Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. – Mathew Chapter 9, verse 5
Of all the important Puritan forbearers of 17th century New England, none is more undeservingly unknown than Roger Conant. Or if he is known, no one is more unjustly misunderstood in the popular imagination.
A kind man, he was the first Englishman to bring to North America the virtues that became the bedrock of our great democratic experiment: Patience, Humility, Tolerance, Compromise and Civil Discourse.
Never heard of Roger Conant? Not surprising but odds are you are familiar with his statue in front of the Salem Massachusetts Witch Museum.
Take a closer look…
Ah yes, Salem Massachusetts, infamous for the witch trials of February 1692-May 1693. This statue, with with the broad hat and flowing robes must be of a witch, or if he isn’t a witch, he looks like the tyrant that persecuted them in the very least. And there is the great injustice. Roger Conant, who founded Salem in 1626 was never a witch, never persecuted anyone and died long before the Salem witch trials. Nevertheless, every Halloween when television crews descend to Salem Massachusetts for stock footage of the city’s annual macabre festivities Roger Conant’s statue is always featured to capture the spirit of the moment.
Born in a quaint and beautiful village with the charming name of East Budleigh in Devonshire on April 9, 1592, young Roger initially found work in London as a drysalter. Roger Conant and his wife Sarah Horton later joined the second wave of Puritan settlers arriving in Plymouth Massachusetts around 1624 aboard the Charity .
Plymouth’s colonists, under pressure from starvation and uncertain leadership gave in to fear and that fear lead to fanaticism and intolerance. The slightest offense was punished with beatings, the most infamous being when John Oldham was compelled to run a gauntlet of his fellow Plymouth neighbors hitting him with their muskets. Roger Conant, much like his philosophical fellow traveler Roger Williams, found the fanatical intolerance of his fellow Puritans distasteful. Like Roger Williams, he chose not to add to the civil strive by confrontation but instead left to start a new colony built on peace and nonviolence. For Roger Conant, it was a move north along the shore to Nantasket and Cape Ann. There he and his fellow settlers found a community based on civil cooperation, not confrontation. It also was where everyone was free to worship as they pleased.
A short time later Roger Conant was supplanted as governor by John Endicott. Unlike others, Roger Conant did not seek power for his own ends and in an example of humility, he stepped aside without protest for John Endicott. It was here that Roger gifted the future United States with an example of the peaceful transfer of power and of public service guided by a humble desire to serve and not be served.
Misery is always seeking company and the unhappy people of Plymouth were not content to let the Cape Anne settlers enjoy their peace and contentment. In 1625, a conflict with the fishermen of Cape Anne was instigated to provide justification for an expedition lead by Captain Miles Standish to bring the wayward settlers under heel. Defending his community from the violence of Miles Standish was Roger Conant’s greatest test.
It takes courage to stand in front of one angry armed man. It’s takes even more courage to place one’s self between two angry and nervous armed groups looking for a confrontation. Yet, that is exactly what Roger Conant did. Not giving in to fear, he choose not to get caught up with the moment and join in the violence. Roger courageously placed himself, unarmed, between the groups and negotiated a peaceful solution. This moment is captured in a beautiful new painting “Blessed are the Peacemakers” by English artist John Washington.
Roger Conant’s courageous stand successfully defused the situation. In doing so, he set the example of settling political disputes with patience, peace, cooperation and non-violence. This painting, sponsored by the the village of East Budleigh in honor of his 400th anniversary of his journey to America, is a far more fitting tribute to Roger Conant than his statue in Plymouth.
Much was uncertain in the English colonies of North America in the early days of the 17th century. Would they survive? If they did survive, how would they be governed? Would they fall into tyranny and fanaticism? It was no sure thing but the roots of the best of what became the United States have their beginnings with courageous and farsighted men and women like Roger Conant. He gave the fledgling country to be the sturdy foundation of Patience, Humility, Tolerance, Compromise and Civil Discourse. His spirit lives on today in our democracy.
Postscript: I would like to thank Mr. John Washington for his gracious permission to use the image of his painting “Blessed are the Peacemakers” for this blog post. All rights are of course otherwise retained by the artist. Please visit his website and consider purchasing a copy of this painting for your home and office. Studying the painting, I have noticed the dark and stormy clouds above the hot tempered Miles Standish. A very nice touch.
https://www.johnwashingtonartist.com/I would also like to thank Mr. Michael Downes of East Budleigh Devonshire, United Kingdom for honoring Roger Conant. His blog is found here and is a great and enjoyable read for historians.
https://conant400.blogspot.com/
Lastly, it has been a pleasure for me to discover East Budleigh, the birthplace of Roger Conant. The “Blessed are the Peacemakers ” painting will be displayed in a place of honor in All Saints Church in East Budleigh. It looks like a beautiful village and I will be sure to visit when I am touring in England.
https://www.eastbudleigh.org/memories.htm
Lastly on a more personal note, I am blessed with wonderful ancestors and Roger Conant, who is an ancestor of my father, is no exception. My daughter Rachel who lives in Salem Massachusetts will wave to Grandad Roger when she walks by his statue.
Augustines Alley 