Overview
Papers of Unitarian minister and doctor, Amory Gale, including sermons, correspondence, medical and scientific writings, and personal artifacts. The papers span 1823-1861.
Dates
- Creation: 1823-1861.
Access
There are no restrictions on access to this collection.
Extent
4 boxesThis collection is divided into four series. Series I consists of Gale's sermons and they are listed alphabetically by title, or by first line if no title is given. Many of the sermons were delivered in more than one location and on more than one date, and those dates and locations are usually noted on the sermon. The date that appears on each sermon in the list below is the last date noted on that sermon. Series II contains letters written to Gale, arranged alphabetically by correspondent. Series III is comprised of medical and scientific writings, mostly by Gale, but some published texts by other authors are also included. Series IV consists of Gale's personal artifacts, such as his eyeglasses and wallet.
Biographical / Historical
Reverend Amory Gale (1800-1873) was born in Warwick, Massachusetts. He received a doctor of medicine degree from Brown University in 1824. He practiced medicine and gave lectures on scientific subjects in Barre, Massachusetts; Amherst, New Hampshire; and South Scituate, Massachusetts. In South Scituate, he studied with the Rev. Samuel J. May, who was pastor of the local Unitarian church. Gale was ordained as an evangelist in Kingston, Massachusetts, and he served congregations in East Bridgewater and Pembroke, Massachusetts, and Southington, Connecticut. He became pastor of the Unitarian church in Norton, Massachusetts, and was there for four years. He was preparing for a new post in Barnstable, Massachusetts, when he fell ill and had to retire from the ministry. He resumed the practice of medicine as a homoeopathist and established a large practice in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. In 1853, he retired to East Medway, Massachusetts, where he spent the remainder of his life.
Arrangement
Organized into the following series:
- Series I. Sermons
- Series II. Correspondence
- Series III. Medical and scientific writings
- Series IV. Personal artifacts
Acquisition Information
Gift of William F. Abbott, Jr., November 2006.
General note
The number after the slash in each entry in the following list indicates the box number, and the number in parentheses is the folder number.
- Title
- Gale, Amory. Papers, 1823-1861: A Finding Aid.
- Author
- Andover-Harvard Theological Library
- Language of description
- und
- EAD ID
- div00684
Repository Details
Part of the Harvard Divinity School Library, Harvard University Repository
Special Collections at Harvard Divinity School Library preserves and makes accessible primary source materials documenting the history of religion and theology, with particular historical emphasis on American liberal religious traditions. Though the historical strengths of the collections have been in the field of Christianity, other religious traditions are increasingly reflected, in step with Harvard Divinity School's evolving focus on global religious studies. Known as Andover-Harvard Theological Library since 1911, it was renamed the Harvard Divinity School Library in 2021.
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