Month: August 1724

1724 August 1 (Saturday).  I prepar’d for the Sabbath.  Mr. John Prat came to Me concerning my Hay.  He had bargain’d with me to take it by the Halves.  But his Business now was to tell me that he had found that was like to be but about 7 Loads and he thought I had better profit all for my own Spending.  He said he had got Two loads of it in Cock for me.  I Should be welcome to his Labour therein and he would help Me in Mowing another Day if I could procure him Company.  I was very thankful to his kind Disposition and determin’d to accept.  About nine this Evening we had an Alarm all over Town but heard no Cause.

1724 August 2 (Sunday).  I preach’d all Day.  My Text:  Acts 2.37.38.

1724 August 3 (Monday).  Rainy Weather.  I went out to get Men to Mow and Make my Hay.  I was at Mr. Rice’s.  His son Beriah[1] agreed.  At Mr. Prats his Son agreed, and the old Man himself engag’d to See to the Making.  This was very kind.  But I got Mr. Clark[2] to help him.  I was at Mr. Aaron Forbushes[3] and Bakers.  Returning home I was caught in the Rain and was very Wet.  Went into Mr. Prats to Dry and get a Coat.  Thence home.  The Next Day I was at the

[1]Beriah Rice (b. 1702), son of Thomas Rice.

[2]Westborough Vital Records (Worcester, 1903) do not give any record of a Clark in this period.

[3]An early inhabitant of Westborough.

1724 August 4 (Tuesday).  Fast at Hopkington [sic] in order to Ordination.  Mr. Baker a.m., Mr. Dor[1] and Mr. Swift p.m.  They Read a Paper of Meeting to Pray and Confer, etc.  N.B. We met in Mr. Barrett’s New House.  Immediately after Exercises I rode away for Cambridge and got down about Eleven.  N.B. Mr. Hobby[2] speaker at Hopkinton.

[1]Reverend Joseph Dorr (Harvard 1711) of Mendon, Mass.  Sibley, V, 574-578.

[2]William Hobby (Harvard 1725).  Later minister of First Church at Reading, now Wakefield, Mass.  Sibley, VII, 530-537.

1724 August 5 (Wednesday).  Brother Hinds[1] [Hicks?] talked very hot about Living at Westborough.

[1]Perhaps Jacob Hinds (1685-1764?) who lived at various times in Brookfield, Marlborough, Shrewsbury and West Boylston.
[Note: This may have been a misreading for John Hicks.]

1724 August 6 (Thursday).  I rode round to Boston but did not get there till Lecture was over.  The News was Malden Emerson’s[1] House was Burnt last Friday Night.  Four Men taken at Rutland, 3 kill’d and one Captur’d.[2]  There was one more wounded.  I rode up to Cambridge to Night though it rain’d all the way.

[1]Reverend Joseph Emerson (Harvard 1717) of Maiden.  Boston News-Letter, Aug. 6, 1724.  Sibley, VI, 170-175.

[2]Boston News-Leiter, Aug. 6, 1724.  The three men who perished were James Clark, Joseph Wood and Uriah Wood. Eleazer Ball was wounded.  The name of a boy captured is unknown.  Blake, Rutland and the Indian Troubles, pp. 10-11.

1724 August 7 (Friday).  I rode to Framingham.  Lodg’d at Mr. Jones’s.[1]  I visited Increase Ward.[2]

[1]Colonel John Jones.

[2]The only Increase Ward noted lived in Westborough.

1724 August 8 (Saturday).  In the Morning I rode to Hopkinton.  Mrs. Spencer here still.  I read severall fine Poems, etc.

1724 August 9 (Sunday).  I preach’d at Hopkinton; Mr. Barrett at Westborough.  My Text was Rev. 3.20, and John 15.14.  N.B. The first (through forgetfullness) I preach’d the Second time in this place.

1724 August 10 (Monday).  Mr. Barrett’s Wife and Mrs. Spencer rode with Me to White Hall.[1]  In the After noon we gathered Hazelnutts.  Towards Evening rode home.

[1]A large pond in Hopkinton.

1724 August 11 (Tuesday).  In My Study of King on Church.

1724 August 12 (Wednesday).  Visited Landlord Maynard.  He not at Home.

1724 August 13 (Thursday).  I rode to Marlborough Lecture.  Mr. Cushing preach’d.  After Lecture Mr. Gardiner of Stow came to Mr. Brecks.  Captain Fay[1] and Mr. Prat rode home with me.

[1]Captain John Fay.

1724 August 14 (Friday).  Read Martin Mar Prelate, and prepar’d for the Sabbath this and

15th Day.

1724 August 16 (Sunday).  Preach’d all Day.  Acts 2.37.38.

1724 August 17 (Monday).  I rode to Cambridge through Framingham on Mr. Samuel Hardys[1] Horse.  Met Deacon Haven[2] on the Roade.  We Call’d at Captain Goddards and at Mr. Swifts.  Here was Mr. Brintnal.[3]  I asked him to help me.  I got down in the Evening.

[1]Of Westborough.

[2]Moses Haven of Framingham.

[3]William Brintnall (Yale 1721), schoolmaster of Sudbury, 1722-1726.  Dexter, pp. 244-245.

1724 August 18 and 19 (Tuesday and Wednesday).  It rain’d so I was detain’d at Cambridge.

1724 August 20 (Thursday).  I rode to Boston.  Mr. Sewall[1] preach’d.  He is Chosen president of Harvard College.  In the after noon I was at Mr. Gee’s where were Mr. Thomas Foxcroft,[2] Mr. Wigglesworth,[3] Mr. Prince (Nathan),[4] Mr. Turell[5] and Mr. [blank], a Gentleman from the Bank.  I return’d to Cambridge in the Evening.

[1]Joseph Sewall (Harvard 1707), D.D., minister of the Old South Church, Boston.  Sibley, V, 376-393.

[2](Harvard 1714).  Minister of the First Church in Boston.  Sibley, VI, 47-58.

[3]Edward Wigglesworth (Harvard 1710), D.D., Professor of Divinity, Harvard College.  Sibley, V, 546-555.

[4](Harvard 1718). Tutor and fellow of Harvard College.  Brother of Thomas Prince, the historian.  Sibley, VI, 268-279.

[5]Reverend Ebenezer Turell (Harvard 1721), minister of Medford.  Sibley, VI, 574-582.

1724 August 21 (Friday).  I rode away for Westborough.  Met Mrs. Martha Clark[1] and Sister with Mrs. Lasten by riding to Newton.  Farther on the Road I met Mr. Bartlett[2] of Brookfield by whom I learnt Something Considerable of the Town.  I stopt at Merchant Woods[3] at Marlborough.  He walked with me to Mr. Brecks.[4]  Mr. Breck I found ill.  I lodged here.  Early to Westborough in the morning (22) to prepare for the Sabbath.

[1]Mrs. Uriah Clark of Framingham.

[2]Thomas Bartlet.

[3]Benjamin Woods.

[4]Reverend Robert Breck of Marlborough.

1724 August 23 (Sunday).  Preach’d all Day.  Tit. 2.12.  News that Captain Harmon[1] had slain 5 or 6 Score Indians at Norridgewock with Sebastian Ralle[2] the Old Jesuit and brought in his and 26 or 27 Scalps besides and Delivered Three Captives from the Enemy.  Among those that were Slain of the Indians Bummageem was one.  His wife and Two Sons were taken Captive and brought to York and Piscataqua.  And in all we lost not a Man but an Indian, a Cape Fellow.  Deo Opt. Max. Gloria Triumphi.  Captain Harmon (it is storied) found an Iron Chest with the Jesuit which had many Letters in it, Some from Gentlemen at Boston (O Horrids) Betraying our Country.

[1]Colonel Johnson Harmon.

[2]Father Sebastian Rale, head of the Jesuit mission at Norridgewock, Maine.  See James P. Baxter, The Pioneers of New France in New England (Albany, 1891)

1724 August 25 (Tuesday).  I rode Early in the Morn to Marlborough.  Mr. Breck ill yet.  Then rode (with Deacon Peters) over to Stow to the Association[1] at Mr. Gardners.  A Thin Meeting, Mr. Swift and Cushing, Mr. Jenison,[2] Mr. Barrett[3] and Mr. Brintnall.  Mr. Ickyl, etc. up at Stow.

[1]The accepted date and place for the formation of the Marlborough Association of ministers is June 5, 1725, at the house of Mr. Breck in Marlborough.  From this entry in
the Parkman diary it is clear that an association was in existence before that time.  Levi A. Field, An Historical Sketch of the First Congregational Church in Marlborough, Mass. (Worcester, 1859), pp. 16-18.  Joseph Allen, The Worcester Association and Its Antecedents (Boston, 1868), p. 5.

[2]William Jennison (Harvard 1724), later minister of the Second Church of Salem, Mass., 1728-1736.  Sibley, V, 371-374.

[3]Reverend Samuel Barrett of Hopkinton.

1724 August 26 (Wednesday).  Mr. Barrett Preach’d but Mr. Jenison prayed.  Good entertainment, but no great Matter of Business done.  I rode away with the Rest about 5 o’Clock p.m.  Mr. Brintnall to preach for Me.  I rode to Cambridge.  Cousin Sarah Champney[1] at Uncle Champneys.[2]  Between 10 and eleven o’Clock.

[1]Daughter of Joseph and Sarah Champney of Cambridge.  Sister of Parkman’s classmate, Joseph Champney.

[2]Joseph Champney, Sr.

1724 August 27 (Thursday).  Not very Well.  I could not go to Boston.

1724 August 28 (Friday).  I rode to Framingham; preach’d.  The Text was John 15.14.  Deacon Robie lodged with me.

1724 August 29 (Saturday).  Mr. Brintnall came.  We rode to Captain Goddards and to Westborough.

1724 August 30 (Sunday).  Mr. Brintnall preach’d for Me but he would not pray at all Save after the forenoon Sermon.  He said he was indisposed.  Indians at Northhampton and Westfield.

1724 August 31 (Monday).  Workmen about the Chamber.