January 7, 1754

1754 January 7 (Monday).  I made a Visit to my old Neighbour and Friend Captain Maynard to acquaint him with what I had done with Mr. Abraham Smith and take his Advice.  Seeing likewise when I parted with Mr. Smith and saw how lost his Wife was, I told him that if I could do better, and his Wife should grow no easier, I Should still desire to throw up; I therefore relating the matter to Captain Maynard, ask’d both him and his Son whether they would b[u]y my whole (old) place, in Case Smith would release the Bargain; but they declin’d it, but especially refused the House.  Captain Wood[1] of Hopkinton brought a Letter from Mr. Barret[2] requesting me to assist there at a Fast by reason of the malignant Fever, which exceedingly rages and proves very mortal in Holliston, and begins to rage in Hopkinton.  N.B. Ten lay dead in Holliston last Friday.  Mrs. Prentice[3] was bury’d on Saturday last, but Mr. Prentice is recovering.  For want of Help, So many being Sick and Dead, they draw some Corps to their Graves on Sleds.[4]  N.B. Mr. Griffin here.

[1]John Wood,

[2]The Reverend Samuel Barrett of Hopkinton.

[3]Mary, the wife of the Reverend Joshua Prentiss of Holliston. This town was very hard hit in this epidemic, and Prentiss wrote an account of the sickness there.  See Mass. Hist. Soc. Collections, 1st Ser., III, 18-20.

[4]Modern authorities regard this as another outbreak of diphtheria, which was a problem in various parts of New Hampshire and Massachusetts.  See John Duffy, Epidemics in Colonial America (Baton Rouge, [1953]), pp. 125-126.