A Funeral Sermon

This bound quarto contains John Beach’s Funeral sermon, upon the decease of the Reverend Doct. Samuel Johnson, late president of King's-College, in New-York; Rector of Christ's-Church, at Stratford; missionary from the venerable Society, for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, and member of the same. Who exchanged this life, for immortality, January VIth, 1772, in the 76th year of his age. At Stratford, in Connecticut, New-England . The volume was printed by Thomas and Samuel Green of New Haven, Connecticut in 1772. Funeral sermons appear multiple times in the Copp’s library, perhaps serving as a memento mori , a reminder that all must die, a popular theme among Puritans of the time.

The Copp Collection contains about 150 books of early American imprint and shows a wide range of reading matter typical of a New England Puritan family living in a port town. Literacy was expected of many New Englanders, as Puritan doctrine required everyone to read the Bible. The abundance of multiple Bibles, psalms, hymnodies, sermons, and morality tales reflects the Copp’s religious beliefs. Other highlights of the library include the works of Shakespeare, almanacs, historical and political texts, and travel narratives.

The Copp Collection contains a variety of household objects that the Copp family of Connecticut used from around 1700 until the mid-1800s. Part of the Puritan Great Migration from England to Boston, the family eventually made their home in New London County, Connecticut, where their textiles, clothes, utensils, ceramics, books, bibles, and letters provide a vivid picture of daily life. More of the collection from the Division of Home and Community Life can be viewed by searching accession number 28810.

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