Guide to the Metrical History of Christianity, undated

Redwood Library and Athenaeum
50 Bellevue Avenue
Newport, RI 02840
Tel: (401) 847-0292
Fax: (401) 841-5680
email: redwood@redwoodlibrary.org

Published in 2015

Collection Overview

Title:	Metrical History of Christianity
Date range:
Creator:	Taylor, Edward, 1642-1729
Extent:	0.15 linear feet
Abstract:	Poem, known as the "Metrical History of Christianity," written by Edward Taylor (1642-1729), a colonial poet, physician and pastor.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	Redwood Library and Athenaeum
Collection number:	RLC.Ms.Bound.0026

Scope & content

This collection is comprised of one volume with a poem written by Edward Taylor known as the "Metrical History of Christianity." This volume is over four hundred pages long and is vellum-bound with leather ties.

Access Points

Subject Topics

• Christianity--History
• Church history--Poetry
• Religion and poetry--18th century

Document Types

• Poetry

Subject Topics

• Religion

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in chronological order.

Biographical note

Rev. Edward Taylor (1642-1729) was born at Scetchley, Leicestershire, England, and was first educated at Cambridge University. After Taylor refused to sign the Act of Uniformity of 1662, an oath required of all dissenters after the restoration of King Charles II (1630-1685), he immigrated to Boston. He kept a detailed journal from the time he departed England, which has been published as The Diary of Edward Taylor, edited by Francis Murphy (Springfield, Mass., 1964). Taylor attended Harvard College and then became the pastor and physician of Westfield, Massachusetts, where he remained until his death. He was a vocal supporter of the Halfway Covenant of 1662, along with Increase and Cotton Mather. He is best known for his spiritual poetry and theological beliefs.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	Access is open to members and researchers at the Redwood Library and Athenaeum.
Use of the materials:	This collection is owned by the Redwood Library and Athenaeum. Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the Special Collections Librarian of the Redwood Library and Athenaeum.
Preferred citation:	Metrical History of Christianity, RLC.Ms.Bound.0026, Redwood Library and Athenaeum.
Contact information:	Redwood Library and Athenaeum 50 Bellevue Avenue Newport, RI 02840 Tel: (401) 847-0292 Fax: (401) 841-5680 email: redwood@redwoodlibrary.org

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	Gift of Roderick Terry, Jr.
Custodial history:	This bound manuscript was found in the attic of a house in Enfield, Connecticut, once owned by John Taylor, the grandson of Edward Taylor. It was purchased by Rev. Roderick Terry (1849-1933), the great-great-great grandson of Edward Taylor, in 1905. Terry and scholar Donald E. Sanford both independently identified the handwriting and prose as that of Edward Taylor.
Processing information:	Prior to processing in 2014, this volume was classified as: sc ml 4 .T21.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Finding aid prepared by Phoebe Bean, Elizabeth Delmage
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using the Archivists' Toolkit 2015-08-01
Descriptive rules:	Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Bibliography:

Stanford, Donald E. "Edward Taylor's Metrical History of Christianity." American Literature Vol. 33, no. 3 (November 1961): 279-295.

Inventory

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Volume RLC.Ms.Bound.0026

Metrical History of Christianity

undated