From Japan to Andover: Joseph Neesima (pt1)
A man of many firsts
Thank you to History Buzz Guest Writer Barbara Bunn for this two-part series on Joseph Hardy Neesima.
Help spread the word about History Buzz by liking, commenting, sharing, and subscribing. Share the Buzz!
The Chandler-Hidden house at 17 Hidden Road had many boarders living with Mary Elizabeth Hidden and her brother David Isaac Hidden. At least one boarder living there had a very interesting story.
Neesima Shimeta
Neesima Shimeta, or Joseph Hardy Neesima as he became known, accomplished many “firsts” throughout his life.
This young man became the first Japanese to travel to Boston and the first Japanese student in Andover. He also became the first Japanese person to receive a bachelor’s degree from a U.S. college, and the first to be ordained as a Christian minister. Another first for Neesima happened in 1889 when Amherst College granted him an honorary doctorate.
From Japan to Andover
Neesima was born in 1843 in Tokyo into the samurai or warrior class. He grew up in the home of a prince where his father served as a steward and also ran a school for boys and girls. At school Neesima developed a love of learning and a desire to travel outside of his country. But unfortunately Japan had closed itself to the rest of the world for over 300 years, which certainly limited Neesima’s opportunity for travel.
As a young student he witnessed the events surrounding the Black Ships of the Commodore Perry Expedition in 1854, which opened the country to trade. However, Japan continued to ban foreign travel for ordinary Japanese citizens. Despite knowing that the penalty for taking a trip outside of Japan was death, Neesima planned his escape from his country.
In 1864, at the age of 21, Neesima secretly left Japan and was smuggled aboard a ship captained by William T. Savory of Salem, Massachusetts, and sailed to Shanghai. Knowing he would be executed if caught, Captain Savory hid Neesima in his stateroom. The captain then secured passage for Neesima from China to the United States aboard the ship Wild Rover commanded by Captain Horace Taylor of Chatham, Massachusetts. The Wild Rover was owned by Alpheus Hardy, a wealthy merchant from Boston.
Neesima learned English while traveling on the Wild Rover, and the captain decided to call him “Joe” instead. He wrote about his adventure in his autobiography, My Younger Years:
I came to the ship Wild Rover. I presented my long sword to the captain requesting him to take me to the United States, and I agreed to work out my passage without pay. So I began to work in his cabin. Not being able to call me by my Japanese name the captain gave me a new name, Joe.”
After a long journey of eight months the Wild Rover reached Boston, where Neesima met Alpheus Hardy. Hardy was immediately impressed with this young man who had risked his life in search of knowledge.
Boston resident Alpheus Hardy, who was a graduate of Phillips Academy and the then chairman of the board of trustees at Phillips Academy, arranged for Neesima to attend the academy. Mr. and Mrs. Hardy became his foster parents and to honor them he gladly took the name of Joseph Hardy Nessima.
Mr. Hardy decided that Neesima would be safer boarding in a home instead of living in the dorms at Phillips Academy. He arranged for Neesima to board with the Hidden Family at 17 Hidden Road.
Mary Hidden wrote that she and her brother David made Neesima a regular member of the family. Mary took Neesima to Sunday School at South Church where he was taught by the McKeen sisters, Phoebe, assistant principal at Abbott Academy, and Philena, the principal at Abbott Academy.
Neesima also met Deacon Edward Taylor, the owner of the Amos Blanchard house who dined at the Hidden home every Thursday. In every letter Neesima wrote to Mary Hidden after he left her home, he asked about Deacon Taylor.
This is part of a letter that Neesima wrote to Mary Hidden in 1876.
Please give my love to your brother David, Deacon Taylor, and your neighbors. I enclose my Japanese cards. When you write to me, please paste it on your letter. Your very grateful friend, Joseph H. Neesima
Another important person in Nessima’s life in Andover was Ephraim Flint Jr., who was also a boarder at the Hidden house. Flint was attending the Andover Theological School and he tutored Neesima in English and mathematics. Neesima and Flint developed a strong friendship and Neesima often visited Mr. Flint and his wife in Hinsdale, Massachusetts where they had settled.
In Andover, the Hiddens and Flints helped Neesima as he built the foundation for his future endeavors. Neemsima made connections with people wherever he went.
North Chatham, Massachusetts
Neesima spent many summers in North Chatham, Massachusetts at the family home of Captain Taylor, the man who commanded the ship Wild Rover. He wrote to Mrs. Hardy about these visits,
“It’s a rather quiet place but I like it more than a noisy city because the quietness of nature leads me to quiet mediation.”
In an expression of gratitude for his patrons, Mr. and Mrs. Alpheus Hardy, Neesima sent Mrs. Hardy a wonderful collection of chrysanthemums from Japan. One of these plants, named after Mrs. Alpheus Hardy, created great interest at the Boston Flower Show in 1888.
Thank you to History Buzz reader James McSweeney for sharing this information about Neesima’s time in North Chatham, Mass!
Part 2 of Barbara Bunn’s series on Joseph Hardy Neesima follows him from Phillips Academy in Andover, to Amherst College in Amherst, Mass., back to Andover to attend the Andover Theological Seminary, and finally back to Japan.
Did you read this story about The Barnstormers theatrical group and costume designer H. Winthrop Peirce? Would you like to know more?
The History Center is hosting a virtual Close Encounter with H. Winthrop Peirce, Thursday, May 20th, at 7pm
Using photos, letters, diaries, objects and clothing from our collection, you’ll “meet” H. Winthrop Peirce, a noted landscape and portrait artist, thespian, and one of the founders of one of Andover's local theater groups, The Barnstormers. You'll see some of his art and costume designs and hear about his plays and his Andover home.
Sadly were he around today Joseph would be horrified that his (and my) alma mater's train has gone completely off the tracks and is now a citadel of political correctness. Pretty soon they'll rename it George Floyd Academy. John Doherty, PA 1959 cl.