Free lecture series, tours to celebrate life and legacy of John Endecott

The following was submitted by the Endecott-Endicott Family Association:

Descendants of the First Governor of Massachusetts Bay in 1629 - John Endecott (1588-1665) - will gather at Endicott College in Beverly from June 17 - 22 to celebrate his life and legacy. Governor Endecott was also the First Major General in the Colonial Militia 1645 and as historically written, the Father of New England.

In addition to the celebration of Governor Endecott, Endicott cousins and "friends" will also be celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the Endecott-Endicott Family Association, Inc.

The Endicott family name is one of the earliest in America, stemming from John Endecott's arrival from Devon, England in 1628 to be the Governor of the Massachusetts Bay. The family has not only lived through the entire history of the United States, but taken a significant role in shaping it. The family has been active in every facet of American life including state and national politics through members such as William Crowninshield Endicott of Danvers, who was the Secretary of War for the first Grover Cleveland Administration, and Endicott Peabody, who was Massachusetts Governor from 1963 to 1965.

Endicott cousins from around the United States will conduct Endicott tours in Boston, Salem and Danvers to visit and enjoy the many historical sites and objects to illustrate the legacy of John Endecott as follows:

Monday, June 18:

11:00 a.m. Governor's Tomb at the Old Granary Burying Ground on Tremont Street in Boston (Freedom Trail).

1:30 p.m. Boston State House underneath the Governor's Commonwealth Portrait.

3:30 p.m. Shaw Memorial across from the State House. Henry C. Endicott, an African American, was a member of the 54th Massachusetts during the Civil War, the regiment depicted in the 1989 movie "Glory."

4:30 p.m. Governor Endecott's Statue near the Boston Fine Arts Museum.

Tuesday, June 19:

6:30 p.m. This will mark a special celebration at Massachusetts General Hospital - North Shore Center for Outpatient Care in Danvers, location of the historic Endicott Pear Tree planted by Governor Endecott ca. 1632 on his Orchard Farm. According to the U. S Department of Agriculture, the Endicott Pear Tree is the oldest cultivated fruit tree in all of North America.

Wednesday, June 20:

The Public is invited to attend a free Endicott Lecture Series on the campus of Endicott College, featuring:

11:00 a.m.

What it Meant to be a Puritan - The Case of John Endecott

Francis Bremer, Ph.D., Professor Emeritus, University of Pennsylvania

12:00 p.m.

Luncheon - Endicott College Dining Hall ($21)

1:00 p.m.

John Endecott and the Quakers

Professor Dane Morrison, Ph.D., Salem State University

2:00 p.m.

John Endecott and the Pequot War

Samuel Endicott, Hampton, VA

3:00 p.m.

Governor John Endecott's Pursuits in Early American Horticulture

Rachel Lovett, graduate student, Harvard University and BA History, Endicott College, 2010

4:00 p.m.

Endicott Pear Tree

Richard Trask, Archivist, Town of Danvers

Lectures are free to the public. Reservations are requested to insure seating. The cost is $21 for the optional luncheon (inclusive of afternoon break refreshments). Local commuters to Endicott College for the Lecture Series Luncheon may pay at the door (based upon availability). It is recommended to send advance payment to Cindy Endicott Levingston, treasurer, Endicott Family Association, Inc. - 1097 Derby Lane, Howell, MI 48843 (c.l.levingston@sbcglobal.net)

Thursday, June 21 will be a day to enjoy some of what historic Boston and New England has to offer. The Salem Ferry to Boston will highlight the likely route Governor John Endecott traveled to Boston, the seat of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Council where he served more terms as Governor in the history of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

More information about the National Endicott Cousins Reunion can be found on the
Association's web site at www.endecott-endicott.com.