July 19, 1651. John Clarke, Obadiah Holmes and John Crandall arrived in Lynn, MA, and began preaching illegally. Baptists were considered heretics and were banned from Massachusetts. He spent time in the Boston jail after preaching in Lynn. Clarke eventually helped found Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Holmes was severely whipped for his heretical views. A year later he was named pastor of the Newport, RI, Baptist church where he stayed for 30 years. Crandall was imprisoned and whipped, and eventually help found the Baptist church at Westerly, Rl. ABHS has many articles and histories from the Baptist churches in Lynn.
