Graduated from Harvard College 1659.
------------------------------------ From WILLARD MEMOIR- Life and times of Major Simon Willard. He was first at Groton and remained there till the town was destroyed in King Philip's War , March 1678. He was installed over the Old South Church in Boston in 1678 and there he continued until his death 12 Sept 1707. He was also president of Harvard College from 1701 till his death. He only had the title of Vice President because the law said that the President had to live in Cambridge and he refused to relinquish his parochial care ----------------------------------------------------------------- He began to preach in 1662 in Groton when he was ordained 13 July, 1662
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From REGISTRATION OF PEDRIGREES Pg 191-192 He was vice-president and acting president of Harvard 1700-1707. He wrote COMPLETE BODY OF DIVINITY a collection of his sermons published in 1724
His maid servant ( 1670 ) Elizabeth Knapp ( b 1655 ), Daughterof Elizabeth Warren and James Knapp was the subject of an 8000 word treatise " A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF A STRANGE AND UNUSUAL PROVIDENCE OF GOD BEFALLEN TO ELIZABETH KNAPP OF GROTON" Relating to the events of three month period beginning in the late 1671, during which she was the victim of a "diabolical Distemper" attributed to Satan.
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From THE HISTORY OG THE TOWN OF LANCASTER, MASS. by Rev. Abijah P. Marvin The town of Lancaster bought a book of Rev. Mr. Sammuel Willard named “EXPLANATION OF THE CATACHISM “ . The selectman were to make some provision for keeping the book in the meeting house for the use so that any person can come there and read therein as often as they shall see cause.. The author of this work was the son of Major Simon Willard and was the minister of Old South Church in Bostonfor many and acting president of Harvard Coolege from 1701 to 1707. He died in the latter year but his “ COMPLETE BODY OF DIVINITY “ containing 900 pages was not published till 1726
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From HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF GROTON `by Caleb Butler. The Rev, Samuel Butler was highly distinguished both as a civil and military character. He received the honor of college at Cambridge in 1659 and was ordained at Groton July 13 1664. When the town of Groton was burned by Indians 13 March 1676. 10 April he was installed colleague pastor fo the third church of Boston ( old south ) and was superintendent of Harvard College with the title of vice-president from 6 Sept 1701 to Aug 14, 1707. It is said that he had 20 children, six by his first wife and 14 by his second.
Rev Miller died and the town of Groton was not without a pastor for long.The people of Groton said that Mr Willard if he would accept it shall be their minister as long as he lives, which Mr Willard accepts except a manifest providence of God appears to take him off. Five citizens opposed his being accepted and it was surprising that Willard accepted. These five men were probably a fourth part of the town and certainly some of the influential men of
the town.