Samuel Spring

Rev. Samuel Spring (1746–1819) was an early American Revolutionary War chaplain and Congregationalist minister.

Early life and education Spring was born in Uxbridge in the Massachusetts Colony on February 27, 1746. His father was John Spring (1706–1794), a militia man and local wealthy farmer, and his mother was Sarah Read (1716–1800). He was a great-great grandson of John Spring, a Founder and early settler of Watertown, Massachusetts, who travelled to America under the patronage of his cousin Sir William Spring, 1st Baronet, and was the great-grandson of John Spring of Lavenham and the great-great grandson of Thomas Spring of Lavenham. John later commanded the company of militia from Uxbridge in the American Revolution. His father was the town's moderator, selectman, and surveyor of highways, but lacked even a rudimentary education. Sarah, Samuel's mother, remained determined that he would have the best education possible. He was a founder of the Massachusetts Missionary Society in 1779 and of the Andover Theological Seminary in 1808. He was very influential in a fundamentalist wing of the Congregational Church and many of his sermons and discourses were printed and widely disseminated. John Quincy Adams was one of many who disagreed with Spring's teachings; Adams wrote that Spring's views were "extremely contracted and illiberal" and that he had the "enthusiasm of a bigot". Spring maintained contacts with Uxbridge.

He and his wife had 11 children, although several died young: Margaret Stoddard Spring was born April 26, 1783. In August 1807 she married Bezaleel Taft, Jr., a politician from Uxbridge. She died on July 25, 1816, and her widower married her cousin Hannah Spring. Lewis Spring was born October 20, 1793, and was lost at sea in 1815. Mary Spring was born November 12, 1795, and died August 30, 1796. Pickney Spring was born July 19, 1798, and died in 1820. Charles A. Spring was born July 25, 1800, and married Dorothy B. Norton. He became an influential figure in Presbyterianism in Illinois and Iowa. Captain John Hopkins Spring was born September 21, 1802, married Sarah Ann Rand, and had 6 children.

Samuel Spring died March 4, 1819, in Newburyport.

Works Sermon to the Massachusetts Missionary Society 1802 Moral Disquisitions 1815