JOHN HARVARD.

II.

It is interesting to note the various spellings, resulting largely from ignorance or carelessness, of the founder's name. Some of them have prieviously been mentioned: - "Harvye," "Harverde," and "Harvard." In the wills and other documents relating to them are found references to "Mrs. Harverd, als Harvey, wife of Mr. Thomas Hervard, als Harvey," and to "Richard Harverd als Harvy," and again to "Robert Harvy, als Harverde." Still other forms are "Harwar," "Harward" and "Haward." The last and perhaps the worst indignity to the name that the writer will mention, is found in a paper which contains a reference to property received by John and Johanna Man from John and Anna Harvard. On leaving England John Harvard and his wife sold what property they had in Southwark. The paper, mentioned above, was John Man's will. In it he speaks of "four houses or Tenements with the appurtenances thereunto belonging, scituate in Bermondsey streete in the parish of St. Olave in Southwarke and County aforesaid which I purchased of one - Harbert."

The CRIMSON can hardly afford space for the publishing of all the wills and other documents that bear upon John Harvard's history. Of them all, however, probably the most interesting and the most valuable is that of Mrs. Harvard, or more properly, of Mrs. Katherine Rogers (Harvard) (Elletson) Yearwood. She makes reference to "my eldest sonne John Harvard Clarke," and to property received from her former husband, John Elletson. These references with her name, as it appears at the end, give indisputable evidence of her three marriages. The following, the closing sentences of the will, is represented here as accurately as the type will permit.

"The residue of all and singular my good Chattels and psonall estate after my debts payed and funeralls discharged I give and bequeath unto my sonnes John Hervard and Thomas Hervard equally to be devided between them In witness whereof I have unto every sheete being seaven in number put to my hand and have sealed the same this second daye of Julie in the eleaventh yeare of the reigne of our Souaigne Lord Charles by the grace of God of England Scotland ffrance and Ireland King Defender of the faith &c. Annoq Dni 1635. The marke of

Catherine Yarwood" -The Harvard wills are all very interesting reading, both because they bear upon the life of John Harvard, and because they show the manner of wills at the time and the condition of the language, or at least the condition of those using the language. All the important wills are printed in full in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register for July, 1885. Those interested enough for further study in the matter will do well to refer to the article there on "John Harvard and his Ancestry," and to the Nation for July 2, 1885. President Eliot's address last Commencement was largely on the same subject. The following extract from that address will serve as a good closing to this article.

"In the twelve years from 1625 to 1637, John Harvard had lost his father, two step-fathers, his mother and two brothers, and almost the whole family property had fallen to him. He appears to have been the only scholar in the family, although his brother Thomas seems to have signed his name to his will. His father and mother both made their marks. The whole family connection were tradespeople, but his mother by her marriage came into possession of property enough to give a college education to her oldest son. The education of that one delicate youth has had far reaching consequences."

"Harvard was founded by the General Court of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay and first endowed by an educated son of pious London tradespeople. When I had read these Harvard wills I asked myself how closely the college is bound - after 250 years - to the sort of people who established it. I went to the admission books in which the occupations of parents of students are recorded, and found to my great satisfaction that more than a quarter part of its students are to-day sons of tradesmen, shopkeepers, mechanics, salesmen, foremen, laborers and farmers. I found sons of butchers, coopers, grocers and clothworkers - the Harvard trades - on the roll of its students today. May no restrictive policy or spirit ever separate the university which bears John Harvard's name from that laborious, frugal, self-respecting part of the community to which he and his belonged."