Edward Winslow (1595 to 1655)
Congregational Church
A sheaf of firsts for Pilgrim father.
Edward Winslow was born in Worcestershire, England. He joined the Spanish separatist congregation at Leiden, Netherlands in 1617 and sailed for America on the Mayflower in 1620. A man of more substance and education than most of the Pilgrim Fathers, he was quickly accorded a place of leadership among them. When chief Massasoit appeared at Plymouth in March 1621, it was Winslow who negotiated the original treaty with him. Winslow's wife died during the first hard winter in the New World and in May 1621 he married Susanna White, the widowed mother of Peregrine White, the first child born in the colony. Theirs was the first Pilgrim marriage performed in New England. Winslow set up trading posts in Maine, on Cape Ann, and along the Connecticut River, which laid the foundation for the colony's prosperity. He died at sea, sailing to England.
Matthew Henry (1662 to 1714)
Non-Conformist
He commented on almost every Bible verse.
Matthew Henry was born in Broad Oak, Flintshire, England. He was able to read the Bible for himself by age three and made a public profession of faith in Christ at age nine. Trained by his father in family devotions to analyse the Bible, he wrote one of the best-known and best-beloved commentaries of scripture ever penned. Matthew Henry was a Nonconformist, that is, one who did not accept Church of England views.