Angel of Hadley, (a.k.a. "The Perils of Our Forefathers")
Image ID: ART027
Colonists, Native Americans, regicide: all makeup the legend of the fictitious "Angel of Hadley," which has fascinated and beguiled historians and townspeople for over three hundred years. It attracted, as well, the interest of Connecticut-born artist Frederic Chapman (1818-1891), known for his stained glass designs and for his paintings of landscapes, portraits, and historical motifs, especially of the Boston area. In his later years, his oil paintings of Civil War scenes earned considerable recognition.
The Angel of Hadley was a fabled event of King Phillip's War, in 1675, that Chapman focused upon in this painting which depicts an Indian attack upon the town of Hadley. The legend says the residents were in church when the assault came, and they huddled there in panic, expecting the worst. Suddenly, a stranger appeared to help, described as an elderly man dressed in English garb of several decades earlier. He supposedly organized a successful defense of the town, and disappeared after the skirmish, never to be seen again.
While the grateful townsfolk were sure the man was sent as an angel of God to save them, supposedly the real story came out as the founding pastor of Hadley, John Russell, lay on his deathbed years later. It was only then that he admitted to harboring Englishman William Goffe, formerly a general in Oliver Cromwell's army, and a conspirator in the regicide of King Charles I. With the restoration of the crown to King Charles II, there was a price upon Goffe's head, and he fled to the American colonies. Allegedly, he was hidden in a secret room in Pastor Russell's house, emerging in public only in 1675 to defend the colonists.
Noted 19th century historian George Sheldon of Deerfield, a contemporary of Chapman's, claimed the event never could have happened. But that hasn't deterred generations of Hadley residents from its retelling. To commemorate the tale, as well as the 200th anniversary of the town of Hadley in 1859, many local people bought copies of "The Perils of Our Forefathers," John C. McCrae's steel engraving of Chapman's painting (originally offered in 1859 at $3.00 for black and white and $8.00 for color). The Library has a copy of the engraving. How and when the original painting came to Forbes is undetermined.
Dr. George A. Snook's detailed article about the legend is available in the Hampshire Room. There is also a brochure identifying General Goffe and all the townspeople huddled in Hadley Church - including several people (such as Col. Benjamin Church and Major John Pynchon) who in reality, as Dr. Snook points out, were not there.
The Angel of Hadley was a fabled event of King Phillip's War, in 1675, that Chapman focused upon in this painting which depicts an Indian attack upon the town of Hadley. The legend says the residents were in church when the assault came, and they huddled there in panic, expecting the worst. Suddenly, a stranger appeared to help, described as an elderly man dressed in English garb of several decades earlier. He supposedly organized a successful defense of the town, and disappeared after the skirmish, never to be seen again.
While the grateful townsfolk were sure the man was sent as an angel of God to save them, supposedly the real story came out as the founding pastor of Hadley, John Russell, lay on his deathbed years later. It was only then that he admitted to harboring Englishman William Goffe, formerly a general in Oliver Cromwell's army, and a conspirator in the regicide of King Charles I. With the restoration of the crown to King Charles II, there was a price upon Goffe's head, and he fled to the American colonies. Allegedly, he was hidden in a secret room in Pastor Russell's house, emerging in public only in 1675 to defend the colonists.
Noted 19th century historian George Sheldon of Deerfield, a contemporary of Chapman's, claimed the event never could have happened. But that hasn't deterred generations of Hadley residents from its retelling. To commemorate the tale, as well as the 200th anniversary of the town of Hadley in 1859, many local people bought copies of "The Perils of Our Forefathers," John C. McCrae's steel engraving of Chapman's painting (originally offered in 1859 at $3.00 for black and white and $8.00 for color). The Library has a copy of the engraving. How and when the original painting came to Forbes is undetermined.
Dr. George A. Snook's detailed article about the legend is available in the Hampshire Room. There is also a brochure identifying General Goffe and all the townspeople huddled in Hadley Church - including several people (such as Col. Benjamin Church and Major John Pynchon) who in reality, as Dr. Snook points out, were not there.
Image Details
| Dublin Core | |
|---|---|
| Title |
Angel of Hadley, (a.k.a. "The Perils of Our Forefathers")
|
| Subject |
Frederic A. Chapman
Oil paintings
Angel of Hadley
Legends
angels
Hadley, MA
regicide
historical fiction
folklore
myths
|
| Description |
Colonists, Native Americans, regicide: all makeup the legend of the fictitious "Angel of Hadley," which has fascinated and beguiled historians and townspeople for over three hundred years. It attracted, as well, the interest of Connecticut-born artist Frederic Chapman (1818-1891), known for his stained glass designs and for his paintings of landscapes, portraits, and historical motifs, especially of the Boston area. In his later years, his oil paintings of Civil War scenes earned considerable recognition.
The Angel of Hadley was a fabled event of King Phillip's War, in 1675, that Chapman focused upon in this painting which depicts an Indian attack upon the town of Hadley. The legend says the residents were in church when the assault came, and they huddled there in panic, expecting the worst. Suddenly, a stranger appeared to help, described as an elderly man dressed in English garb of several decades earlier. He supposedly organized a successful defense of the town, and disappeared after the skirmish, never to be seen again. While the grateful townsfolk were sure the man was sent as an angel of God to save them, supposedly the real story came out as the founding pastor of Hadley, John Russell, lay on his deathbed years later. It was only then that he admitted to harboring Englishman William Goffe, formerly a general in Oliver Cromwell's army, and a conspirator in the regicide of King Charles I. With the restoration of the crown to King Charles II, there was a price upon Goffe's head, and he fled to the American colonies. Allegedly, he was hidden in a secret room in Pastor Russell's house, emerging in public only in 1675 to defend the colonists. Noted 19th century historian George Sheldon of Deerfield, a contemporary of Chapman's, claimed the event never could have happened. But that hasn't deterred generations of Hadley residents from its retelling. To commemorate the tale, as well as the 200th anniversary of the town of Hadley in 1859, many local people bought copies of "The Perils of Our Forefathers," John C. McCrae's steel engraving of Chapman's painting (originally offered in 1859 at $3.00 for black and white and $8.00 for color). The Library has a copy of the engraving. How and when the original painting came to Forbes is undetermined. Dr. George A. Snook's detailed article about the legend is available in the Hampshire Room. There is also a brochure identifying General Goffe and all the townspeople huddled in Hadley Church - including several people (such as Col. Benjamin Church and Major John Pynchon) who in reality, as Dr. Snook points out, were not there. |
| Creator |
Frederic A. Chapman
|
| Format |
Oil on canvas
|
| Identifier |
ART027
|
| Coverage |
Gallery
|
| Still Image Item Type Metadata | |
|---|---|
| Physical Dimensions |
Frame size:26" x 34.25" x 2.5"
18.75" x 27"
|
Citation
Frederic A. Chapman, “Angel of Hadley, (a.k.a. "The Perils of Our Forefathers"),” Forbes Library Images from the Archives (Legacy site: Pre-2022), accessed November 23, 2024, https://images.forbeslibrary.org/items/show/773.