In April 1638, Anne Hutchinson, the Boston midwife and spiritual leader, was exiled by court order and “tarried” at her family’s home in what’s now Quincy on her way to Rhode Island. A marker from 1930, next to a fire station on Beale Street near Arlington Street, identifies the site near where the family’s house stood.

Praise be to the exiled!

Her crime was that she’d been hosting popular weekly meetings in her home for women–and later men as well–to discuss the sermons of John Cotton, minister of the First Church in Boston. And she had criticized other ministers for what she saw as their flawed preaching. She was tried in 1637, convicted and banished. A church trial in March 1638 put out of her congregation.

With the encouragement of Providence Plantations founder Roger Williams, Hutchinson and her supporters settled at Portsmouth in what became Rhode Island. Subsequaent threats from Massachusetts to take over Rhode Island, promopted Hutchinson to move from the English colonies into Dutch territory near what became known as Hutchinson River, in the Bronx, New York City. There in August 1643, she and six of her children were killed by Siwanoys during what was called Kieft’s War. Only one daughter, 9-year-old Susanna, survived, and was taken captive.


If this is the kind of coverage of arts, nature, cultures and activisms you appreciate, please support Wonderland by contributing to Wonderland on Patreon. And sign up for our free, (hopefully) weekly newsletter so that you don’t miss any of our reporting. (All content ©Greg Cook 2021 or the respective creators.)


Marker on Beale Street in Quincy marking Anne Hutchinson's home where she "tarried" on her way to exile in 1638. (©Greg Cook photo)
Marker on Beale Street in Quincy marking Anne Hutchinson’s home where she “tarried” on her way to exile in 1638. (©Greg Cook photo)
Marker on Beale Street in Quincy marking Anne Hutchinson's home where she "tarried" on her way to exile in 1638. (©Greg Cook photo)
Marker on Beale Street in Quincy marking Anne Hutchinson’s home where she “tarried” on her way to exile in 1638. (©Greg Cook photo)
Categories: History