Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Scottow, Joshua
SCOTTOW, JOSHUA (1618–1693), colonist, seems to have come of a Suffolk family, and to have been born in England in 1618. He went out to Massachusetts with his widowed mother, Thomasina Scottow, about 1634. He was admitted a member of the ‘old church’ at Boston on 19 March 1639, and allotted building land at Muddy River, or Brookline, the same year; he also owned property at Scarborough (in Maine). He became a shipowner and merchant of repute in Boston. His name (usually with ‘captain’ prefixed) frequently occurs in connection with municipal matters. In 1665 he was summoned, along with the governor and company of Massachusetts, in respect of some injury done to the ship Oleron. He was a pillar of his church, and prominent in its meetings for prayer. Sewall records ‘a brave shower of rain while Captain Scottow was praying after much drought.’ He died on 20 Jan. 1693 (Sewall, Diary).
Scottow married about 1643, and apparently his wife and four children survived him. One of his daughters married Thomas Savage, from whom descended James Savage (1767–1845) [q. v.], the antiquary.
Scottow was the author of some rare pamphlets: 1. ‘Old Men's Tears for their own Declensions mixed with fears of their and posterities further falling off from New England's Primitive Constitution. Published by some of Boston's old Planters and some other,’ Boston, 1691; in this he directly attributes the losses of New England by disease and Indian raids to visitation for the sins of the public. 2. ‘A Narrative of the Planting of the Massachusetts Colony, anno 1628, with the Lord's signal presence the first thirty years,’ Boston, 1694; reprinted in ‘Massachusetts Historical Records’ (4th ser. iv. 279 sq.).
[Collections of Massachusetts Historical Society, especially 2nd ser. iv. 100, 4th ser. viii. 631, and note.]