The People in the Pews
Over the course of (almost) 300 years, many fascinating people have come through the doors of Old North Church and sat in its unique box pews. Read about some of them in our continuing series, The People in the Pews. You’ll find a few names that you might recognize, and others that you’ll want to know more about.
Click on the names below to hear the stories of Old North’s most interesting congregants and visitors!
The famous steeple’s connection to modern-day Belize.
A century ahead of her time, a young, unemployed 30-something achieves the Millennial dream of buying a small farm in the countryside.
REV. MATHER BYLES, JR. (Pew #6)
Old North’s controversial loyalist minister resigned hours before Paul Revere’s famous ride.
A lesser-known 19th century congregant reveals a surprisingly complicated network of business ventures and family heritage.
ALEXANDER CHAMBERLAIN (Pew #9)
For men like sailmaker Alexander Chamberlain, church wasn’t just a place to worship, it was also an important way to establish business connections.
THE CRANKEY FAMILY (The Gallery)
The story of this free Black family offers a glimpse into three generations worshiping at Old North.
REV. WILLIAM CROSWELL (The Pulpit)
How did this humble and self-effacing rector of Old North come to be regarded as “the Bard of Boston” and “the third of a great triumvirate of rectors?”
REV. DR. TIMOTHY CUTLER (Pew #27)
“And let the people say Amen”. It may seem like a simple phrase, but with those words Rev. Timothy Cutler rocked the Puritan church and led the way for the founding of Old North.
Ironically British general Thomas Gage worshiped at the church whose signal lanterns foiled his plans.
“And who sat up there?” This is a question often received in reference to Old North’s upper gallery. From the lower level, the pews above seem miles away; a looming set of white rows disconnected from the world below. This observation, perhaps, points directly to the answer of who occupied those pews.
Forever stamped on the brass plate of Pew No.8, the name Mary Gibbs stands out amongst the merchants and sea captains.
DR. GREAVES AND REV. CHARLES WESLEY (Pew #28)
The co-founder of Methodism finds a pulpit and a physician at Old North.
His donated angels are one of the most popular items in the church, but Captain Thomas Gruchy himself remains an enigmatic figure.
From hiding tea in his shoes to hiding Old North’s silver from the British army, John Hooton, Jr. came out of the Revolutionary Era with some tales to tell.
THE HUMPHRIES FAMILY (The Gallery)
Of all the Black congregants who worshiped at Old North, the Humphries family’s name appears the most in church records. Their story sheds some light on the experiences of Black congregants but leaves us still with many questions.
CAPT. NEWARK JACKSON (Pew #13)
Newark Jackson’s violent end leads to an understanding of the complexity and corruption of colonial trade.
DR. THOMAS KAST (Pews #6 and #27)
A Loyalist doctor with a remarkable post-war career.
REV. STEPHEN LEWIS (The Pulpit)
The Revolutionary War forced Old North to close its doors. Its future remained uncertain until the arrival of a former chaplain in the British army.
CAPT. DANIEL MALCOLM (Pews #4 and #25)
This Old North congregant famously eluded punishment for smuggling. His gravestone, on the other hand…
A woman believes her missing husband to be dead, only to have him reappear—one month after she remarried.
CAPT. WILLIAM MAXWELL (Pew #29)
A generous donation sheds light on an 18th century philosophical and religious debate.
ROBERT NEWMAN (Pews #50 and #78)
Robert Newman is perhaps the most famous sexton ever to serve Old North due to his participation in the fateful events on the night of April 18, 1775.
From court martial to the USS Constitution, Captain Samuel Nicholson had a career that was anything but dull.
This congregant’s social circle ran the gamut from the most prominent families in Boston to a dueling brother wanted for murder.
JOSEPH WARREN REVERE (Pew #54)
No, Paul Revere did not worship here. But one of his sons did!
A Loyalist Customs official’s experiences reveal the violent side of Boston during the Revolution.
Old North’s reopening in 1912 included a certain ‘Rough Rider’ in attendance.
CAPT. ARTHUR SAVAGE (Pews #23 and #38)
An enterprising sea captain brings a lion to Brattle Street.
Long before the Civil War and their connection to the 54th Massachusetts, the illustrious Shaw family had roots at the Old North Church and in the American Revolution.
REV. WILLIAM THOMAS SMITHETT (Pew #19)
The troubled tenure of Rev. Smithett begs the question—who would win in a fight: a minister or a church warden?
What is that strange thing floating above the pulpit? And how old is the pulpit itself? One answer is simple enough; the other, rather complicated.
THE VASSALLS (Pews #10 and #11)
The prominent colonial family that managed to leave its mark all across the Greater Boston area.
A 19th century “penny press” editor-in-chief brought nepotism and culture to tabloid journalism.
Stepmother or sister-in-law? Brother or son-in-law? The Wells-Adams family tree is more complicated than most!