1737 February 17 (Thursday). Rode to Boston. My mother[1] a still in a measure of Comfort thro’ the Blessing of God. I could not be seasonable for lecture. N.B. At Mr. Increase Sumner’s[2] in the morning. N.B. Capt. Foot[3] and Sister Elizabeth[4] and Mrs. Mary Tilestone took a ride with me in a double Slay at evening to Capt. Robert Sharp’s[5] at Brookline, and Brother Elias[6] came to us upon my Horse, after supper there. At 10 o’clock they returned in the Slay but I tarried. N.B. The discovery of my Inclinations to Capt. Sharp and to Madame. By their urgent Persuasions I tarried and lodged there. N.B. Mrs. Susanna Sharp.[7]
[1]Forbes: Among the Epitaphs on Copp’s Hill is the following: “Here lyes buried the body of Mrs. Elizabeth Parkman, the virtuous and pious consort of Mr. William Parkman, aged 85 years and 7 months, Apr. ye 13th, 1746.”
[2]Forbes: Mr. Increase Sumner was son-in-law of Capt. Robert Sharpe, having married his daughter Sarah, a year or less before this date. She, as well as “Mistress Susanna,” was a cousin of Susannah Boylston, the mother of Pres. John Adams.
Their son Increase, born in 1746, was Governor Increase Sumner of Massachusetts.
[3]Walett: Probably Captain John Foote of Amesbury, Mass.
[4]Walett: Mrs. Elias Parkman.
[5]Forbes: Capt. Robert Sharpe was a prominent citizen of Brookline. He owned all the land from the corner of School and Washington streets on the north side to a line above Park Street extending across Harvard Street to the Longwood Marshes, above the Aspinwall lands and below the present Stearns lands. His house was standing until about thirty years ago, never painted except the window frames, which were white. He was a man of wealth.
Mistress Susanna was born May 29, 1716, — so, was a maid of twenty-one summers at this time. She afterwards married Thomas Snow, of Boston.
Walett: A Prominent and wealthy resident of Brookline.
[6]Walett: Elias Parkman of Boston.
[7]Walett: The daughter of Captain Robert Sharp whose hand in marriage Reverend Parkman was seeking.