined his family in Cincinnati, Ohio, and enrolled in Lane Seminary where his father, Lyman, presided. After completing his studies, Henry married Eunice in 1837 and the newlyweds moved to Lawrenceburg, IN.^[2][3] Henry and Eunice eventually had 11 children, but only four lived to maturity. After two years Henry accepted a new job in Indianapolis, IN. Neither parish could afford to pay well, and the young family struggled. In 1847, Henry and Eunice's poverty ended when Henry was recruited by Henry C. Bowen, a wealthy merchant, newspaper editor, and anti-slavery advocate in Brooklyn, NY. Henry shaped Plymouth Church into one of the most influential pulpits in the United States. By 1850, the crowds coming to hear Beecher's sermons on temperance and the wrongs of slavery often could not fit inside the building.

From 1856 to 1881, Henry resided at 124 Columbia Heights in Brooklyn, New York, it was known as "Beecher's Bethel".^{[4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11]} “...it was in this house that President Lincoln is said to have visited Mr. Beecher shortly before the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation.”^[12] In 1881, Henry sold the property to George Ludovic Benet (1832-1905), attorney.^[13][5]

Henry Ward Beecher actively used the Plymouth Church to fight slavery. Staging elaborate mock auctions, Henry led his congregation to redeem enslaved individuals by purchasing their liberty. Following the repeal of the Missouri Compromise and the passage of the Kansas Nebraska Act, the Plymouth Church paid to ship rifles to anti-slavery settlers in Kansas and Nebraska in crates marked "Bibles." Sharp's rifles became known as "Beecher's Bibles."

President Abraham Lincoln sent Henry to London during the Civil War to persuade Great Britain to remain neutral. And at the close of the Civil War, Henry Ward Beecher was given the symbolic prize of presenting a sermon at Fort Sumter, when the U.S. flag was once again raised there. In 1872, Victoria Woodhull, a controversial woman's rights advocate, accused Henry of committing adultery with Elizabeth Tilton, the wife of Theodore Tilton. The Tiltons were members of the Plymouth Church, and Theodore was co-editor with Henry of The Independent, as well as a close friend. In 1875, Theodore Tilton sued his former friend for "alienation of affection." The resulting trial lasted more than six months and became the most notorious scandal of the 19th century. Dissenting opinions over Henry's guilt caused rifts in society, Plymouth Church, and the Beecher family itself. Sisters Harriet and Isabella were temporarily estranged. Harriet remained her brother's supporter and advocate while Isabella believed Victoria Woodhull. Ultimately a civil jury was unable to reach a conclusion, and a mistrial was declared. Henry continued to work at the Plymouth Church, and despite the controversy, remained a popular figure. When he died of a stroke in 1887 Brooklyn held a day of mourning, the New York legislature adjourned its session, and the funeral procession was led by national figures.^{[14][15][16][17]} He was laid to rest in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York on 14 October 1887. ^[18]

Sources

• Kilbourne, Payne. Sketches and Chronicles of the Town of Litchfield, Connecticut (Case, Lockwood and Co., Hartford, 1859) Page 188
• Rourke, Constance. Trumpets of Jubilee (Harcourt, Brace & Co., New York, 1927) Page 151-237
• http://www.egs.edu/library/henry-ward-beecher/biography/
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/ : accessed 07 November 2021), memorial page for Rev Henry Ward Beecher (24 Jun 1813–8 Mar 1887), Find A Grave: Memorial #71, citing Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn, Kings County (Brooklyn), New York, USA ; Maintained by ( Pam & Teresa ) Pam Gammill Teresa McMinn (contributor 47738206).
• The Connecticut Quarterly (Hartford, Conn., 1903-4) Vol. 8, Page 14-17: "Tribute to a Connecticut Hero", by Grover Cleveland, President of the United States, 1885-1889; 1893-1897.
• Boswell, George Copeland. The Litchfield Book of Days (Alex B. Shumway, Litchfield, 1899) Page 100
• "United States Census, 1850," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCYG-KX1 : 23 December 2020), Henry W Bucker, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States; citing family , NARA microfilm publication (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).
• "New York State Census, 1855," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K67Y-D6L : 3 March 2021), Henry W Bucher, E.D. 1, Ward 1, Brooklyn City, Kings, New York, United States; citing p. , line #33, family #425, county clerk offices, New York; FHL microfilm 1,930,196.
• "Family Tree," database, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org : modified 07 November 2021, 21:43), entry for Rev Henry Ward Beecher (PID https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/4:1:KNW8-QT5 ); contributed by various users.
• The Ledger (Litchfield Historical Society, Litchfield, Connecticut, 2010) #3229.

Footnotes

1. ↑ "British Newspaper Archives, Obituaries," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q26M-9CHM : 26 October 2019), Reverend Henry Ward Beecher in entry for Dr Lyman Beecher, 07 Feb 1863; citing Obituary, Lincoln, Lincolnshire, England, United Kingdom, page , Records extracted by FindMyPast and images digitized by FamilySearch. The British Library, London; FHL microfilm 102,001,100.
2. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHW6-H6T : 10 November 2020), Henry W. Beecher, 3 Aug 1837; citing Marriage, Sutton, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009440.
3. ↑ "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHWZ-RXM : 10 November 2020), Henry W. Beecher, 1 Jul 1837; citing Marriage, Sutton, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009440.
4. ↑ "City News & Gossip: A Visit to Henry Ward Beecher's Residence" database w/images (https://www.newspapers.com/ : accessed 20 Apr 2021) The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York) 14 Jan 1857, Wed Page 3
5. ↑ ^{5.0 5.1} "Beechers Old Home Sold" database w/images (https://www.newspapers.com/ : accessed 20 Apr 2021)The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York) 20 Feb 1909, Sat Page 22
6. ↑ "Spring Outlook for Realty is Especially Promising" database w/images (https://www.newspapers.com/ : accessed 20 Apr 2021)The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (Brooklyn, New York) 20 Feb 1909, Sat Page 22
7. ↑ "Jehovah’s Witnesses Sell Their Longest-Held Property in Historic Brooklyn Heights", database (https://www.jw.org/ : accessed 6 Nov 2021) May 6, 2016
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MCWK-1K4 : 18 February 2021), Henry W Beecher, 1860.
9. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M8NC-CR6 : 29 May 2021), Henry W Beecher, 1870.
10. ↑ "New York State Census, 1875," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VNJQ-BHY : 18 February 2021), H W Beecher, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States; citing p. 13, line 15, State Library, Albany; FHL microfilm 1,930,212.
11. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZNX-8GM : 19 February 2021), H Ward Beecher, Peekskill, Westchester, New York, United States; citing enumeration district ED 88, sheet 84B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), FHL microfilm 1,254,945.
12. ↑ "RAZE BROOKLYN HOME OF FAMOUS PREACHER; Bible Society to Occupy Site Where Lincoln Is Said to Have Visited Henry Ward Beecher" database (https://www.nytimes.com/ : accessed 17 Apr 2022) The New York Times (New York, New York) February 1, 1927, Page 56
13. ↑ "Brooklyn The New York Times" database w/images (https://www.newspapers.com/ : accessed 20 Apr 2021) (New York, New York) 24 Mar 1881, Thu Page 8
14. ↑ "New Jersey Deaths and Burials, 1720-1988", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FZQZ-4YF : 19 January 2020), Henry Ward Rev. Beecher, 1887.
15. ↑ "New York, New York City Municipal Deaths, 1795-1949," database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2WS2-JQ4 : 3 June 2020), Henry Ward Beecher, 8 Mar 1887; citing Death, Brooklyn, Kings, New York, United States, New York Municipal Archives, New York; FHL microfilm 1,323,821.
16. ↑ "New York, Kings County Estate Files, 1866-1923", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7LK-WY6 : 5 June 2020), Henry Ward Beecher, 1887.
17. ↑ Harriet Beecher Stowe Center.
18. ↑ The Green-Wood Historic Fund. Burial Search, Section 140, Lot 25911.