Rector
Giles
Firmin
Jr.
Born about in Suffolk, England
Ancestors 
Son of Giles Firmyn
and [mother unknown]
Husband of
Susannah (Ward) Firmin
— married
[date unknown] [location unknown]
[children unknown]
Died
at about age 83
in Redgwell, Essex, England
Profile last modified
| Created 8 Sep 2016
This page has been accessed 822 times.
Contents |
Biography
Giles Firmin Jr. immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).
Giles Firmin Jr. immigrated to New England between 1621 and 1640 and later departed for Redgwell, Essex, England.
Giles Firmin Jr. the son of Giles Firmyn was born in Suffolk England in 1614 or 1615.[1]He was educated at the University of Cambridge and was a physician when he migrated to New England[2]in 1632, a full year before his father's migration.[3]He became a member of the First Church of Boston before October 11, 1632.[1]Sprague in "Annals of the American Pulpit" says of him, "He was one of the Synod at Cambridge in 1637, and was a vigorous opposer of the Antinomians.[2]He was present when Mrs. Hutchinson was excommunicated from the Boston Church on March 22, 1637-8.[1]After living at Ipswich for a long period of time, he was dismissed from the First Church at Boston on February 25, 1643/4 and took his membership at Ipswich.
Occupation
He was a physician at Ipswich in New England. Part of the reason he later gave up this profession because he did not find the salary financially rewarding.[1]
Marriage
Sometime before December 26, 1639 he married Susan, the daughter of Rev. Nathaniel Ward.[1]Three children are credited to Firmin and his wife Susan in Dean's "Memoir of Rev. Giles Firmin" page 50, Firmin is quoted as saying: "I have had three of my children baptized by ministers who never looked on me as a member of their church, though I dwelt in their Towne."[1]Although none of the sources found lists their names.
Land in New England
Giles Firmin was granted 100 acres of land by the freemen of Ipswich on January 4, 1638/9. It was located near Mr. Hubbard's farm, and was given with the condition that he live there three years. He also owned a planting lot of six acres where he built a house that was purchased by William Goodhue after Firmin's return to England.
Return to England
Having survived a ship wreck upon a temporary return to England in the autumn of 1644[1]he returned permanently (at the end of the civil war[2]) living at Colchester by 1646 when his family probably joined him. He became the vicar (minister) of Shalford in Essex[3]in 1651, being ordained at the age of 36 to 40 years.[1]He preached until he was ejected by the Act of Uniformity in 1662[2]at which time his ordination was called into question because he was ordained by the presbyters rather than the Bishop and fault was found in him because he had prayed publically for King Charles when he "was in his low condition."[1]
Death
In 1662 he retired to Redgwell, Essex - about 7 or 8 miles from Shalford - where he continued a healthy man, living and practicing medicine as well as "preaching on the Lord's Days and Week Days too."[1]He lay sick only a little while, preaching two sermons on the Lord's day, laying sick only until the following Saturday when he died in April of 1697 at more than eighty years of age.[2]
Conversion to Christianity & His Character
Close to the time of his death he told those about him about his conversion as a young school boy by Mr. John Rogers, of Dedham. Mr. Rogers was preaching to a crowd on Lecture-day, took notice of young Firmin's earnestness and cried out "Here are some Young ones come for a Christ. Will nothing serve you but you must have a Christ? Then you shall have Him." That sermon made such an impression on him that from then on he dated his conversion. A few quotes from page 57 of Deans "A Memoir of Rev. Giles Firmin:" "In his life he had much spiritual Trouble; but in his death he had much Comfort." "He went about doing Good, and therein was his chief delight." "He most excelled in practical divinity, especially in directing a sinner how to get peace with God..." Firmin was "extreamely respected indeed by all," for he served as physician to the rich and poor.[1]
In his lifetime he was a prolific writer, publishing a great number of pamphlets.[3]
Writings
The following quote was attributed to Rev. Giles Firmin by John Farmer in his Genealogical Register:
"In a sermon before the house of lords and commons and the assembly of divines at Westminster, he said 'I have lived in a country seven years, and all that time I never heard one profane oath, and all that time never did see a man drunk in that land.' This was New England in its days of primitive purity." John Ward Dean of Boston, however, doubts that he ever uttered it and could find nowhere else that he preached to Parliament or at Westminster.[4]The quote has also been attributed to Rev. Hugh Peters and Rev. Nathaniel Ward.[4]
Fifteen different written works were published by Rev. Giles Firmin, with one by the name of "Real Christian" reprinted in the United States.[5] otherwise known as a "Treatise on Effectual Calling." A correct list of the written works of Rev. Giles Firmin can be found in the article "Rev. Giles Firmin Additional Facts":[6]
Sources
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) "A Brief Memoir of Rev. Giles Firmin" John Ward Dean. Vol. 20 (1866) pp 47 - 58.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Annals of the American Pulpit
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010), (Originally Published as: New England Historic Genealogical Society. Robert Charles Anderson, The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Volumes I-III, 3 vols., 1995). pp 673 - 675. Sketch of Giles Firmin Sr. subscription$
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) "New England" communicated by John Ward Dean. Vol. 20 (1866) p. 334.subscribers$
- ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.)"A Brief Memior of Rev. Giles Firmin" John Ward Dean. p. 47 - 58 subscribers$
- ↑ The New England Historical and Genealogical Register. Boston, MA: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1847-. (Online database: AmericanAncestors.org, New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2001-2018.) "Rev. Giles Firmin. Additional Facts" John Ward Dean. Vol. 25 (1871) pp 55 - 56.subscribers$
- Moore, Susan Hardman. "Firmin, Giles (1614-1697)". Abandoning America: Life-stories from early New England. Boydell Press, 2013.
- A Memoir of the Rev. Nathaniel Ward, A.M. by John Dean. Pg. 126
- Winthrop Papers 4:163,164; 191,192; 225,226; 5:88,89.
- NEHGR: 20:47-58, 25:52-56.
- Sprague, William Buell. Annals of the American Pulpit (Robert Carter & Brothers, New York, 1857) Vol. 1, Page 40
- See Also:
(caution: The Ox Dict - following - contains information that GMB says is in error)
- Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (extract). Article on Giles Firmin by N. H. Keeble.link
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Categories: Puritan Great Migration Minor Child | PGM Beyond New England
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