John Lothropp (also Lothrop or Lathrop)

Associated Locations:

• Etton, East Riding, Yorkshire, England

Associated Dates:

• 1584 – Born
• September 18, 1634 – John Lothropp arrives in Boston, Massachusetts

Providential Role in History

The following narrative is from The Great Prologue by Mark E. Peterson

The Reverend Lathrop was a Church of England minister. As he read the Bible carefully, he discovered that there was little harmony between the teachings of that denomination and the scriptures.

 Being a very conscientious man, he felt that he could not go contrary to the sacred word, so he resigned his position with the state church in 1623 and became the pastor of the First Independent Church of London. In doing so he rejected the state religion and flew in the face of both government and clergy by setting up a separatist group. But he had the courage of his convictions, and he proceeded, regardless of the risks involved.

By direction of the bishop of London, he was arrested and cast into prison. While he was thus incarcerated, his wife died. He was not so much as allowed to attend her funeral, and his children were left with no one to care for them. He made repeated appeals for clemency, but the bishop refused even to listen to him. Finally the orphaned children went to the bishop as a group and personally pleaded for mercy. So pitiful were they in their misery and dejection that the bishop was finally moved, and he released Lathrop on condition that he leave the country. This he did, and, with thirty-two members of his congregation, he went to America. ¹

1. Elder Mark E. Peterson, The Great Prologue, 34-5