Governor Hutchinson's Passion

On this day in history, in 1754, Governor Thomas Hutchinson's youngest child was born. The child was a daughter. She was one of five children out of twelve to survive into adulthood. She was named after her mother, Governor Thomas Hutchinson's wife, Margaret Sanford Hutchinson. Margaret Sanford and Thomas Hutchinson had been more than just a political match, they also were a love match. Therefore, when Margaret entered into complications from childbirth, Hutchinson was thrown into a state of despair. Margaret would die a couple weeks after the birth of her namesake. Margaret and Thomas Hutchinson had been married for 20 years, and Hutchinson was so distressed that he would never even think of marrying another woman again. This was rare for the time period, as usually the custom was to try and remarry. Hutchinson would choose to remain a widower for the rest of his life. Hutchinson would also continue honoring and remembering his wife through annual dinners every year on the anniversary of his wedding to her, inviting his family and her relatives to dine with him commenting that he was honoring what was the happiest day of his life.

From that point forward, Hutchinson began to throw himself into his work serving Massachusetts as a politician most devotedly in an attempt to distract himself from his distress. He also preoccupied his time with his passion for gardening and with taking care of his family. It soon became clear that the young Margaret, or Peggy as she was called for short, was Hutchinson's favorite child, being his wife's namesake, and as she reminded him of the wife he had lost. Despite this he never lost sight of remaining an affectionate father to all his children. For example, his ledgers recording all his economic transactions, weekly recorded the ordering of cakes for his eldest daughter Sarah, who he called Sallie as a pet name, and would make efforts to remove his entire family to safety whenever there was political upheaval in Boston that might threaten their safety. He often mentioned, in letters, his fears, and hopes for his family during times of political crises, and actions he had taken to protect them.

It is partially due to this love and protection of his family, that Governor Hutchinson at 62-years-old would finally decide that the political turmoil in Boston had made things too dangerous. Dangerous enough to feed into his decision to move his family to Great Britain, despite the fact that the idea distressed him to death. While in exile in England, he found himself entirely homesick for Massachusetts, which had been his home since birth. He could not grow accustomed to the culture of the mother country and also was disgusted by the corruption of the British aristocracy which he finally was able to see first hand. He spent his days in England at home, pretending to be living in a New England run culture and society.

In 1779, matters were made worse when the Province of Massachusetts declared that Governor Hutchinson was never allowed to set foot on Massachusetts soil again. Hutchinson had spent his life not only serving Massachusetts most passionately as a politician, but on a personal level as well. He not only was a born and raised Bostonian, but also a fifth generation Bostonian who descended directly from Anne Hutchinson. Anne is best known for being excommunicated by the colony, and sent to Rhode Island where she was fundamental in the founding of part of the Aquidneck. As a result of his love and passion for his homeland, Hutchinson had undertaken the task of making himself a historian of it. Even writing a three volume history of the colony itself. To suddenly now be permanently exiled with no hope of returning, at a time of feeling homesick, would undoubtedly have served as an emotional blow to a man who was already in low spirits.

In addition to this in 1777, Thomas Hutchinson's favorite daughter, his wife's namesake, died of tuberculosis. This devastated Hutchinson, much like the loss of his wife had only 23 years before. As Hutchinson's favorite daughter, Peggy had become Hutchinson's travel companion and he had trouble coping with the loss.

In 1780, Hutchinson's youngest son, William (nick named Billy), died of a similar affliction as well. Even though both father and son were living in the same household, the servants decided to delay informing the father of Billy's death until the father had at least finished his morning breakfast. At some point during the morning, however, Hutchinson realized something was amiss and decided to see his son. He found the servants guarding the door to his son's room, and upon entering, discovered his son's death. Only a couple months later, all of this emotional stress caused Hutchinson's own state of mind and health to begin to decline, and in June of 1780 he would suffer a stroke and die.

Hutchinson was a governor whose only crime was that he cared too much. He harbored an extreme love and passion for his home colony, for his wife, and for his children. Everything he did for Massachusetts, even if it went against the people's wishes, was in his own mind, what was best for the continual health of the people and colony that he so loved. It is because of his passion that he took his job serving Massachusetts to heart. So on this Valentine's Day we remember that love and passion come in many, and sometimes surprising, forms.

                               Sarah Hutchinson who was nick named Sallie by her father.

Cover page of Thomas Hutchinson's "History of the Province of Massachusetts-Bay." His three volume history of the province serves as an example of his love and devotion to the colony of Massachusetts.

                              Thomas Hutchinson, last civilian royal governor of Massachusetts