John Farmer (author)
Encyclopedia
John Farmer was an American
historian and genealogist, born in Chelmsford, Massachusetts
. He was the son of John Farmer and Lydia Richardson.
He is buried at Concord, New Hampshire
.
Farmer is considered the founder of systematic genealogy
in America. Before Farmer's efforts, tracing one's genealogy was seen as an attempt by colonists to secure a measure of social standing within the British Empire, an aim that was counter to the new republic's egalitarian, future-oriented ethos. As Fourth of July celebrations commemorating the Founding Fathers and the heroes of the Revolutionary War became increasingly popular, however, the pursuit of "antiquarianism", which focused on local history, became increasingly acceptable as a way to honor the achievements of early Americans.
Farmer capitalized on the increasing acceptability of antiquarianism to frame genealogy within the early republic's ideological framework of pride in one's American ancestors. He corresponded with other antiquarians in New England, where antiquarianism and genealogy were well established, and became a coordinator, booster, and contributor to the burgeoning movement. In the 1820s, he and fellow antiquarians began to produce genealogical and antiquarian tracts in earnest, slowly gaining a devoted audience among the American people. Though Farmer died in 1839, his efforts led to the creation of the New England Historical and Genealogical Society, which publishes the New England Historical and Genealogical Register. The society is one of New England's oldest and most prominent organizations dedicated to the acquisition, preservation, and dissemination of public records and private monuments that would otherwise have decayed and been forgotten.
In addition to editing the first volume of Belknap's
History of New Hampshire (1831), Farmer published a valuable Genealogical Register of the First Settlers of New England (1829); histories of Billerica, Massachusetts
, (1816), and Amherst, New Hampshire
, (1820), and, in collaboration with J. B. Moore
, A Gazetteer of New Hampshire, (1823). His Genealogical Register was revised and significantly extended by James Savage
in 1860 to create A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England which is still a popular reference work.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
historian and genealogist, born in Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Chelmsford, Massachusetts
Chelmsford is a suburban town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts in the Greater Boston area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 33,802. The Census Bureau's 2008 population estimate for the town was 34,409, ranking it 14th in population among the 54 municipalities in...
. He was the son of John Farmer and Lydia Richardson.
He is buried at Concord, New Hampshire
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
.
Farmer is considered the founder of systematic genealogy
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
in America. Before Farmer's efforts, tracing one's genealogy was seen as an attempt by colonists to secure a measure of social standing within the British Empire, an aim that was counter to the new republic's egalitarian, future-oriented ethos. As Fourth of July celebrations commemorating the Founding Fathers and the heroes of the Revolutionary War became increasingly popular, however, the pursuit of "antiquarianism", which focused on local history, became increasingly acceptable as a way to honor the achievements of early Americans.
Farmer capitalized on the increasing acceptability of antiquarianism to frame genealogy within the early republic's ideological framework of pride in one's American ancestors. He corresponded with other antiquarians in New England, where antiquarianism and genealogy were well established, and became a coordinator, booster, and contributor to the burgeoning movement. In the 1820s, he and fellow antiquarians began to produce genealogical and antiquarian tracts in earnest, slowly gaining a devoted audience among the American people. Though Farmer died in 1839, his efforts led to the creation of the New England Historical and Genealogical Society, which publishes the New England Historical and Genealogical Register. The society is one of New England's oldest and most prominent organizations dedicated to the acquisition, preservation, and dissemination of public records and private monuments that would otherwise have decayed and been forgotten.
In addition to editing the first volume of Belknap's
Jeremy Belknap
Jeremy Belknap was an American clergyman and historian. His great achievement was the "History of New Hampshire", published in three volumes between 1784 and 1792. This work is the first modern history written by an American, embodying a new rigor in research, annotation, and reporting.Jeremy was...
History of New Hampshire (1831), Farmer published a valuable Genealogical Register of the First Settlers of New England (1829); histories of Billerica, Massachusetts
Billerica, Massachusetts
Billerica is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 40,243 at the 2010 census. It is the only town named Billerica in the United States and borrows its name from the town of Billericay in Essex, England.- History :...
, (1816), and Amherst, New Hampshire
Amherst, New Hampshire
Amherst is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,201 at the 2010 census. Amherst is home to Ponemah Bog Wildlife Sanctuary, Hodgman State Forest, the Joe English Reservation and Baboosic Lake....
, (1820), and, in collaboration with J. B. Moore
Jacob Bailey Moore
Jacob Bailey Moore was an American journalist and historical writer.-Ancestors:His ancestors emigrated to the United States from Scotland. His father, who had the same name, was a physician...
, A Gazetteer of New Hampshire, (1823). His Genealogical Register was revised and significantly extended by James Savage
James Savage (banker)
James Savage was one of the founding fathers of Provident Institution for Savings in the Town of Boston established in 1816 as the first chartered savings bank in the United States...
in 1860 to create A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England which is still a popular reference work.
Further reading
- Le Bosquet, Memorial of John Farmer (Boston, 1884)
- Weil, François. "John Farmer and the Making of American Genealogy," New England Quarterly 2007 80(3): 408-434