John Harvard

The most famous of the emigrants to the United States from Southwark is undoubtedly John Harvard, founder of Harvard University. Another famous emigrant was William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania in 1682, who emigrated on 'The Welcome'.

John Harvard was born into a prosperous Southwark family in 1607. His father, Robert, owned a butchers shop near Southwark Cathedral and The Queen's Head Inn, Borough High Street. It was one of the many coaching inns in the area, similar to The George Inn.

The family had lived in the area for at least a century. Robert's second wife was Katherine Rogers, daughter of Thomas Rogers, an alderman of Stratford-on-Avon. With the Stratford connection and the Harvard family living so close to Shakespeare's Globe Theatre it is possible that the Harvard and Shakespeare families were well aquainted.

The Harvard family was hit grievously by an outbreak of plague in 1625, John’s father and four brothers and sisters all died. His mother died in 1635 bequeathing John the inn, a half share of a property on Tower Hill and £250. In 1637 Thomas, his only surviving brother, died leaving him £100 and a silver bowl and chest. It was that summer that John, and his wife Anne, left for Boston, arriving on 26th June.

John soon became an important member of the local community but unfortunately lived only one more year before dying of consumption at the age of 30. He had taken over 400 books to America and took an interest in the founding of a college. In his will he left half of his estate to "the erecting of a college and all his library". Harvard College, now University, was born.

John Harvard is still remembered in Southwark. Southwark Cathedral contains the Harvard Memorial Chapel whilst Southwark Council has named a library in his honour, on Borough High Street, not far from his old home. The Local Studies Library shares the same building.