{"id":119873,"date":"2026-09-01T18:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T16:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/?p=119873"},"modified":"2026-09-01T11:28:20","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T09:28:20","slug":"four-angels-old-north-church","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/four-angels-old-north-church\/","title":{"rendered":"How Four Angels Seized From a French Ship Ended Up in Paul Revere\u2019s Church"},"content":{"rendered":"<style>img#mv-trellis-img-1::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-1{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-2::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-2{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-3::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-3{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-4::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-4{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-5::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-5{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-6::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-6{display:block;}img#mv-trellis-img-7::before{padding-top:56.25%; }img#mv-trellis-img-7{display:block;}<\/style>\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">High above the floor of Boston&rsquo;s Old North Church, four carved angels stand near the organ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Their journey to that gallery, however, wasn&rsquo;t exactly peaceful. They arrived as wartime spoils in 1746, after a colonial privateer captured a French vessel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Twenty-nine years later, two lanterns would turn the same church into a landmark of the American Revolution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Four Bright Figures Above the Organ<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119927\" srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20576'%3E%3Crect%20width='1024'%20height='576'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119927 lazyload\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-1\" data-src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-1024x576.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/brass-trumpet-statue.png 1200w\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/\">&copy; Angelynum<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">The angels stand on the gallery railing beside the pipe organ, each about two feet tall. Their bright robes and lively poses give them that classic Baroque sense of movement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">All four figures originally held trumpets. By the twenty-first century, two instruments had gone missing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">The organ they&rsquo;re paired with today wasn&rsquo;t even there when they arrived&mdash;it dates to 1759, about thirteen years later&mdash;so the angels clearly weren&rsquo;t made for the instrument visitors see now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Church records show they were already in place by June 1746.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. They Were Old Before Old North Was Built<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119928\" srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20576'%3E%3Crect%20width='1024'%20height='576'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119928 lazyload\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-2\" data-src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-1024x576.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/limewood-carving-workshop.png 1200w\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/\">&copy; Angelynum<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Old North Church was built in 1723, but the angels themselves seem to go back to the 1620s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Conservators think they were likely carved somewhere in what&rsquo;s now Belgium. If that&rsquo;s right, they&rsquo;re about a hundred years older than the Boston church they eventually ended up in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Almost everything about their first hundred years is missing.&nbsp;The maker is unknown, and there&rsquo;s no record of the building they may have originally belonged to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Their rich coloring fits the Baroque religious art of Catholic Europe, but style alone can only tell us so much.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By the 1740s, the figures had made their way into French hands. How that happened isn&rsquo;t recorded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. The Famous Quebec Story Has a Gap<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119929\" srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20576'%3E%3Crect%20width='1024'%20height='576'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119929 lazyload\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-3\" data-src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-1024x576.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/unmarked-cargo-ship.png 1200w\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/\">&copy; Angelynum<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">The version often told in Boston gives the angels a clear destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">The story goes that a French ship was carrying them to a Catholic church in Quebec when an English colonial vessel intercepted it. Some versions even say a convent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">But the 1746 vestry record is a lot more restrained. It just says the figures were taken by the privateer <em>Queen of Hungary<\/em>, and doesn&rsquo;t name the ship they came from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Quebec isn&rsquo;t mentioned at all, and neither is any Catholic destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">It&rsquo;s possible they really were headed for New France&mdash;ships like that were regularly moving along the coast. But the church&rsquo;s own research treats the Quebec story as oral tradition, not fact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">It might preserve a real detail, or it might have grown over time in a Protestant community that already had strong suspicions about Catholic France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The truth is, we just don&rsquo;t know where they were going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. War Made Enemy Cargo Fair Game<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119930\" srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20576'%3E%3Crect%20width='1024'%20height='576'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119930 lazyload\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-4\" data-src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-1024x576.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/privateer-ship-sea.png 1200w\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/\">&copy; Angelynum<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">The seizure happened during King George&rsquo;s War, the North American phase of a larger conflict between Britain and France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">In 1746, just flying the wrong flag could turn a normal trading trip into a target.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Thomas Gruchy was a privateer. Calling him a &ldquo;legal pirate&rdquo; gets at the violence of it, even if it skips over how organized the system was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">A privateer was basically a privately funded armed ship working with government permission. A letter of marque set the limits of where it could operate and whose ships it could attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Once a ship was captured, the ship and its cargo were treated as prizes. After the courts sorted things out, the money was split based on the agreement behind the voyage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Investors were in it for profit, and the captain and crew each got their cut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the point of view of a ship being boarded, the line between privateering and piracy probably didn&rsquo;t feel very clear. The only real difference was official permission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. The Captain Shared His Prize With His Church<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119931\" srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20576'%3E%3Crect%20width='1024'%20height='576'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119931 lazyload\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-5\" data-src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-1024x576.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/vestry-ledger-documentation.png 1200w\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/\">&copy; Angelynum<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Gruchy had bought pew number 25 at Old North in 1741, and by March 1746 he was part of the vestry, which meant he was now involved in running church affairs alongside other lay members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">He also captained the brigantine <em>Queen of Hungary<\/em> and owned one of its sixteen shares. Other members of the congregation had money in the ship too, including two churchwardens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Privateering like this was pretty common in the same merchant circles that supported Christ Church, the church&rsquo;s official name.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">On June 16, 1746, the vestry wrote down a gift from Gruchy and four other owners. They donated &ldquo;4 Cherubims&rdquo; and two glass light fixtures that had been taken by their ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">The church decided to hang the glass pieces in the main part of the building and put the figures up on the organ loft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">That record is really the key piece of the story. It shows the angels got to Old North through a group of investors, with Gruchy as the captain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But it doesn&rsquo;t say anything about how the capture actually happened, and it never names the French ship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Twenty-Nine Years Before the Lanterns<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119932\" srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20576'%3E%3Crect%20width='1024'%20height='576'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119932 lazyload\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-6\" data-src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-1024x576.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/lanterns-church-tower.png 1200w\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/\">&copy; Angelynum<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">For almost thirty years, the angels stood above church services with no real connection to Paul Revere. That changed on April 18, 1775, when British troops were getting ready to move toward Lexington and Concord.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Revere had set up a lantern signal with Patriots across the Charles River. One lantern meant the troops were coming by land; two meant they were crossing by water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">That night, Robert Newman and John Pulling climbed the Old North Church tower and briefly held up two lanterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">People watching from Charlestown saw the signal and passed the warning along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Revere himself crossed the river separately and then rode out on horseback. He had helped plan the signal for people waiting outside Boston.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Calling Old North &ldquo;Paul Revere&rsquo;s church&rdquo; fits its role in the story, but it can be a bit misleading. It doesn&rsquo;t mean he owned the church or regularly worshipped there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At the time, the congregation was part of the Church of England, and today it&rsquo;s Episcopal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">7. New Trumpets, Old Uncertainties<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-1024x576.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119933\" srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration.png 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\"><\/noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg'%20viewBox='0%200%201024%20576'%3E%3Crect%20width='1024'%20height='576'%20style='fill:%23e3e3e3'\/%3E%3C\/svg%3E\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-119933 lazyload\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 760px) calc(100vw - 40px), 728px\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration.png\" id=\"mv-trellis-img-7\" data-src=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-1024x576.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-18x10.png 18w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-728x410.png 728w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-480x270.png 480w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-960x540.png 960w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration-1080x608.png 1080w, https:\/\/angelynum.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/wood-fragment-restoration.png 1200w\" data-trellis-processed=\"1\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/\">&copy; Angelynum<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">The angels left their gallery again in September 2023, this time for conservation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Specialists cleaned the painted surfaces and fixed small areas of damage. One figure was in rough shape, with an old crack that nearly split it in half.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">New trumpets were made for the two angels that had lost theirs, then painted to match the originals. The goal was to stabilize the figures, not make them look brand new.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Even with the repairs, there&rsquo;s still no way to identify the maker or figure out which French ship originally carried them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">There&rsquo;s also a story that Gruchy was tied to smuggling tunnels under Boston&rsquo;s North End.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"isSelectedEnd wp-block-paragraph\">Old North&rsquo;s research hasn&rsquo;t found any evidence he used them for that. In fact, archaeologists think some of those tunnels may have been there long before he ever arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The angels went back up to the gallery in December 2023. Their trumpets now point outward beside the organ, and the old vestry record is still the clearest account we have of how they ended up in Boston.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>High above the floor of Boston&rsquo;s Old North Church, four carved angels stand near the organ. Their journey to that gallery, however, wasn&rsquo;t exactly peaceful. &hellip;<\/p>","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":119953,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"syndication_tool_enabled":true,"syndication_tool_title":"","syndication_tool_excerpt":"","syndication_tool_featured_image":0,"syndication_tool_publish_date":"","syndication_tool_schema_types":["article"],"syndication_tool_backlink_enable":false,"syndication_tool_ai_disclosure_enable":false,"disable-in-feed":false,"article-schema-type":"Article","disable-critical-css":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[208],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119873","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-history"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119873","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119873"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119873\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":121842,"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119873\/revisions\/121842"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119953"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119873"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119873"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/angelynum.com\/ja\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119873"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}