Angel of Hadley
Encyclopedia
The Angel of Hadley is the central character in an apocryphal 17th-century legend
combining the execution of Charles I in England, King Philip's War
and Hadley, Massachusetts
.
But with all hope seemingly lost, a white-bearded man with a powerful bearing and wielding an old sword suddenly appeared. He raised and organized a town militia before leading them to victory against the superior numbers of Wampanoag. He then disappeared.
Restoration authorities suspected the man to be the Puritan
General
William Goffe
, still wanted for his role in the regicide of Charles I
in 1649. Many of the co-signers of Charles I's death warrant had been executed or given life imprisonment
upon the Restoration
in 1660.
In absentia Goffe had been sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered
but he had escaped and fled to New England
. Puritans made up a large section of the population in the New England
colonies, there were many sympathisers who were prepared to protect Goffe.
Some of his surviving letters give vague clues about the locations and the general areas where he was hiding. Goffe is believed to have stayed in the house of Hadley’s minister
, John Russell
.
According to the legend, when Royalist
agents for The Crown
eventually came to investigate the battle, Puritan citizens told the investigators several stories:
and by James Fenimore Cooper
in The Wept of Wish-ton-Wish. It is also a likely source for "The Grey Champion", a Nathaniel Hawthorne
short story that features an elderly Puritan man who brandishes a sword in defense of his people.
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
combining the execution of Charles I in England, King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
and Hadley, Massachusetts
Hadley, Massachusetts
Hadley is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. The population was 4,793 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The area around Hampshire Mall and Mountain Farms Mall along Route 9 is a major shopping destination for the surrounding...
.
The legend
In 1676, at the height of King Philip's War, the war leader of the Wampanoag used a ruse to lure away the bulk of the colonial troops to the north. Without the protection of professional soldiers, the natives then prepared to attack the lightly defended town of Hadley, Massachusetts. However the settlers discovered the plot and despaired for their lives knowing they lacked any military expertise.But with all hope seemingly lost, a white-bearded man with a powerful bearing and wielding an old sword suddenly appeared. He raised and organized a town militia before leading them to victory against the superior numbers of Wampanoag. He then disappeared.
Restoration authorities suspected the man to be the Puritan
Puritan
The Puritans were a significant grouping of English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries. Puritanism in this sense was founded by some Marian exiles from the clergy shortly after the accession of Elizabeth I of England in 1558, as an activist movement within the Church of England...
General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
William Goffe
William Goffe
William Goffe was an English Roundhead politician and soldier, perhaps best known for his role in the execution of King Charles I and later flight to America.-Early life:...
, still wanted for his role in the regicide of Charles I
Charles I of England
Charles I was King of England, King of Scotland, and King of Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution in 1649. Charles engaged in a struggle for power with the Parliament of England, attempting to obtain royal revenue whilst Parliament sought to curb his Royal prerogative which Charles...
in 1649. Many of the co-signers of Charles I's death warrant had been executed or given life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
upon the Restoration
English Restoration
The Restoration of the English monarchy began in 1660 when the English, Scottish and Irish monarchies were all restored under Charles II after the Interregnum that followed the Wars of the Three Kingdoms...
in 1660.
In absentia Goffe had been sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered
Hanged, drawn and quartered
To be hanged, drawn and quartered was from 1351 a penalty in England for men convicted of high treason, although the ritual was first recorded during the reigns of King Henry III and his successor, Edward I...
but he had escaped and fled to New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
. Puritans made up a large section of the population in the New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
colonies, there were many sympathisers who were prepared to protect Goffe.
Some of his surviving letters give vague clues about the locations and the general areas where he was hiding. Goffe is believed to have stayed in the house of Hadley’s minister
Minister of religion
In Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform functions such as teaching of beliefs; leading services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community...
, John Russell
John Russell (clergyman)
John Russell was a Puritan minister in Hadley, Massachusetts during King Philip's War. As such, he is part of the Angel of Hadley legend....
.
According to the legend, when Royalist
Cavalier
Cavalier was the name used by Parliamentarians for a Royalist supporter of King Charles I and son Charles II during the English Civil War, the Interregnum, and the Restoration...
agents for The Crown
The Crown
The Crown is a corporation sole that in the Commonwealth realms and any provincial or state sub-divisions thereof represents the legal embodiment of governance, whether executive, legislative, or judicial...
eventually came to investigate the battle, Puritan citizens told the investigators several stories:
- The battle never took place
- If the battle took place, there was no white-bearded leader
- If there was a white-bearded leader, he wasn’t William Goffe
- If the leader was William Goffe, he was no longer in Hadley.
Controversy
Among the disputed facts in this legend:- What was the date of the event. The town of Hadley’s website gives the date as June 12 (while describing the event as a legend); others say September 1;
- Whether King Philip’s forces attacked Hadley on the day in question;
- Whether General Goffe ever led Hadley’s forces.
Possible Influences
The legend of The Angel of Hadley furnished ideas used by Sir Walter Scott in Peveril of the PeakPeveril of the Peak
Peveril of the Peak is the longest novel by Sir Walter Scott. Along with Ivanhoe, Woodstock and Kenilworth, this is one of Scott's English novels, with the main action taking place around 1678.-Plot introduction:...
and by James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper
James Fenimore Cooper was a prolific and popular American writer of the early 19th century. He is best remembered as a novelist who wrote numerous sea-stories and the historical novels known as the Leatherstocking Tales, featuring frontiersman Natty Bumppo...
in The Wept of Wish-ton-Wish. It is also a likely source for "The Grey Champion", a Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer.Nathaniel Hawthorne was born in 1804 in the city of Salem, Massachusetts to Nathaniel Hathorne and the former Elizabeth Clarke Manning. His ancestors include John Hathorne, a judge during the Salem Witch Trials...
short story that features an elderly Puritan man who brandishes a sword in defense of his people.
External links
- The Regicides in New England, by Frederick Hull Cogswell
- The Hunt for the Regicides, Chapter 31 of “This Country Of Ours", by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall