Christopher Holder

Christopher Holder (c. 1631—post-1676) was an Anglo-American Quaker minister who was persecuted in the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his beliefs.

Early life

Holder was born in Gloucestershire, England.^[1] Not much is known about his childhood. At some point he became a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) and began to spread their message. It is reported that "Christopher Holder in ye year 1665 was sent to ye gayle at Ilchester for speaking to ye priest at Kleinsham Steeplehouse [church] and from them after a while to ye next sessions and so discharged."^[2]

First American journey

Holder went to Boston, Massachusetts, aboard the Speedwell, landing on July 27, 1656. He and seven other passengers were listed with a “Q” (for Quaker) beside their names, because at that time, the Puritans in England and in the English colonies were persecuting Quakers, members of the Religious Society of Friends. The port authorities were alerted to the presence of the Quakers and searched the ship before anyone disembarked. Governor John Endicott ordered that they be brought directly to court. Holder and another member of the group, John Copeland, displayed a thorough knowledge of the Bible and the law as they testified in court.

Holder was put in jail to await the next available ship to take them back to England. While they were still in the jail, Mary Dyer and Anne Burden, two other Friends, arrived in another ship and were arrested on the spot. The authorities in the Massachusetts Bay Colony considered the teachings of the Quakers both heretical and blasphemous. They apparently wanted to put Quakers on alert that they were not welcome there. Eventually Holder and the seven who had come with him were deported to England.

Second American journey

Holder was determined to return to New England and went to George Fox, one of the leaders of the Friends, for help in securing passage on another ship. Holder and Copeland traveled back to Massachusetts together.

This time around, Holder was actually able to preach to people, and many responded favorably. In the town of Sandwich several people became convinced of the truth of the Quaker message and adopted those beliefs and practices themselves. A small band of Friends had already been meeting for a few months when Holder arrived, under the ministry of Nicholas Upsall, a new Friend who was in exile from Boston. Holder and Copeland were jailed for their activities in Sandwich, and the Friends began meeting secretly in a place that was called "Christopher’s Hollow" in Holder’s honor. The hollow is still known by that name.

Holder and Copeland made their way throughout several towns in Massachusetts. Wherever they preached, some people were convinced.

Holder then made his way to Salem and attended a service at the Salem Congregational Church, the very church where Governor Endicott worshiped. Endicott’s men seized Holder and stuffed a glove and a handkerchief down his throat. Another member of the church, Samuel Shattuck, rescued Holder from this treatment. Holder and he were friends from that point on. Holder, Copeland, and Shattuck were put in prison. Shattuck was released on bond. The two visitors were given thirty lashes. After several months in prison, they were released.

Holder’s hosts, Lawrence and Cassandra Burnell Southwick, were put in jail for associating with him. Lawrence was released, because he was a member of the church. Cassandra remained for a few weeks and was then fined for possessing a paper written by the Friends..

On April 16, 1658 Holder and Copeland returned to Sandwich, but were arrested by a delegation sent by Endicott. This time they were given 33 lashes.

On June 3, the two Friends went to Boston, where they were immediately arrested. This time, Holder’s right ear was cut off to punish his "heretical" preaching. A woman named Katherine Scott, the sister of Anne Hutchinson and future mother-in-law of Holder, protested. Because she stood up for Holder and his companion, she was put in prison for two months and given 10 lashes.

In June 1659, two Friends, William Robinson and Marmaduke Stephenson, felt called to go to Massachusetts, although a new law imposed the death penalty on Friends. A young lady named Patience Scott, the future daughter-in-law of Holder, accompanied them, as well as a Friend named Nicholas Davis. They were all thrown in jail, which prompted Mary Dyer to return and protest their treatment. For this action, she was put back in jail.

Dyer was released after her husband wrote a letter to Endicott. On September 12 of that year, all of the Quakers were released from prison and banished, under pain of death. Robinson and Stephenson stayed and continued to preach. They and Holder were put back in prison, prompting three women—Mary Dyer, Hope Clifton, and Holder’s future wife, Mary Scott—to come and visit them and plead for their release. Dyer was arrested yet again for speaking to Holder through the bars of his cell.

Settlement in Rhode Island

Holder eventually moved to Providence, Rhode Island and married Mary Scott on August 12, 1660. She was the daughter of Richard and Katherine (Marbury) Scott and the niece of Anne Hutchinson, who had also run afoul of the Puritan leaders in Massachusetts. With his first wife Holder had two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth. He married a woman named Hope Clifton after his first wife died, and they had seven more children, including Christopher, Jr.

Holder is mentioned in Chapter 18 of George Fox's journal. He died in Rhode Island some time after 1676.

Holder Hall

In 1909, Holder descendant Margaret Olivia Sage (the widow of Russell Sage) donated a dormitory to Princeton University in his memory. The building is a Gothic-style quadrangle located on Nassau Street at the extreme northwest corner of the campus. A tablet with reference to Holder is embedded in the building's facade.

Sources

• History of the Cape Cod Friends
• Speech on Early Cape Cod Friends
• Article on Mary Dyer that mentions Holder
• Biography of Mary Dyer that mentions Holder
• Biography by James Savage
• Scott Family History that mentions Holder
• Article on Lawrence and Cassandra Southwick that mentions Holder
• Chapter 18 of Fox’s journal that mentions Holder

References

1. ^ Biography by James Savage. A privately printed family history — Charles Frederick Holder LL. D.: The Holders of Holderness (Pasadena, CA? 1903), p. 18 — gives his place of birth as "Winterbourne, Alverton County [sic], Gloucestershire, England", but mentions no source for the information.
2. ^ Charles Frederick Holder..., p. 21. The source is given as a transcript of official records in "Sufferings", Vol. 1, which may be a reference to the 3-volume Abstract of the Sufferings... (London, 1733-38) ascribed to Joseph Besse."Kleinsham" has yet to be identified.

Persondata
Name	Holder, Christopher
Alternative names
Short description	Quaker evangelist
Date of birth	c. 1631
Place of birth	Gloucestershire, UK
Date of death	not known
Place of death	not known