Ebenezer Parkman’s Addresses to Two Criminals Facing Execution1

By Ross W. Beales, Jr.

Parkman had occasion to address two prisoners who faced execution: John Hamilton (or, as he sometimes called himself, Hugh Henderson), who was executed for burglary on November 24, 1737, and Jabez Green, who was executed for murder on October 21, 1742.

The extant portions of Parkman’s diary for 1737 cover February 13-March 30 and September 20-November 24. On Saturday, September 24, he received a request from Hamilton for a visit. Accordingly, on Monday Parkman rode to Worcester and met with Hamilton at the jail: “Among other Questions, I asked him his true Name? He answered Hugh Henderson. He acquainted me with his Birth and Baptism etc. He was much concerned and distressed about his state, and ready to confess himself a great Sinner, etc. I prayed with him. He requested I would come and see him again.”

Parkman’s next visit was on October 12: “I went to Worcester to see Hugh Henderson, found him in much the same distressed state that I left him in, but I hope more knowing and acquainted with his Condition and with his Duty.” Isaac Burr, the minister of Worcester, was with Parkman. Parkman prayed with Hamilton, “a multitude attending.” Hamilton “earnestly desired me to see him again and wishes over and over that I would preach to him.”

The phrase, “a multitude attending,” suggests that Parkman’s visit was, at least in part, quite public. While we may think of the events leading up to and including the execution as a spectacle, Parkman’s diary suggests another dimension. On October 17, he was visited by Joseph Wheeler, who was “distressed in Conscience for H. Henderson.”

Parkman visited Henderson on October 21, stopping “at the Goal at the Grates to speak with the Prisoner and to put him in mind of the preparations needful for him to make in order to his keeping his Last Sabbath.” Early on Sunday morning, October 23, Parkman “began to write my address to the Prisoner” and preached that morning on Eccl. 11:92 to “a crowded assembly, poor Hugh Henderson present.” In the afternoon he preached on John 3:363 to a “very great congregation, it being in their apprehension the last Sabbath Sermon the poor Criminal is to hear.” It is not clear at what point Parkman made his address to John Hamilton: the manuscript of his morning sermon is no longer extant, and there is no indication in the manuscript of the afternoon sermon where the address might be inserted. Since the address ends with the word “nevertheless,” it seems that the address was inserted at some point in the body of one of the sermons.4

Parkman returned that same evening to the jail: “I interrogated the Prisoner what was the occasion of his coming to this country—whether he had discovered and acknowledged all that was fit and proper for him to reveal? Whether he had any confederates? A great number flocked in the Goal when at his Request I prayed with him. I left him between 8 and 9.” Several days later Parkman learned that Governor Jonathan Belcher had “reprieved Hugh Henderson for a month.”5

Parkman returned to Worcester on November 21 and learned that Henderson had tried to escape by filing the jail door. The two men “talked more of other matters, and kept longer off from the main point of his case than heretofore. I’m more put to it to judge of his Frame”—that is, Parkman tried to assess whether Henderson was repentant. Isaac Burr asked Parkman to preach to Henderson on Wednesday: “Hugh desired it of me, and several of the people repeatedly and urgently insist and plead for it.” Henderson apparently complained about the jury that had convicted him, “not going by the laws of God and the Country in Condemning him, having but Circumstantial Evidence.” That said, “he added, that he was guilty and his many sins had provoked God to anger, etc.”

On Wednesday Parkman returned to preach to Henderson. There was such a crowd that they adjourned to the meetinghouse. Parkman preached on 1 Tim. 1:15,6 and when he later visited the prisoner, Henderson “spoke of having a solemn warning taken from his mouth, but chose to have it deferred to the morning, but prayed I would be early.”

The last (partial) extant entry in Parkman’s diary for 1737 records his visit to Henderson on the day of his execution, with Parkman (assisted by Isaac Burr) “penning down what the Prisoner had to deliver by way of Confession and Warning to the World before his Execution.”7 Parkman noted that he “was as punctual and strict as I could be in inserting his own words as near as I could, and when any others were used.” Parkman undoubtedly attended the execution, but no record of his response survives.

There is virtually no information about Parkman’s address to Jabez Green (December 23, 1741), as his diary for that year is not extant. Thirty-year-old Green of Brookfield killed Thomas McLuer at a husking in September 1741 and was jailed in Worcester until the next sitting of the court a year later.

And on Tuesday Jabez Green of Brookfield was committed to his Majesty’s Goal in Worcester, for the Murder of Thomas McCluer of said Brookfield. ‘Tis said that Green being in an ill Humour (at a Husking) wanted to fight with any or all of the Company, which they wisely declined, upon which he stabbed the deceased in the Belly with a Knife, so that his Bowels immediately came out, and he died about twenty four Hours after.8

During Green’s long incarceration, Parkman visited him on several occasions. The first visit was evidently on December 23, 1741, the date on the manuscript. Returning the next month, Parkman found Green “penitent, diligently on enquiry, Reading, Waiting on Jesus, respectfull to Ministers, and very gratefull to me for my pains with him” (Jan. 29, 1742). In May Parkman intended to visit Green, to whom he had “lately writ to on occasion of his turning Quaker” (May 19, 1742), but he was unable to go. Twelve days later Parkman went to see Green, first meeting alone with him: “I perceived he was turned over to the principles of Quakerism.” When two other ministers and a number of others came in, Green “grew very bold and Said he had the Spirit and that they that have the Spirit have the holy anointing and need not that any one should teach them for they know all Things.” When Parkman sought to make a “distinction between the Jewish Ordinances and the Institutions of Christ,” Green insulted him “in an ungrateful manner with telling me I would Defend what got me a good living.” Parkman thought that Green’s “frett” might have arisen from the sheriff’s recent refusal to allow several Quakers to visit him (June 1, 1742).

Parkman’s last attempt to see Green was on September 16, but when the prisoner learned that Parkman was there, he refused to see him, and Parkman “would not force my self upon him.” A week later Parkman attended the trial, and although Green’s “Confidence was very extraordinary,” the evidence was “very strong against him,” and two days later Parkman learned that Green “was condemned yesterday” (Sept. 25, 1742). Parkman sent a letter to Green on October 20 and noted the next day that Green was executed. “Mr. Aldridge the Quaker having preached at the Jail and Mr. Burr at the Meeting House. No prayer at the Gallows—nor much Warning given, as I was informed (for I went not to Worcester) but by Mr. Aldridge some sort of Exhortation was given. The Prisoner dyed declaring he was not guilty of Murder, to the Surprize of the Spectators” (Oct. 21, 1742).

Note on the Transcription. This transcription follows the so-called “expanded” method. The thorn “y” is expand to “th,” and letters and abbreviations are brought down to the line and expanded unless the abbreviation is in common use today. Thus, y^e becomes “the”; y^t becomes “that”; y^s becomes “this”; and y^re becomes “there.” Similarly, abbreviations like w^t, w^th, and w^d become “what,” “with,” and “would.” Sentences end with a period; occasional punctuation is silently inserted for clarity; & and &c. are changed to “and” and “etc.” Words that Parkman crossed out have been silently omitted. Insertions, whose place is usually indicated by a caret within the text, are silently moved from the margin or bottom of the page or brought down from above the line.