1740 May 2 (Friday). Rainy. Ensign Maynard here who had been to Boston and brought 6 3/4 Yards Callico for Judith and [illegible] from Mr. Jenison for me.
1740 May 3 (Saturday). Rain. Some Thunder. P.M. Hicks Cart [blank] Load of Muck.
1740 May 4 (Sunday). On Ps. 109.4. Mr. John Pool of Reading din’d here. Southborough people at meeting, Mr. Stone not having return’d yet from Harwich.
1740 May 5 (Monday). Very Rainy Day. Read Several Centurys in Dr. Fuller besides his History of Waltham Abbey. Thunder and Lightning at Night.
1740 May 6 (Tuesday). Rainy Still. Four Young Cattle turn’d up into the woods. Very Cold.
1740 May 8 (Thursday). Samuel Forbush and Jonas Warrin junior Carted 13 Load with Captain Warrins Oxen.
1740 May 9, 10 (Friday, Saturday). Cold yet, so that we refrain Planted [sic]. My Hay in the Barn finish’d but have part of a stack abroad.
1740 May 11 (Sunday). On Ps. 109.4. Warmer Weather.
1740 May 12, 13 (Monday, Tuesday). Planted all before Dinner that was to be done in the Fields. My Wife ventur’d to ride my Mare to Marlborough. I rode with Mr. James Fay[1] at Evening to visit Mr. James Cutler[2] of Grafton. My Body much Chill’d with the Cold, for we did not get there till between 10 and 11. Mr. Cutler lay in a very despairing or rather in a delirious State. I lodg’d at Deacon Whipple’s,[3] and the next morning return’d to visit Mr. Cutler who was Somewhat more Compos’d yet not steadily rational. His Condition very hazzardous. I took leave between 10 and 11 a.m. and came Home. Mr. Cutler dy’d about 1 o’Clock. My wife return’d at Eve from Marlborough.
[1]Son of Captain John Fay.
[2]Pierce, Grafton, 475.
[3]James Whipple, one of the first deacons of Grafton.
1740 May 14 (Wednesday). Brother Hicks Sow’d my Flax. P.M. I rode to Mr. Thomas Goodenows. Jonathan’s — Jesse Brighams, etc. N.B. I sent down by Neighbour Benjamin How[1] 32 papers out of Governor Bradstreets[2] Bundles, to Mr. Thomas Prince[3] at Boston.
[1]Son of Hezekiah How.
[2]Simon Bradstreet was Governor of Massachusetts, 1679-1686 and 1689-1692.
[3]Rev. Thomas Prince, the historian of Boston.
1740 May 15 (Thursday). [No entry.]
1740 May 16 (Friday). Mr. William Nurse[1] here with Mr. Calef’s Book of the Witchcraft at Salem in the Year 1692.[2]
[1]Of Westborough.
[2]Robert Calef (1648-1719) was a Boston merchant and writer who disputed with Cotton Mather over witchcraft. No printer in Boston would print his tract but it appeared in England as More Wonders of the Invisible World: or The Wonders of the Invisible World, display’d in Five Parts (London 1700).
1740 May 17 (Saturday). [No entry.]
1740 May 18 (Sunday). On Ps. 73.28. Mrs. Chamberlain din’d here.
1740 May 20 (Tuesday). On this Day came up Mr. Richard Barns and his Brother Edward with the Committee to See whether the Land I had taken up on the East of my Line and bounding on the North side of the highway which goes over Powder Hill be common Land, and to be granted to me by the Proprietors, that So my Plott of it might be accepted. The Committee were Samuel Brigham Esquire (put in by the Proprietors), Captain Nathan Brigham (chosen by me) and Mr. Joseph Stratton (chosen by Mr. Richard Barns) all of them of Marlborough. Old Mr. Maynard[1] came up also to see the Bounds. Upon a full view of the Bounds The aforesaid Gentlemen perswaded Mr. Barns to Consent to the following Terms. First, That I should Measure off Two Acres and a Quarter of the Common Land and get it accepted and that Mr. Barns should have the Rest being the Same more or less. Secondly, that the Bounds of our Old Lines, or the East and North East Should be now renewed and settled forever to prevent all further Controversie among us or our Heirs After us; which was accordingly done in the presence and by the Assistance of the Mentioned Committee and Mr. Edward Barns. N.B. Mr. Seth Rice who was absent in the forenoon came at Dinner and was with us in the Afternoon and assisted in the aforesaid Difficult Affairs. But to our mutual rejoicing we ended this Controversie so far in Peace.
[1]David Maynard, an original settler.
1740 May 21 (Wednesday). Rainy. I rose very Early but was exceeding indispos’d. Neighbour Silas Brigham who had not perfectly recover’d from the Meazles, is now raving Distracted, and Sent for me but I was not able to go.
1740 May 22 (Thursday). Disappointed of all Help in my Lecture. I began a Discourse this morning upon Tit. 1.5 and p.m. preach’d it. After Lecture I stop’d the Church to see whether they would do any Thing about the Ordination of Deacons, and it was left to further consideration. Town Meeting to Choose a Representative. Deacon Newton chose first and refus’d. Lieutenant Baker chose and refus’d. Received divers Letters from New Haven, Dated the 13 instant. Reckoned with David Batherick and Sam Bumpso. Visited poor Neighbour Silas Brigham, whom I both found and left in the ravings of his Distemper. A very afflected Family!
1740 May 24 (Saturday). Rainy. Mr. Daniel Warrin work’d for me somewhat more than half a Day getting Riders for the Stone Wall, Yokes for the piggs, etc. Mr. Jonathan Goodenow here.
1740 May 25 (Sunday). Sacrament. A.M. on Ps. 73.28; p.m. on Mal. 3.14. Deacon Fay,[1] Mrs. Miles,[2] and Cousin Winchester[3] din’d. Mrs. Mile’s Supp’d and lodg’d here.
[1]John Fay of Westborough.
[2]Wife of Deacon Samuel Miles of Concord.
[3]Mrs. Benjamin Winchester of Westborough. She was the sister of the first Mrs. Parkman.
1740 May 26 (Monday). Prevented going my Journey by the Delays of the Constables. P.M. Rain. Eliezer Rice and Stephen Fay here. Old Mrs. Knowlton and Mrs. Whipple here.
1740 May 28 (Wednesday). I rode to Boston. Put up my Beast at Bracketts. Visited Brother Elias whose Affections were very flowing. Mr. Cooper[1] on Ps. 2.10.11.12. Din’d at Brother Samuels. P.M. at Convention. Mr. White[2] of Cape Ann, Moderator. Dr. Colman communicated his letter to Mr. Rutherford,[3] the Irish minister at the Eastward and Several Things relating to the Spreading the Success of the Kingdom of Christ. N.B. Count Zinzendorf[4] in Germany, a preacher of the Reformed Religion. N.B. The Money Collected in the Massachusetts for Mr. Torry[5] last year amounted to upwards of £1200 and in Connecticut upwards of £300. I lodg’d with Mr. Weld[6] of Upton at Brother Elias’s. N.B. Mr. Aaron Smith[7] lodg’d there also.
[1]Rev. William Cooper of Boston’s Brattle Street Church.
[2]Rev. John White (HC 1698), minister of Gloucester, 1703-1760. SHG, 4:421-424.
[3]Robert Rutherford, a preacher of Brunswick and Topsham, Maine.
[4]Court Nicolaus Ludvig von Zinzendorf (1700-1760), German religious leader and founder of the Moravian Brethren. He was encouraged by John Wesley and George Whitefield and came to Pennsylvania in 1741.
[5]Rev. Joseph Torrey of South Kingston, R.I.
[6]Rev. Thomas Weld.
[7]The preacher of Marlborough.
1740 May 29 (Thursday). A.M. at Madam Thatchers[1] and bought out of the Library of her venerable Husband, Willards Body,[2] Shepherds Sincere Convert and sound Believer,[3] Flavell’s[4] A Saint indeed, Small New Testament in Lattin, and a quarto of Clean Paper. Then we repair’d to the Convention. Lecture preach’d by Mr. Prince on Isa. 9.7. The Collection amounted to £235. Din’d at Mr. Checkley’s.[5] P.M. at the Sale of the late Mr. John Adams’s[6] Books. I bought Melchior Adams’ Lives of the German Divines,[7] Owen’s Theologoumena, and Aristotles works in Greek and Latin, 4 Tomes. At Mr. Fennells bought Crudens Concordance. N.B. Conversation with Mr. Jacques[8] and Mr. Smith of Marlborough on the Affair of his settling there. Rode to Cambridge after Ten at night.
[1]Widow of the Rev. Peter Thatcher of Boston.
[2]Samuel Willard, A Compleat Body of Divinity in Two Hundred and Fifty Expository Lectures on the Assembly’s Shorter Catechism (Boston, 1726).
[3]Thomas Shepard, The Sincere Convert, Discovering the Small Number of True Believers, and the Great Difficulty of Saving Conversion (Cambridge, 1664).
[4]John Flavell, A Saint Indeed; or the Great Work of Salvation Opened and Press’d (Boston, 1726).
[5]Rev. Samuel Checkley of Boston.
[6]Preacher, poet, classmate of Parkman.
[7]Melchior Adamus, Vitae Germanorum Theologorum, Qui Superiori Seculo, Ecclesiam Christi Voce Scriptisque Porpagarunt et Propugnarunt (Heidelberg, 1620). Another edition appeared in Frankfurt in 1653.
[8]Rev. Richard Jaques of Gloucester.
1740 May 30 (Friday). Father Champney absent and the Family in Concern. I rode over to College for Mr. Smith whose Company I had to Marlborough. Some Shower of Rain in the Journey. We din’d at Mr. Williams’s[1] at Weston, but Mr. Williams not at Home. Late up to Marlborough by means of the Showers. Rain’d at Eve. Lodg’d at Dr. Gotts.
[1]Rev. William Williams.
1740 May 31 (Saturday). Sent my Portmantle home by Neighbor Beriah Rice.[1] I accompany’d Dr. Gott to Mr. Benjamin Bailys[2] where lay Sick John Hambleton, son in law to Mr. Gamel. The Doctor judg’d he could not live long, and I acquainted John with it. His distress was very great respecting his Eternal Condition. I did not return home till middle of the Afternoon, by means of his Urgency and Earnestness to have me tarry with him in his low Condition, to direct and assist him in his Repentance and closing with Christ. He was very humble and broken for sin, full of passionate and repeated Crys to God and Christ, Sent for his Companions to ask their forgiveness, and to call ‘em to repentance and to charge ‘em to turn from sin to God. He fill’d up his Time with these Exercises — But I warn’d him of the Danger of trusting to them and how rarely a late Repentance was true, proceeding so much from the present Extremity, which forc’d it. Hicks weeding our Garden.
[1]Son of Thomas Rice.
[2]Of Marlborough.
