Month: May 1739

1739 May 1 (Tuesday).  John Kidney, with the Oxen help’d Brother Hicks in Carting out Muck.

1739 May 2 (Wednesday).  Mr. Andrew Boardman[1] and his Sister, with Adonijah Church[2] and Mrs. Betty Woods[3] made us a Visit.  N.B. It has been very cold ever Since the Storm on the 30th last.  Abiel went home.

[1]The schoolmaster of Hopkinton.

[2]Of Marlborough.

[3]Daughter of Benjamin Woods of Marlborough.

1739 May 3 (Thursday).  Very Cold still.  John ploughing the Grounds over in order to planting.

1739 May 4 (Friday).  [No entry.]

1739 May 5 (Saturday).  A very grievous Cold continues  upon me.

1739 May 6 (Sunday).  On Mat. 9.27 to 31, and on Ps. 99.5 and 9.  Some of our Cows lye out.

1739 May 7 (Monday).  We furrow’d the further piece of the north field and planted the most of it till the Rain increas’d so much that we were oblig’d to desist.  N.B. Sent for my Horse from Mr. Jacob Amsdens.  N.B. Mr. William Nurse brought me a fine Pigg of Two Months old and receiv’d only 2/6 (which was Scarcely a Quarter Price) for it.  N.B. receiv’d also a Pig of a Month old from Brother Hicks.  At Night the Storm prevail’d greatly.

1739 May 8 (Tuesday).  A.M. Rain and Stormy winds.  P.M. Clear’d off.  N.B. Neighbor How[1] brought us a Quarter of Veal.  Neighbor Aaron Hardy brought Hopps of us.  P.M. furrow’d.

[1]Hezekiah How.

1739 May 9 (Wednesday).  I sent out my Oxen under the Care of Ensign Maynard and Four Young Creatures under the Care of Captain Warrin,[1] into the Woods.  The Boys Planting; a fine warm Day.  P.M. Ruth Bradish[2] here to Discourse with me in order to her joining to the Church.

[1]Daniel Warren.

[2]Daughter of James and Dameris Bradish.

1739 May 10 (Thursday).  Finished Planting.  Cool Season again.

1739 May 11 (Friday).  Mr. John Green, of Brookfield, heretofore my near Neighbour, here.  Cool Weather.  N.B. Ebenezer rode to Marlborough to carry wool to be spun at the widow Bents[1] and to bring my great Coat from Mr. Tainters but succeeded not in the last.

[1]Mrs. Peter Bent.

1739 May 12 (Saturday).  Cold and high winds So that we cannot sow our Flax.  Youngest Calf being disorder’d and as we judg’d Tail soaken, we cut off the End of his Tail.

1739 May 13 (Sunday).  On Mat. 9.32 to 34.  Ps. 99.5.9.  N.B. Several Hopkinton people at Meeting, by Reason of Mr. Barretts illness.  N.B. Two Young Gentlemen of Boston at Meeting, whom I could not find out.  Mrs. Rice, heretofore Whood, at Dinner with me.

1739 May 14 (Monday).  Warm and pleasant.  Sow’d our Flax.  I walk’d down to see Mrs. Townsend[1] and went as far as Mrs. Byles’s and borrow’d her Horse for my Wife to ride to Hopkinton, whither we went and din’d there and return’d in Safety at Evening.  Mr. Barrett was walking about with great Currency but in an ill Habit.

[1]Mercy, wife of Joshua Townsend, schoolmaster of Westborough.

1739 May 15 (Tuesday).  Read the Life of Mr. Fairclough.[1]  Very Hot.

[1]Samuel Fairclough (1594-1677), an English nonconformist divine.  The only biography of Fairclough that seems to have been published at this time was in Samuel Clarke’s Lives of Sundry Eminent Persons in this Latter Age (London, 1683).

1739 May 16 (Wednesday).  Very Hot.  Mr. Edward Barns[1] marry’d to the widow Grace Rice.[2]  I walk’d to Deacon Tomlins[3] with Captain Forbush.[4]  N.B. Talk with Deacon about his Children, who had been guilty of fornication.[5]

[1]Of Marlborough, where he and his wife continued to live.

[2]Of Westborough.  Widow of Simon Rice.  Hudson, Marlborough, 315.

[3]Isaac Tomlin.

[4]Samuel Forbush of Westborough.

[5]Timothy Fay and Lydia Tomlin (or Tomblin) were married April 30, 1738.  The following entry appears in the Westborough church records, February 30, 1740: “Timothy Fay and Lydia his wife offered their public Humiliations for their committing the sin of Fornication and were restor’d to Charity.”

1739 May 17 (Thursday).  John Finish’d Shearing.  My wife rode to Mr. James Maynard.

1739 May 18 (Friday).  Rainy, Thunderstorm.  Several men came to the Meeting House freely to work in putting up seats — Shut up middle alley.  Visited Mr. Noah Rice’s sick Child.  In the Night Molly Hicks[1] dy’d, about 11 of the Clock.  My Wife there all night.  Hicks at Cambridge.

[1]Mary was the infant daughter of John and Rebecca Hicks of Westborough.

1739 May 19 (Saturday).  Mr. Bridgham[1] here going to Brimfield.  Hicks returned.

[1]Rev. James Bridgham (HC 1726), second minister of Brimfield, Mass., 1736-1776.  SHG, 8:7-10.

1739 May 20 (Sunday).  Mat. 9.35 — to the End.  Ps. 99.5.9.  Funeral of Brother Hicks’s young Child, leave having been obtained of the Select Men therefor, viz., of Captain Warrin,[1] Deacon Newton,[2] and Ensign Forbush.

[1]Daniel Warrin.

[2]Josiah Newton.

1739 May 21 (Monday).  Word having been brought by Brother Hicks and also by Mr. James Maynard of my Honored aged Mothers Illness and desire that I would go down to her, I set out, and rode through Southborough.  N.B. Abraham Moss[1] with me on the Road to Framingham, visited Mr. Swift,[2] proceeded to Cambridge, but was somewhat late.

[1]One of Parkman’s hired hands.

[2]Rev. John Swift.

1739 May 22 (Tuesday).  Rode to Boston.  My Mother very low, weak, and Sick and dispirited, but yet somewhat better than She was last Week.

1739 May 23 (Wednesday).  Din’d at Brother Samuels.  N.B. Mother in great Trouble respecting both Temporal and Eternal Things.

1739 May 24 (Thursday).  Mr. Edwards of North Hampton preach’d the public Lecture on Tim. 2.5.  With Mr. Edwards at Elder Lymans.  P.M. at Dr. Sewalls[1] and Din’d at Brother Alexanders although invited to Dine with the Governor.[2]

[1]Rev. Joseph Sewall of Boston.

[2]Jonathan Belcher, Governor of Massachusetts.

1739 May 25 (Friday).  I din’d at Mr. Gees[1] with Mr. Edwards.  At Brother Samuels and at Mr. Samuel Hunts.[2]  At Evening Mr. Edwards preach’d at Elder Lymans but I could not attend by means of variety of Business and my Mothers low state.

[1]Rev. Joshua Gee of Boston.

[2]A shipwright of Boston.

1739 May 26 (Saturday).  Brother Samuel Parkman sent up a Boy from Charleston early in the morning, to bring down my Horse from Cambridge.  N.B. Mrs. Newton (Ebenezer’s Wife of Southborough).  I had a very wet Journey.  The Rain was heavy upon me from Weston.  N.B. at Weston I met with Mr. David Ball of Boston who was come with Mrs. Pierpont, Mr. Stephen White[1] and Mrs. Sarah Noyes[2] from New Haven Yesterday, and the 3 last were at my House.  At Sudbury I borrow’d a great Coat of one Mr. Herd, my own being wet through.  At Mr. Baldwins was Mr. Joseph Biglo[3] who was my Company as far as to his Fathers in Marlborough where we were shelter’d, and Horse and Man refreshed.  At Home I found the Friends aforesaid to my great rejoicing.

[1](YC 1736), later minister at Windham, Conn., 1740-1794.  Dexter, 567-69.

[2]Daughter of James Noyes of Stonington, Conn.

[3]Son of John Bigelow.  Joseph lived in Shrewsbury.

1739 May 27 (Sunday).  Mr. White of New Haven preach’d for me on Mat. 25.46 former part.  P.M. I repeated on 2 Pet. 1.10.

1739 May 28 (Monday).  I Spent the forenoon in setting my Family affairs to rights.  Din’d and after 3 o’Clock Set out for Cambridge.  Rode by Mr. Beemans where I call’d.  Through Marlborough and Stopp’d with sister Gott[1] etc., yet got down about 10 o’Clock.  N.B. Mr. Edwards of North Hampton (as my wife inform’d me at my return) came to our House at Eve and lodged here.

[1]Mrs. Benjamin Gott.

1739 May 29 (Tuesday).  I rode with Brother Samuel Parkman and his Wife to Cambridge to visit their little son, designing to ride also to Mistick, to visit Cousen Bradshaw,[1] but the Rain prevailed so that we only went to Cambridge.  Neither could we return to Boston, but went over to Father Champneys and lodged there.  N.B. Mr. Samuel Liscomb of Southborough this afternoon inform’d me that Jacob Johnson and Daniel Taylor of Southborough each of about 22 or 23 years were lost at the Pond in Westborough which is the Head of the Sudbury River,[2] and it was concluded they were drowned.  Their Horses, Shooes and Stockings were found by the Pond, their Canoo, Hatts and Cranberrys floating but their Bodys not found, this Morning at 8 o’Clock.

[1]Parkman’s brother William had a daughter, Sarah, who married Samuel Bradshaw.

[2]The Sudbury River begins in the eastern part of Westborough where several brooks come together to form Cedar Swamp.

1739 May 30 (Wednesday).  We went from Cambridge.  Mr. Clark[1] of Salem Village preach’d an Excellent sermon on Hos. 11.12.  Din’d at Brother Elias’s.  N.B. Mr. Jeffords[2] of Wells confirm’d a Letter to the Convention concerning the Conduct of the Irish Bretheren and the Presbytery at the Eastward.

[1]Rev. Peter Clark (HC 1712), minister at Danvers, Mass., 1716-1768.  SHG, 5:616-23.

[2]Rev. Samuel Jeffers of Wells, Maine.

1739 May 31 (Thursday).  N.B. Mr. Samuel Cook, Mr. Pierce[1] of Dartmouth etc. lodg’d at Brother Elias’s.  I lodg’d at Brother Williams.  I was at the Convention.  N.B. Letters from Mr. Holden of London.  The Sermon by Mr. Eels[2] on 1 Sam. 4.13.  The Collection £171 and odd money.  Din’d at Mr. Checkleys.[3]  Return’d to the Convention p.m.  Visited Mrs. Keggell,[4] Mrs. Clark, etc.  Lodg’d at Brother Williams.

[1]Rev. Richard Pierce (HC 1724), minister at New Bedford, Mass.,1733-1749.  SHG, 7:429-31.

[2]Rev. Nathaniel Eels (HC 1699), minister at Norwell, Mass., 1704-1750.  SHG, 4:468-71.

[3]Rev. Samuel Checkley of Boston.

[4]Mrs. Abel Keggell, a cousin of Mrs. Parkman.