Phillips Brooks (1835 - 1893)

Author of the Christmas carol -- O Little Town of Bethlehem

Phillips Broooks Pg1a.jpg (48624 bytes) Phillips Brooks Pgs 2&3a.jpg (108173 bytes)

TRANSCRIPTION

175 Marlborough Street
Boston¹

December 15, 1879

Dear Mr. Hale,
            I am afraid that I must give you a bit of trouble. Some weeks ago this enclosed letter² came to Boston directed to "The Episcopalian Minister of Boston." The Postmaster sent it to me-- as if I was a Bishop!
            I made some inquiries about the person referenced to and I found that one of the same name and apparently the same person was in the employ of Messrs. Lee and Shepherd. I heard also that this Mr. Graham Dickinson was a friend and beneficiary of yours.
            Then I thought my way was clear. Knowing that you have nothing to do, I send this know note to you, asking you to read it and tell me whether there is anything to be done about it. Or better still, do whatever ought to be done yourself.
                You understand I know nothing whatever of the writer or of any of the parties concerned. The note was not even addressed to me, but reached me in the way I described.
                I shall thank you very much for your kind attention and am always,

Sincerely Yours,

Phillips Brooks

1) This was the address of the rectory (Brook's residence).

Map of 175 Marlborough St
Boston, MA 02116-1824

2) The precise contents of the "enclosed letter" Brooks refers to are unknown. The letter is presumed lost.

3) At the time Brooks wrote this letter he was Rector of Boston's Trinity Church located at 206 Clarendon Street, just a few streets south of the rectory.

Map of 206 Clarendon St
Boston, MA 02116-3722

The following letter was written by Brooks January 10, 1877 to J. Harris Reed, Esq.

TRANSCRIPTION

175 Marlborough Street
Boston⁴

Jan[uar]y 10, 1877⁵

My dear sir,
            I am very sorry to find that I cannot have the pleasure of attending the
Alpha Delta Phi⁶ dinner--but I have an engagement for the evening of the 17th
which will not allow me to be with you.
            I am very sincerely yours,
            Phillips Brooks
J. Harris Reed⁷, Esq.

NOTES:

4. This is the same addresses and stationery used in 1879 letter above.

5. As with all dated correspondence written close to the first of any year, the year could be erroneous--
in this case Brooks may have intended 1878--but at this time, there is no evidence that 1877 is inaccurate.

6. The Alpha Delta Phi was founded as a literary society by Samuel Eells in 1832 at Hamilton College in New York state.

7. J. Harris Reed, apparently a member of Alpha Delta Phi, is unknown.

8. Dr. S. J. Mixter, photographer (Nothing more is known about him)

9. Trinity Church is on Clarendon Street.

(This 1877 letter was graciously donated by Christina Lunetta.)

This photo of Brooks was made by Dr. S. J. Mixter⁸. The caption reads: "The Right Reverend Phillips Brooks. One of the last and best photographs of the Bishop showing him in the library of his house in Clarendon Street⁹.

(Source: Uncertain, but believed to be from an issue of The Etude)

Donated by The Monmouth County Historical Association, Freehold, NJ. (1-7-2008)

ABOUT THE WRITER

Phillips Brooks (1835-1893) was born in Boston, MA, the son of William Gray Brooks and Mary Ann Phillips. He graduated from Harvard in 1855 and served a short stint as a teacher at the Boston Latin School. Finding teaching not to his liking, he went to Virginia and prepared for the ministry at the Alexandria Seminary. In 1860, he was ordained a priest and two years later became Rector of the Church of the Holy Trinity, in Philadelphia. It was while he was in Philadelphia that he took a leave of absence for one year. He toured Europe and the Holy Land. During Christmas week, Brooks visited the traditional site near Bethlehem where shepherds are said to have seen angels announcing the birth of Christ. He was very moved by this experience and when he returned home, he wrote the words to the famous Christmas carol, O Little Town of Bethlehem. From 1869 to 1891, Brooks was Rector of Trinity Church, Boston. He was in his tenth year of service there when he wrote the letter above. In 1891, he was consecrated as Bishop of Massachusetts. He had great influence upon the spiritual life of Harvard University and its students.

Rev. 02/1/08

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