Month: January 1738

1738 January 1 (Sunday).  Nothing less than Patience and Forbearance which is Divine could permitt me another Year Still!  A.M. on Mat. 8.5 — p.m., on Eccl. 1.2.  I would Committ to God the Events of this Year, and I would enter a fixed Resolution, by the Grace of God to Serve Him in Fidelity in Some preferable Degree to what I have done heretofore.

1738 January 2 (Monday).  Was at the Funeral of the Young Child of Mr. Thomas Bruce.

1738 January 3 (Tuesday).  Was at the Funeral of a Child[1] of Mr. Josiah Russell, of about 5 years old, an hopefull, desirable Child — The Third that has dyed of late by the Quincy, and the 10th that has dyed in 10 weeks.

[1]The death of neither child is recorded in Westborough Vital Records.


1738 January 4 (Wednesday).  Captain Eager called me in the morning to go over to Upton to the Ordination of Mr. Thomas Weld.[1]  Mr. Tainter also went over with us.  The Churches sent to were, the Church in Mendon, Brookline, Hopkinton, Attlebury, Uxbridge and Grafton; Mr. Barrett prayed before Sermon, Mr. Allen[2] preach’d on Isa. 6.8.  Mr. Dorr[3] gave the Charge; Mr. Weld of Attlebury the right Hand. Entertainment was plentifull at Ensign Woods.  N.B. Deacon Millins[4] of Hopkinton Disputes for Ruling Elders, in opposition to the Doctrine deliver’d to Day.  A very fine, bright, moderate Day.  Return’d at Evening.

[1](Harvard 1723).  Sibley, VII, 273-279.

[2]Probably James Allin (Harvard 1710), the first minister of Brookline.  Sibley, V, 506-510.

[3]Reverend Joseph Dorr of Mendon.

[4]Henry Mellen.

1738 January 5 (Thursday).  At Private Meeting at Brother Hicks’s.  Preached on Ps. 73.25.  Received the melancholly news of the Death of Madame Chandler, who deceased on [blank].

1738 January 6 (Friday).  James Bradish, Junior, carryed away my Flax to dress it.

1738 January 7 (Saturday).  Visited Mr. Increase Wards Family, 4 of them being sick.  Rebecca very low.

1738 January 8 (Sunday).  On Matt. 8.5-1, Cor. 15.31.  Moderate Day.  Large Company.

1738 January 9 (Monday).  Visited Mr. Wards Family again.  Rebecca still living, though exceeding bad.  Sent by Mr. Whipple to Boston — Letters from New Haven.  Moderate, bright Day.  N.B. Mr. Campbell of Oxford here.

1738 January 10 (Tuesday).  Visited old Mr. Forbush.[1]  Returned by Mr. Cooks[2] and Mr. Wards.

[1]Thomas Forbush.

[2]Cornelius Cook, son-in-law of Thomas Forbush.

1738 January 11 (Wednesday).  Ensign Maynard here from Boston.  Provisions exceeding Dear there.

1738 January 12 (Thursday).  I rode to visit the Indians, Old David,[1] etc., at their Wigwam.  At Captain Warrin’s about Pork; and rode up to Mr. Reuben Maynards on the same account but he not at home, being gone to Mr. Joseph Miles’ wedding.  N.B. I visited Mr. Samuel Fay and Family, and Mr. Bezaleel Smiths.

[1]David Monanaow or Munnanaw.

1738 January 13 (Friday).  Mr. Elias Havin,[1] on his journey to preach at Leicester here and lodged here.  N.B. Captain Fay here at Evening also, and Mr. Reuben Maynard.  It has been a Week of remarkably warm, pleasant Weather little freezing even o’nights.  N.B. I had visited Rebecca Ward, p.m. being called by Mr. Samuel Fay, junior.

[1]Elias Haven (Harvard 1733), schoolmaster at Hopkinton and later minister of Franklin, 1738-1754.  Sibley, IX, 304-309.

1738 January 14 (Saturday).  Mr. Haven left us.  Very high winds, but not very Cold.  Rebecca Ward[1] dy’d.

[1]Daughter of Increase Ward.

1738 January 15 (Sunday).  Matt. 8.14.15.  John 16.8.  Raw Cold.  Many Weathers.

1738 January 16 (Monday).  Very Cold.  P.M. at Captain Warrins, but he was not at home.

1738 January 17 (Tuesday).  Rebecca Ward was buryed.

1738 January 18 (Wednesday).  [No entry.]

1738 January 19 (Thursday).  Rode up to Captain Fays, to Mr. Reuben Maynards and to Cousin Winchesters.

1738 January 20 (Friday).  The Weather has been for Some Days wondrous fine and moderate.

1738 January 21 (Saturday).  [blank] Miller, a Glazier, mended our Glass.

1738 January 22 (Sunday).  Matt. 8.16.17.  Luk. 1.6.  My Spouse was taken into the Church.  Rained hard in the night.

1738 January 23 (Monday).  At Eve Mr. Miles (son of Deacon Miles) from Concord with a present of Onions.  The same Eve Mr. Horn, Mr. Daniel Fay, and Mr. Joseph Woods of Southborough were here.  In the Hands of the Former were a pair of Gloves for my wife and me from Colonel Chandler[1] of Worcester.

[1]John Chandler, Jr.

1738 January 24 (Tuesday).  Read Dr. Edwards[1] on the Use and Abuse of Apparell.

[1]A work by the English Calvinist divine, John Edwards (1637-1716).
[Addition to note: “The Use and Abuse of Apparel,” in John Edwards, Sermons on Special Occasions and Subjects… (London: Printed for Jonathan Robinson…and John Wyat, 1698).]

1738 January 25 (Wednesday).  Mr. Cushing made us a visit and tarried into Evening.

1738 January 26 (Thursday).  Mr. Increase Ward and his son had requested that we would keep this Day in humiliation and Prayer on account of the Frowns of Heaven upon them in their grievous Sickness and Bereavment.  Considering also that the Providence of God had been remarkable in the Late Mortality.  The Exercise was publickly mentiond in the Congregation the Sabbath past, but because of Mr. Ward’s and his Familys Circumstances we kept it at his House.  Mr. Prentice[1] came at our request and assisted in the Prayers.  I preached on John 2.2.  Repeating with some alterations and Additions, part of my sermon on 1 John 4.10.  Many were gathered together and the Family provided a decent refreshment afterwards.

[1]Reverend Solomon Prentice of Grafton.

1738 January 27 (Friday).  Rain, Cold and windy.  But in general the weather has been unusually Moderate, or rather warm.

1738 January 28 (Saturday).  My Kinsman[1] came up from College upon my Horse, which I sent down for him, by Ensign Maynard.

[1]Elias Parkman (Harvard 1737), Ebenezer Parkman’s nephew.  Sibley, X, 223-224.

1738 January 29 (Sunday).  On Eph. 3.10, a. and p.m.

1738 January 30 (Monday).  How different my State from what it was 2 years agoe!  God has Set one Thing over against another.  We should Sing of the Mercys of the Lord for Ever, but not forgetting his Judgments!  Mr. Seth Rice’s wife here.  We went down to Ensign Maynards in the Evening.  N.B. Mr. Haden here.

1738 January 31 (Tuesday).  Very Cold windy day.  Dr. Gott and his wife and Mr. Timothy Harrington made us a Visit and din’d and spent the Afternoon among us, except what time divers of us were down at Ensign Maynards, where were a Meeting of Houssatunnoc Petitioners for the drawing their Lotts.  N.B. Colonel Woods there also.  Very Cold Evening but they all returnd to Marlborough.  January leaves us like itself, but the most of the month has been the moderatest that most can remember.