Nathaniel Eaton

Nathaniel Eaton (1610–1674) was the first schoolmaster of Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and later became a clergyman.

Another Nathaniel Eaton?

There is also evidence of another Nathaniel Eaton who lived in the town of Boston at the same time, across the street from the Governor John Winthrop, but who spelled his name Heaton.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

His wife was also named Elizabeth, and there's some doubt as to whether the children that are listed in the Colony's birth records at Boston are his children or Eaton's, since there are double listings for all of them spelling the name as "Eaton" and "Heaton", and since a mysterious fire destroyed the Cambridge town records in 1643.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Further, as Eaton had graduated from Franeker in 1633, and the Revs John Cotton, Thomas Hooker, and others had all decided to leave for the colonies in this same year, it is quite probable that the Nathaniel Heaton who imigrated in 1634 with Hutchinson and Hooker, is the very same Nathaniel Eaton first professor of Harvard College. (Cf. endnote 1, infra)

Related Topics:
John Cotton - Thomas Hooker - Hutchinson

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Lastly, since Eaton had no place else to go, and no records are found of him in England or Holland after 1634, the evidence is strong that these are one and the same people.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~