The Contributor: Representing the Young Men's and Young Ladies' Mutual ...

own history? He said: “Should my his- ancestor of Orson Pratt, and his older cerning myself, that a general research onists, located at Hartford, Connecticut. through the Church records and other This colony was founded in June, 1636, periodicals would have to be made, and which was a little less than

This remark was made at the His- tion, about one hundred in number, from torian's Office, and at the time when Newtown, now called Cambridge, MasApostle Pratt was the Church Historian. sachusetts, through a dense wilderness, person of no little historical ability, and, and became the first settlers of Hartford. that too, concerning his own personal his. The ancient records at Newtown show tory, was calculated in its very nature to that John Pratt owned land in that town. Vol. XII. NOVEMBER, 1890.

No. I. . LIFE AND LABORS OF ORSON PRATT.

engender the feeling of incompetency and BEFORE allowing the reader to enter embarassment almost insurmountable. upon the following sketch, it is but justly And even now, the writer is almost perdue that the writer should preface it by suaded, at the threshold of his narrative, offering an apology for attempting to pre- to throw down his pen and abandon the pare a manuscript for publication upon task. However, if the reader will patithe life and character of a man, whose ently bear and forbear, it may not be unnoble career has not only been eminently interesting to peruse the following sketch, interwoven with the history of the Latter- which is limited as to space and whose day Saints, ecclesiastically, but also in the commentations are lacking in that eloaffairs and human events of a great com- quence,

which the subject of the monwealth. Realizing that the data of same, in justice, more richly deserves. details and circumstances, so requisite in - Milando Pratt. writing his

personal history, is very mea ANCESTRY AND GENEALOGY. gre, without spending much more time in A few centuries ago, when the old research than is available, and that a sub- world groaned under the hand of tyranny ject of such importance should be treated and oppression, when persecution raged by more able and experienced writers, it against those who desired to be the humis with feelings of delicacy that the task is ble followers of Christ, the great western undertaken, and especially since vivid in refuge of the New World was discovered; the writer's mind is the following remark to which a few hardy, brave pioneers which he heard his lamented father— sailed and commenced the colonization Apostle Orson Pratt-make, in reply to of New England. Among these humble the question, why did he not write his pilgrim fathers were William Pratt, the tory ever be written, it will be the result brother John. In February, 1639, these of a laborious task to the person under- two brothers received a portion of land, taking it; for so little have I written con in the first distribution made to the col

ee years sure that life is too short for before they drew their portion of land. com to write my history, even if I were it is supposed that they accompanied the

Rev. Thomas Hooker and his congrega

I am quite

competent.”

Such a

remark, coming as it did from a inhabited only by savages and wild beasts,

« Previous Continue »

Books

The Contributor: Representing the Young Men's and Young Ladies ..., Volume 12