Rev. William Theodore Dwight, D.D.

Source:
Newspaper Name Index, USA, Canada, and Australia
MyHeritage.com [online database], MyHeritage Ltd.
https://www.myheritage.com/research/collection-10969/newspaper-name...

Record:
https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10969-1089676063/william...
William T. Dwight

Citation:
The Boston Courier - 1865-10-24
Text: ... considerably smaller than Rev. William T. Dwight, for many years of Portland, Me., died at Andover, on Sunday, aged 71 years. Dr. Dwight was long regarded as one the ablest clergymen of the Congregational faith in New England. He was the son of the celebrated Timothy Dwight, President of Yale College, at institution ...
Publication title: The Boston Courier
Publication place: Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, United States
Date: Oct 24 1865

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Rev. William Theodore Dwight, D.D.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Theodore_Dwight
• https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/101676789/william-theodore-dwight
• https://www.mainememory.net/record/12799
• https://litsdigital.hamilton.edu/collections/rev-wm-t-dwight-dd-oct...
• https://library.villanova.edu/Find/Record/1205379

Rev. William Theodore Dwight, D.D. (son of President Timothy Dwight of Yale College (the younger) and Mary Woolsey), born at Greenfield Hill, Fairfield, Connecticut on June 15, 1795, graduated at Yale College in 1813, was for one year amanuensis to his father (1813-14). This office involved 6 hours' daily employment, each day, during college terms (or of the year). The compensation was but $150.00 yearly; but the position was eagerly coveted. He then began the study of law with his brother Sereno; but severe, chronic inflammation of the eyes soon turned him away from all study and even reading.

The next year (1815) he became a clerk in "The Eagle Bank," at New Haven; but was compelled by his greatly diseased eyes to intermit ere long all work with them," by day and by night. The following year (1816), the last of his honored father's life, he spent at home with him, and had the satisfaction, full of mingled pain and pleasure, of ministering to his comfort in his last illness. He was afterwards (1817-19), tutor at Yale for two years. He went then to Philadelphia, and, after studying law with Charles Chauncey, Esquire, of that place, practiced the profession there until 1831.

He became at this time a professing Christian, under the ministry of Rev. Dr. Thomas H. Skinner, and determined to enter the ministry. In the course of a few months, ho was licensed to preach by the Third Presbytery of New York, and, on June 6, 1832, was settled over the Third Cong. Church of Portland, Maine; where he continued at work, abounding in labors and usefulness, for 32 years (lS.'iii-iM). Many precious revivals, with large ingatherings of converts to the church, witnessed to the faithfulness of his pulpit and parochial efforts. Many were the collateral forms of service to the cause of evangelical religion, in which he rejoiced to lay out his strength and time.

He was, for more than 20 years, President of "The Maine Missionary Society." As "overseer" of Bowdoin College, for many years, he did much to promote its best religious character. He was also a trustee and director in various benevolent societies, and "A Visitor" at Andover Theological Seminary, and a Corporate Member of the A.B.C.F.M. A man of progress everywhere, he always took strong ground here, while others were halting and inactive, for a decided anti-slavery policy. His eloquent speeches on this subject at Providence, Brooklyn, Boston and Hartford will be long remembered by those who heard them.

He was often invited to other fields of labor than his life-long one at Portland, and, among other flattering and inviting positions, to the chair of didactic theology in each of three theological seminaries, in succession (at Bangor, Maine, East Windsor, Connecticut, and Chicago, Illinois); but he always gave to all such solicitations the same, uniform, negative answer.

He was a man of high literary and aesthetic culture, and exceedingly fond of superior paintings and engravings, and poetry. He had great ease in extemporaneous speech on the platform, and in the pulpit. Few could equal him in public debate. His administrative talents were of a high order, which, with a superior knowledge of parliamentary rules on his part, made him a very favorite, presiding officer in ecclesiastical bodies, in, and even out of, New England. His moderatorship of the Convention of Congregational Churches at Albany, 1852, is remembered with grateful pleasure still, by those who participated in its proceedings.

His style of preaching was earnest, solemn and pungent, addressed to the conscience and meant to move the will of each one, who heard it, mightily towards what was true and right and wise. His diction was polished, and, in his formal orations and addresses, quite ornate.

He was a man of great decision of character, and earnest to vehemence in defending the violated rights of the needy and oppressed.

His manners were strikingly those of "the old school." Our fathers abounded, more than some of their descendants do, in that unwritten poetry of good-will to others, which voiced itself continually and spontaneously in every possible mode of tender and gentle expression of kindness to others.

His personal appearance was fine and commanding. He was 5 feet 6 inches high, and weighed about 175 pounds. He was of full figure, with a face of classic mould, and features expressive of moral thoughtfulness and abounding benevolence. He had a fair complexion and blue eyes; and his hair, which was originally of a dark chestnut color, was in his later years thoroughly white. His step was always firm and energetic, and never loitering; and he always impressed those who saw him anywhere with the feeling, that ho was a man of business, and had business then and there demanding his attention.

He resigned his pastorate, May 1, 1864, on account of feeble health — spending the interval between that time and his death, with his children at Andover and Philadelphia, greatly to their delight. He died on October 22, 1865, aet. 70, at Andover, Essex County, Massachusetts.

He married on October 12, 1831, Eliza Loockerman Bradford, born on September 10, 1810, (daughter of Thomas Bradford, Esquire of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Elizabeth Loockerman of Dover, Delaware

She was a lady of great sprightliness of mind, geniality of feeling and generosity of disposition. The ends and means of earnest religious effort were always of great interest to her, and she was outspoken at all times for whatever was right and good. She was a faithful, sympathetic friend, and "given to hospitality." She died at Portland, October 2, 1863, aet. 53. Sec below brief sketches of Loockermans and Bradford lineage.

Loockermans Lineage (The original s of the name is not now retained.)

I. Govert Loockermans, the settler, came to New Amsterdam with Vouter Van Twiller, Governor of New Netherlands, April 1633, from Holland, in the service of the West India Company. He married Maria Jansen (daughter of Roelf Jansen and Annetje Jans), and so was brother-in-law of Oloff Stevenson Van Courtlandt, whose son founded the Van Courtlandt manor in New York. He held high civil and military offices. He died in 1670, leaving five children, I. Elsie, 2. Cornells, 3. Jacob, 4. Joannes, and 5. Maritjic. Elsie m. Cornelia P. Vandexveen, and for 2d husband, Jacob Leisler.

II. Jacob Loockermans, b. 1650, in New Amsterdam, married on January 29, 1677, Helena Ketin. About 1681, he emigrated to Easton, Maryland. He died on August 17, 1730. He had a son, Nicholas Loockermans, b. November 10, 1697, who married Sally (daughter of Vincent) Emerson, in 1721, and died on March 6, 1769: had but one child.

III. Vincent Loockermans, b. near Dover, Delaware in 1722, m. as 2d wife Elizabeth Pryor (daughter of John Pryor, merchant of Dover, Delaware), February 1774, and had two children, Elizabeth and Nicholas.

IV. Elizabeth Loockermans, born on December 23, 1779, married Thomas Bradford, Esquire, of Philadelphia. His daughter, Elizabeth Loockermans Bradford, m. Rev. William Theodore Dwight, D.D..

[Maritjie Loockermans (sister of Jacob, and daughter of Govert Loockermans, whose lineage has been partly given above) m. Balthazar Bayard (step-son to Governor Stuyvesant), and had children: 1. Anna Maria Bayard, who m. Augustus Jay (grandfather of Governor Jay); 2. Arietta Bayard, who m. Samuel Verplauk; 3. Jacobus Bayard who m. Hellegonda De Kay; 4. Judith Bayard, who married Gerardus Stuyresant (grandson of the last Dutch Governor, Peter Stuyvesant).]

Bradford Lineage

I. William Bradford (son of William and Anne Bradford of Leicestershire, Eng.), born on May 20, 1660, married 1682, Elizabeth Sowle (daughter of Andrew Sowle), with whom he learned the art of printing. He died on May 23, 1752.

II. His son, William Bradford, Jr., b. about 1688, married on November 25, 1716, Lytie Sandford.

III. His son, William Bradford, b. in New York in 1719, became a printer. In December 1742, he commenced in Philadelphia to publish "The Pennsylvania Journal and Weekly Advertiser," which was continued until 1801 by his son Thomas, who then merged it into "The True American." He was Colonel in the Rev. War, and fought at Trenton, Princeton, Port Mifflin, etc. He m. 1742, Rachel (daughter of Thomas Budd of Philadelphia), and d. Sept. 25, 1791.

IV. His son, Lt. Colonel Thomas Bradford, born in Philadelphia, May 4, 1745, was in the revolutionary army, and fought at Princeton, Trenton, Valley Forge, etc. He established " The True American" in 1801. He married on November 23, 1768, Mary Fisher, and died on May 7, 1838.

V. His son, Thomas Bradford, born in Philadelphia on September 11, 1781, was admitted to the bar, October 25, 1801. He married Elizabeth Loockermans above named.

Eighth Generation - Children of Dr. William Theodore Dwight of Portland, Maine.

191. i. Rev. Henry Edwin Dwight, M.D., born August 2, 1832.

192. ii. Elizabeth Bradford Dwight, born on May 10, 1835, married on August 12, 1857, Rev. Egbert Coffin Smyth, Collins Professor of Nat. and Rev. Religion, Bowdoin College, Maine. (1855-63), previously Professor of Rhetoric in same College, and now (since 1863) Professor of Ecclesiastical History in Andover Theological Seminary. He was born August 24, 1829, and was the son of Rev. William Smyth, D.D., Professor of Math, and Nat. Philosophy, in Bowdoin College for forty-three years (1825-68 and Harriet Porter Coffin (daughter of Nathaniel Coffin, Treasurer of Illinois College at Jacksonville, Illinois, and Mary Porter, daughter of Dr. Aaron Porter of Portland, Maine, and Paulina King, sister of Honorable Rufus King, M.C.). The parents of Nathaniel Coffin were James Coffin and Martha McLellan of Suco, Maine, "a goodly and godly couple." No issue.

193. iii. Thomas Bradford Dwight, Esq., b. September 17, 1837, graduated at Yale in 1859, since 1860 a lawyer in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and of late Assistant District Attorney. He married on June 6, 1872, Junia Killen Porter (daughter of Robert R. Porter, M.D., of Wilmington, Delaware, and Lucinda Hall, daughter of the Judge Willard Hall, U.S. District Court for Delaware (1825-72). Junia Killen, wife of Judge Hall was the daughter of Chancellor William Killen of Delaware, and Rebecca Allee).

194. iv. Mary Woolsey Dwight, born on June 23, 1839, resides unmarried at Andover, Massachusetts.

195. v. William Theodore Dwight, born July 12, 1844, died on November 12, 1848.

Source: The History of the Descendants of John Dwight of Dedham, Massachusetts, Volume 1 (Google eBook), Benjamin Woodbridge Dwight, J. F. Trow & son, printers and bookbinders, 1874, pages 207-09. Downloaded 2011.