Nathaniel Ward – Historic Ipswich

The 1641 Massachusetts Body of Liberties

January 11, 2026June 23, 2026 Gordon Harris1 Comment

At the Massachusetts General Court, May 13, 1640, it was voted that the elders of the churches and other freemen of the Commonwealth gather their thoughts and counsels about a body of laws for the Colony and present them to the general court within eight months. Two schemes were proposed, but Governor Winthrop assigned the… Continue reading The 1641 Massachusetts Body of Liberties

Nathaniel Ward (1578-1652)

January 29, 2023January 11, 2026 Gordon HarrisLeave a comment

The Simple Cobbler of Aggawam in America by Nathaniel Ward

Ward emigrated to Massachusetts in 1634 an served for two years as the minister in Ipswich. His "Body of Liberties" established a code of fundamental principles of government. Ward's book "The Simple Cobler of Aggawam in America" was published in England in 1647.