John Andrews (4 April 1746 – 29 March 1813) was an AmericanEpiscopal priest; 4thprovost of theUniversity of Pennsylvania (1810–1813), 3rd vice provost (1789–1810), and professor ofmoral philosophy (1789–1813) of the same college; principal of theEpiscopal Academy of Philadelphia (1785–1789); rector ofSt. Thomas Church in Garrison Forest,Baltimore County, Maryland (1782–1784); founder of the bases ofYork College of Pennsylvania (1776); minister ofSt. Peter's Episcopal Church (Lewes, Delaware) (1767–1770); lecturer; and author of published textbooks and sermons.
John Andrews,D.D.,A.B., MA, first son of Moses and Letitia Cooke Andrews, was born inCecil County on theEastern Shore of Maryland, about six miles from the head of theElk River (Maryland), on 4 April 1746,[1] His childhood home was a 75-acre tract of land called "Lesson" (patented to his father 10 March 1746) inCecil County, Maryland.[2]
He was great, grandson of John Andrews who immigrated in 1654 fromBisbrooke,Rutland, England, toAnne Arundel County orCalvert County in a Puritan settlement called "Providence" (Eastport side ofAnnapolis)Province of Maryland under the patronage of LordCecil Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore. His great great grandfather wasEdward Andrews who wasSheriff of Rutland in 1637, whose fatherAnthony Andrews was sheriff of the same in 1613.[3][4][5]
In 1772, Andrews married Elizabeth Callender, daughter ofCaptain Robert Callender ofCarlisle, Pennsylvania. They had ten children, Robert (2), John (5), Letitia, Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth Callender, William Neill, George, Edward (5), and Mary Benger.[4] The eldest, Robert, graduated from the Academy and College of Philadelphia in 1790. Mrs. Andrews death on 22 February 1798, was occasioned by the death of shock she encountered by a sudden death of a son caused by a fire.[6]
When he was seven years old, Andrews's father enrolled him in the Newcastle Presbytery's Head of Elk School inHead of Elk, Maryland. Andrews received an A.B. with distinguished honor fromThe Academy and College of Philadelphia in 1764. He later taught grammar school inPhiladelphia. In 1767, he received anM.A. from theCollege of Philadelphia (later merged intoUniversity of the State of Pennsylvania to createUniversity of Pennsylvania).[3]
Andrews continued his connection with the Grammar School and then took charge of a classical school inLancaster, Pennsylvania. Having previously resolved to devote himself to the ministry in theEpiscopal Church, he studiedtheology under the Rev. Thomas Barton, Rector of St. James's Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Andrews then sailed for London, England, where he was ordained adeacon in theAnglican Church. He was then appointed amissionary toLewes, Delaware, by theSociety for Propagating the Gospel in Foreign Parts.
Rev. John Andrews ministered atSt. Peter's Episcopal Church (Lewes, Delaware) from 1767 through 1770. He then transferred toYork, Pennsylvania, where assumed missionary jurisdiction at St. John's Church in York,York County and St. John's Church inCarlisle, Pennsylvania, inCumberland County. Sometime in 1775 he took charge of St. John's Church inQueen Anne's County, Maryland. As theAmerican Revolutionary War progressed, Andrews grew conflicted: his political sympathies lay with the Americans, but he believed the oath of allegiance to England he took as part of his Holy Orders took precedence. He recused himself from public exercise of his profession and returned to York.
In 1776, during this period in York, Andrews founded the academy that evolved under several changes to become known as today theYork College of Pennsylvania.[7][8][9] In 1787 it was incorporated as York County Academy and brought under the jurisdiction of St. John's Episcopal Church.
After theRevolution, Andrews resumed his clerical duties. On 13 April 1782 he returned to Maryland to become rector ofSt. Thomas Church in Garrison Forest,Baltimore County, Maryland, a position he held until 1784. That same year he was a member of the convention that organized the separation of theAmerican Episcopal Church from the Anglican Church. He later advocated for union with theMethodist Church.
In 1785,Washington College inChestertown, Maryland, awarded Andrews an honoraryDoctor of Divinity. That same year, whenEpiscopal Academy was founded in Philadelphia, the academy's trustees unanimously elected Andrews as headmaster. He served in this position until 1789,[10] when he became Professor of Moral Philosophy at theUniversity of Pennsylvania. AtPenn he lectured admiringly on theConstitution of the United States. Of the said college, John Andrews became Vice-Provost 1789–1810 andProvost from 1810 until his death from sudden illness on 29 March 1813.[11][12] Until his death he also served as Rector of St. James Church inBristol, Pennsylvania, and assistant minister of Christ Church in Philadelphia. Rev. John Andrews is considered one of America's first scholars for he dedicated his career as a student, tutor, professor, lecturer, author, founder and administrator of schools and colleges.
He was elected on into theAmerican Philosophical Society in 1787.[13]
John Andrews is interred at the historicChrist Church Burial Ground inPhiladelphia.
"Andrews, John".The Biographical Dictionary of America. Vol. 1. 1906. p. 120.| International | |
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