Editing Jeremy Belknap (section)

==Early life==
Belknap was born in [[Boston]], [[Province of Massachusetts Bay]], the son of a [[Tanning (leather)|tanner]]. His uncle was [[Mather Byles]], one of New England's intellectual leaders. Belknap was baptized by the historian [[Thomas Prince (historian)|Thomas Prince]], another leading figure of 18th-century [[New England]]. He was educated at the [[Boston Latin School]] and [[Harvard College]], where he graduated in 1762. In 1764 he moved to [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire]], where he "kept the school" and studied theology with Samuel Haven (Harvard College class of 1749). In 1767 he began his ministry in [[Dover, New Hampshire]], where he would spend twenty years at the [[Congregational church|Congregational Church]].<ref>{{cite EB1911|wstitle=Belknap, Jeremy}}</ref> He also married that year and acquired a house in Dover.

After the [[Battles of Lexington and Concord|Battle of Lexington]] in 1775 some units of the [[New Hampshire Militia|Dover militia]] were called out to support the [[Siege of Boston]]. Belknap accompanied them and remained through the next winter as chaplain to the New Hampshire troops involved with the siege.