Reverend Ralph Wheelock

Abt 1600 - 1683  (83 years)

• Name	Ralph Wheelock
  Title	Reverend
  Birth	Abt 1600	England
  	Ralph was born in England sometime between 1600-1605. Some sources say that he was born in Shropshire, however no record of his birth has been found. Nor is there any definitive evidence as to who his parents were.
  Gender	Male
  Biographical Information	1635	Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts
  	Reverend Ralph Wheelock became one of the signatories of the Deedham Town Covenant.
  		Dedham Covenant. As the original Massachusetts Bay colonies grew in population many of the residents sought to branch out. The first town meeting was held August 18, 1636. 125 men signed their name to the town Covenant. They swore that they would "in the fear and reverence of our Almighty God, mutually and severally promise amongst ourselves and each to profess and practice one truth according to that most perfect rule, the foundation whereof is ever lasting love.
  		Dedham Covenant Signatures. Dedham Covenant Signatures.
  		Ralph Wheelock Signature. Ralph Wheelock Signature.
  Immigration / Naturalization	Abt 1637	Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts
  	Ralph was educated at Cambridge University, Clare Hall. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1626. On 6 May 1630, he was ordained priest by Francis White, Bishop of the Norfolk, England Diocese. In 1631 he earned his Master of Arts degree. At that time, Cambridge was the center of the dissenting religious movement that gave rise to Puritanism. The persecution of those with Puritan beliefs ran high during this period, which undoubtedly motivated Rev. Wheelock to leave England for the new world. Rev. Wheelock, his wife Rebecca, and at least three children sailed for the Massachusetts Bay Colony in about 1637. Some historians have suggested that Rebecca gave birth to a daughter aboard ship, but no definitive proof is available. No record exist to pin down an exact date of emigration however, at a Dedham Town Meeting, July 14, 1637, when he was admitted as an inhabitant, along with Thomas Cakebread and Henry Phillips.
  Occupation	Although Rev. Wheelock was an ordained minister, his greater inclinations were toward teaching, which he did with great fervor and in various capacities throughout his life. Though the records are sketchy, it is likely that Rev. Wheelock was the first public school teacher in America. On 1 Feb 1644 a Dedham town meeting voted for the first free school in Massachusetts, to be supported by town taxes. Rev. Ralph Wheelock was the first teacher at this school. Three years later, in 1647, the General Court decreed that every town with 50 families or more must build a school supported by public taxes.
  		1st Schoolhouse. Drawing of the first free public Schoolhouse made from historical specifications.
  Death	18 Jan 1683	Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts
  		Medfield Deaths 240. "Vital Records of Medfield Massachusetts to the Year 1850" by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Massachusetts 1903. Page 240.
  Burial	Vine Lake Cemetery, Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States
  Person ID	I219	Nagel
  Last Modified	1 Jul 2021

  
  

  Family	Rebecca Clarke,   b. Abt 1610, Norfolkshire, England d. 1 Jan 1680, Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts (Age 70 years)
  Marriage	17 May 1630	Wramplingham, Norfolk, England
  Children	1. Mary Wheelock,   c. 2 Sep 1631, Banham, Norfolk, England  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth]   2. Gershom Wheelock,   c. 3 Jan 1632, Eccles, Norfolk, England d. 28 Nov 1684, Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts (Age ~ 52 years)  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth]   3. Rebecca Wheelock,   c. 24 Aug 1634, Eccles, Norfolk, England d. 28 Nov 1667, Roxbury, Suffolk, Massachusetts (Age ~ 33 years)  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth]   4. Peregrina Wheelock,   b. Abt 1637   d. 1 Apr 1671, Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts (Age 34 years)  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth]   5. Benjamin Wheelock, Sr,   b. 8 Jan 1639, Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts d. 13 Sep 1716, Mendon, Worcester, Massachusetts (Age 77 years)  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth]   6. Samuel Wheelock,   b. 22 Sep 1642, Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts d. 23 Oct 1698, Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts (Age 56 years)   7. Record Wheelock,   b. 15 Dec 1644, Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts d. 26 Jul 1726 (Age 81 years)   8. Experience Wheelock,   b. Abt 1648, Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts d. 27 Feb 1710, Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts (Age 62 years)  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth]   9. Eleazar Wheelock,   b. 3 May 1654, Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts d. 24 Mar 1731, Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts (Age 76 years)  [Father: Birth]  [Mother: Birth]
  Family ID	F78	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map		Birth - Abt 1600 - England Marriage - 17 May 1630 - Wramplingham, Norfolk, England Biographical Information - Reverend Ralph Wheelock became one of the signatories of the Deedham Town Covenant. - 1635 - Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts Immigration / Naturalization - Ralph was educated at Cambridge University, Clare Hall. He obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1626. On 6 May 1630, he was ordained priest by Francis White, Bishop of the Norfolk, England Diocese. In 1631 he earned his Master of Arts degree. At that time, Cambridge was the center of the dissenting religious movement that gave rise to Puritanism. The persecution of those with Puritan beliefs ran high during this period, which undoubtedly motivated Rev. Wheelock to leave England for the new world. Rev. Wheelock, his wife Rebecca, and at least three children sailed for the Massachusetts Bay Colony in about 1637. Some historians have suggested that Rebecca gave birth to a daughter aboard ship, but no definitive proof is available. No record exist to pin down an exact date of emigration however, at a Dedham Town Meeting, July 14, 1637, when he was admitted as an inhabitant, along with Thomas Cakebread and Henry Phillips. - Abt 1637 - Dedham, Norfolk, Massachusetts Death - 18 Jan 1683 - Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts Burial - - Vine Lake Cemetery, Medfield, Norfolk, Massachusetts, United States  = Link to Google Earth
  Pin Legend	: Address       : Location       : City/Town       : County/Shire       : State/Province       : Country       : Not Set

  
  

• Photos		Reverend Ralph Wheelock. Reverend Ralph Wheelock - My 10X Great Grandfather was the first public school teacher in the "New World".
  		Puritan Great Migration to New England.

  
  

  Documents » Slide Show		Mr. Ralph Wheelock, Puritan Mr. Ralph Wheelock, Puritan: A paper read before the Connecticut Historical Society, November 7, 1899.
  		Ralph Wheelock, Puritan Hartford Courant (Hartford, Connecticut) 09 Nov 1899, Thursday, Page 5
  		What's In A Name - Meet The Wheelock's Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York) 12 Mar 1953, Thursday, Page 24

  
  

• Notes

  Upon arrival, they settled in Watertown, Massachusetts. There Rev. Wheelock participated in a plan to create a new settlement further up the Charles River, to be called Contentment (later renamed Dedham). Rev. Wheelock became one of the earliest settlers and a founder of Dedham. In July 1637, he signed the 'Dedham Covenant' which was in effect the founding constitution of the settlers of Dedham. He lived there for more than a decade, and played a leading role in the affairs of the town. On 13 Mar 1638/9, Rev. Wheelock was declared a freeman. In those days, one had to be a "freeman" in order to vote, or to hold public office. To become a freeman, it was necessary to be a member in good standing of a local church, and to appear before the General Court to take an oath whose essential elements swore to good citizenship and good religious character. In 1642, he was appointed the General Court clerk of writs. The General Court was the central court of the Bay Colony, with powers granted by the British Crown to decide legal matters, to dispense lands, and to establish laws. In 1645 he was appointed one of the commissioners authorized to "solemnize" marriages, which at the time was a civil rather than religious duty. By the late 1640's Dedham was becoming quite populous, and it was decided to establish a new township further up the Charles River, out of a tract of land that was then part of Dedham. Rev. Wheelock was appointed leader of this effort, and in 1649 he and six others were given the duties of erecting and governing a new village, to be called New Dedham, later renamed Medfield. It is almost certain that he wrote the document called "The Agreement" which, for a time, every new settler of Medfield had to sign. "The Agreement" stated that the signatories were to abide by the town ordinances and laws, maintain orderly conduct, and resolve differences between themselves peaceably. Rev. Ralph Wheelock was granted the first house lot in Medfield (12 acres), and lived the remaining 32 years of his life there. He served on the Board of Selectmen in 1651-1654, and again in 1659. In 1653 he took up a collection for Harvard College, the first college in America. Fund raising for Harvard was probably a regular event, being a primary source of revenue for the fledgling institution. Every year, Medfield chose a representative to the General Court in Massachusetts. Rev. Wheelock held this position in the years 1653, 1663, 1664, 1666, and 1667.