John Wheelwright was an English Puritan clergyman whose theological convictions and contentious nature placed him at the center of early colonial New England's most significant religious disputes. Born in Lincolnshire, England, around 1592, Wheelwright was educated at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, and ordained in 1619. After being removed from his post as vicar of Bilsby for simony, he emigrated to New England in 1636, where he quickly became embroiled in the theological storm known as the Antinomian Controversy.\n\nAlongside his relative Anne Hutchinson, Wheelwright clashed with the religious and political leadership of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, accusing the majority of local ministers of preaching a "covenant of works" rather than a "covenant of grace." This defiance led to his banishment from the colony in 1637. Braving a harsh winter, Wheelwright led a group of followers north to establish the settlement of Exeter in 1638, in what would later become New Hampshire. When Massachusetts extended its jurisdiction over Exeter, he relocated further east to Wells, Maine.\n\nWheelwright's banishment was eventually retracted, and he secured a full vindication from the Massachusetts Court in 1654. He spent the mid-1650s back in England, where he associated with powerful figures of the Interregnum, including Oliver Cromwell and Sir Henry Vane. Following the Restoration of the monarchy, he returned to Massachusetts, serving as a minister in Salisbury until his death in 1679. Though remembered as an unbending and contentious figure, he was also widely respected for his piety, energy, and courage.
