Genealogical notes of Barnstable families - citizen hylbom blog

OENEALOmCAL NOTES OF BARNSTABLE FAMILIES. 171
Lothrop," not however in the list if those educated at that univer-
sity. Mr. Savage, who has given much attention to the subject,
and has personally examined the records of several of the colleges,
says tradition is the authority for the statement that Mr.
Lothrop was educated at Oxford. Deane, in his history of Scituate,
states that Mr. Lothrop was educated at Oxford. He relied
on Dr. Lothrop as his authority, who evidently mistakes the
meaning of the passage in Wood's Fasti.*
The ancestor of the family wrote his name John Lothropp.
All his sons omitted the final p. His son Samuel sometimes
wrote his name Lathrop, and many of his descendants in Connecticut
and Western Massachusetts so spell the name. In the
records we find the name written Lathropp, Lothrop, Lathrop,
Laythrope, and Lawthrop. In Wood's Fasti the name is written
Lathrop and Lowthrope-f Calamy, Neal, Crosley, Winthrop and
Prince, write the name Lathrop. The name indicates that the
family belong to an old English stock. La is Saxon, Lo is English,
and both have the same meaning ; that is, look, see, behold,
observe. Shakespeare and other old writers use the word in both
forms. In the Bible it is written lo, thus : "Lo, here is Christ,"
Matthew xxiv ; "Lo, we turn to the Gentiles," Acts, xiii ; and
by Pope, "Lo, the poor Indian." Throp or thrope is the Saxon
word for village or town, and the compound word Lothrop means
see the village. Surnames were originally discriptive terms.
The first who took the name of Lothrop probably resided at a
place from whence sonfe town or %tliage coul|l be seen.
After Mr. Lothrop had graduated from his College he took
boly orders, and was settled in the ministry at Egerton, in the
County of Kent, about fifteen miles from the city of London. He
was married as early as 1620, and it is probable that he had been
ordained at least five years when he renounced holy orders, and
separated himself from the church of England.
In 1624 Mr. Lothrop removed to London, and was chosen
the successor of the Rev. Henry Jacob, the first pastor of the first
Independent or Congregationalist Society in London. Wood,
speaking of Mr. Jacob, says he "was a Kentish man, born in
1563, entered a commoner in Saint Maries Hall 1579, aged 16 ;
took the degree in arts and holy orders, and became beneflcied in
his own country, He was a person most excellently well read in
theological authors, but withal a most zealous puritan ; or, as his
son Henry used to say, the first Independent in England." The
historian adds, ''Ilenry Jacob, educated in the low countries
under Thomas Erpenius, the famous critick, vras actually created
*I feel confident, ufter a carefnl examination of the authorities on which Dr. Lothrop
and Rev. Mr. Deane relied, that the Rev. John Lothrop, of Barnstable, was not educated
at Oxford. Christ's College, Cambridge was probably his alma mater.
fDr. Lothrop says Lathrop. I find the name also written by "Wood, Laythrope.