On
this day in history, in 1754, Governor Thomas Hutchinson's youngest child was
born. The child was a daughter. She was one of five children out of twelve to
survive into adulthood. She was named after her mother, Governor Thomas
Hutchinson's wife, Margaret Sanford Hutchinson. Margaret
Sanford and Thomas Hutchinson had been more than just a political match, they
also were a love match. Therefore, when Margaret entered into complications
from childbirth, Hutchinson was thrown into a state of despair. Margaret would
die a couple weeks after the birth of her namesake. Margaret and Thomas
Hutchinson had been married for 20 years, and Hutchinson was so distressed that
he would never even think of marrying another woman again. This was rare for
the time period, as usually the custom was to try and remarry. Hutchinson would
choose to remain a widower for the rest of his life. Hutchinson would also
continue honoring and remembering his wife through annual dinners every year on
the anniversary of his wedding to her, inviting his family and her relatives to
dine with him, commenting that he was honoring what was the happiest day of his
life.
From
that point forward, Hutchinson began to throw himself into his work serving
Massachusetts as a politician most devotedly in an attempt to distract himself
from his distress. He also preoccupied his time with his passion for gardening
and with taking care of his family. It soon became clear that the young
Margaret, or Peggy as she was called for short, was Hutchinson's favorite
child, being his wife's namesake, and as she reminded him of the wife he had
lost. Despite this he never lost sight of remaining an affectionate father to
all his children. For example, his ledgers recording all his economic
transactions, weekly recorded the ordering of cakes for his eldest daughter
Sarah, who he called Sallie as a pet name, and would make efforts to remove his
entire family to safety whenever there was political upheaval in Boston that
might threaten their safety. He often mentioned, in letters, his fears, and
hopes for his family during times of political crises, and actions he had taken
to protect them.
It
is partially due to this love and protection of his family, that Governor
Hutchinson at 62-years-old would finally decide that the political turmoil in
Boston had made things too dangerous. Dangerous enough to feed into his
decision to move his family to Great Britain, despite the fact that the idea
distressed him to death. While in exile in England, he found himself entirely
homesick for Massachusetts which had been his home since birth. He could not
grow accustomed to the culture of the mother country and also was disgusted by
the corruption of the British aristocracy which he finally was able to see
first hand. He spent his days in England at home, pretending to be living in a
New England run culture and society.
In
1779, matters were made worse when the Province of Massachusetts declared that
Governor Hutchinson was never allowed to set foot on Massachusetts soil again.
Hutchinson had spent his life not only serving Massachusetts most passionately
as a politician, but on a personal level as well. He not only was a born and
raised Bostonian, but also a fifth generation Bostonian who descended directly
from Anne Hutchinson. Anne is best known today for being excommunicated by the
colony, and sent to Rhode Island where she was fundamental in the founding of
part of the Aquidneck. As a result of his love and passion for his homeland,
Hutchinson had undertaken the task of making himself a historian of it. Even
writing a three volume history of the colony itself. To suddenly now be
permanently exiled with no hope of returning, at a time of feeling homesick,
would undoubtedly have served as an emotional blow to a man who was already in
low spirits.
In
addition to this in 1777, Thomas Hutchinson's favorite daughter, his wife's
namesake, died of tuberculosis. This devastated Hutchinson, much like the loss
of his wife had, only 23 years before. As Hutchinson's favorite daughter, Peggy
had become Hutchinson's travel companion and he had trouble coping with the
loss.
In
1780, Hutchinson's youngest son, William (nick named Billy), died of a similar
affliction as well. Even though both father and son were living in the same
household, the servants decided to delay informing the father of Billy's death
until the father had at least finished his morning breakfast. At some point
during the morning, however, Hutchinson realized something was amiss and
decided to see his son. He found the servants guarding the door to his son's
room, and upon entering, discovered his son's death. Only a couple months
later, all of this emotional stress caused Hutchinson's own state of mind and
health to begin to decline, and in June of 1780 he would suffer a stroke and die.
Hutchinson
was a governor whose only crime was that he cared too much. He harbored an
extreme love and passion for his home colony, for his wife, and for his
children. Everything he did for Massachusetts, even if it went against the
people's wishes, was in his own mind, what was best for the continual health of
the people and colony that he so loved. It is because of his passion that he
took his job serving Massachusetts to heart. So on this Valentine's day we
remember that love and passion come in many, and sometimes surprising, forms.
Governor Hutchinson's daughter Sarah, or Sallie Hutchinson
Title page of Governor Hutchinson's "History of the Province of Massachusetts-Bay." His work of researching and writing history on the colony exemplified his passion and devotion to the country in which he was born and raised.
Royal Governor Thomas Hutchinson
