Month: August 1748

August 2, 1748

1748 August 2 (Tuesday).  Thomas Rogers bury’d.  Hot Day, the Corps very offensive — many attended, of old and young — after prayer as the Corp stood abroad I had a brief address to the Youth.  Lucy rode with me to the Funeral — visited Mrs. Williams[1] who is ailing, in our return.  After 3 p.m. Noah How and Merodach Devereux mow’d the remainder of my meadow, viz. the North Side of the Brook.  At 4 the Same afternoon Captain Maynard who sent Jonathan, a little Hay, about 10 Cocks which I had rak’d into winrow.

[1]Mrs. Eleazer Williams.

August 3, 1748

1748 August 3 (Wednesday).  Neighbour Baverick mow’d the last of my Grass at home, and gave me half the Day.  I pay’d him 10 shillings old Tenor for the other half.  A.M. I rode to most of the houses as far as Mr. Joseph Knowltons in order to get somebody to rake what was mow’d yesterday at the meadow and, to cart it home.  Mr. Knowlton sent two sons to rake this afternoon.

August 4, 1748

1748 August 4 (Thursday).  Mr. Gershom Brigham carted home one Load of the Meadow Hay with my Team.  Phinehas Maynard helping him pole and Load — and Phinehas Maynard with Ebenezers Help got home the last.  The Drought very great — notwithstanding some Sprinkling at Eve.  N.B. The Neighbours very kind to Mr. Rogers Since the Loss of his son in mowing, Raking and Carting his Hay both at home and his meadow — hay in which I much rejoice.

August 7, 1748

1748 August 7 (Sunday).  A.M. on Mat. 15.15 to 20th.  I Spake to the Congregation to take some more special Care to prevent Disorders at Noon Time and in returning home at Evening that the Sabbath might not be profaned especially by young people; and that in particular Injury might not be done in thy Neighbourhood.  If there was any Tithing Men present I recommended it to Such in a peculiar Manner, Their having been complain one Time after another.  Mrs. Child (Jonas’s wife) din’d here.  P.M. on Prov. 22.6.  The former part of the Sermon without writing, the rest partly from sermon on Eph. 6.4, page 5 to 11, adding the Applicatory Heads in page 32.

August 11, 1748

1748 August 11 (Thursday).  Mr. Wainwright[1] sent me word he could not preach my Lecture being pre-engaged to preach for Mr. Hall of Sutton.  I preach’d myself Repeating sermon on 1 Cor. 11.16 to page 8.  N.B. it was Mr. Cushings and Mr. Martyns Lecture and otherwhere also.  N.B. Letters from Joseph Bowker from Fort Pelham.

[1]John Wainwright (Harvard 1742).

August 15, 1748

1748 August 15 (Monday).  I rode to the South Road; to Deacon Newtons in particular and borrow’d 20£ old Tenor of him, to accommodate my wife in her going down to Boston.  Din’d at Captain Warrin’s, where Jonathan Rogers’s Child lay sick.  Call’d at Mr. Amsdens.  Proceeded to Marlborough to Mr. Williams[1] and got my Saddle pad new stuff’d in and in other respects Mended — which he did gratis.  He told me of Thomme’s being out too late some nights, complain’d of his being too much acquainted at Uriah Amsdens.[2]  He said something of throwing up the Indentures — but that went over.  Call’d at Dr. Gotts.[3]  Mr. Smith[4] gone to Cape Ann.  Call’d at Lieutenant Beemans[5] who is sick.  My Neighbour Jacob Amsden with me there — but he left me and went back to the Doctors having forgot something.  This disappointed me of an opportunity I intended to make of free Discourse with him.

[1]Abraham Williams, Parkman’s brother-in-law.

[2]The son of Abraham Amsden of Marlborough.

[3]Benjamin Gott, the physician of Marlborough.

[4]The Reverend Mr. Aaron Smith of Marlborough.

[5]Abraham Beaman of Marlborough.

August 16, 1748

1748 August 16 (Tuesday).  Early I visited old Mr. Rogers.  Then proceeded to Ministers meeting at Holden.  N.B. overtook Mr. Reed[1] of Framingham and Mr. Ebenezer Goddard[2] with him.  At Mr. Davis’s there was Mr. Frink,[3] who wanted we should read his papers — but our Affair of the Report of the Committee to the Quarter: about Degeneracy took up our Time after we had heard Mr. Mellen’s[4] Concio from Rom. 9.15 (which Exercise of his disgusted the most if not every one that heard it) and the Collections.  The Several Articles of said Report were come into beyond Expectation — and all but Mr. Mellen consented to ‘em as they now stand.

[1]The Reverend Mr. Solomon Reed of Framingham.

[2]The son of Edward Goddard, a prominent citizen of Framingham.

[3]The Reverend Mr. Thomas Frink had been the minister of Rutland and Plymouth (Third Church).  At this time he was living in Marlborough.  In 1753 he was made the minister of Rutland District which later became the town of Barre.

[4]The Reverend Mr. John Mellen of Sterling.

August 17, 1748

1748 August 17 (Wednesday).  Mr. Harrington[1] (who has received a Call from Lancaster) preach’d the public Lecture on Mat. 12.26.  Every idle word etc.  Mr. Maccarty came when meeting was ended.  Mr. Frinks papers were read according to his request last night before he went away.  At Mr. Davis’s before Dinner came upon the Table, Opportunity was taken to talk with Mr. Mellen; during which Time Mr. Maccarty and Mr. Harrington were desired to be in the other Room — but Mr. Maccarty was highly affronted.  Pursuant to our above Report the Association agreed to set about the Reading the Scriptures in Public — and to begin a Course of Fasts next April.  I return’d home.  Abraham Batchellor sick.  Mrs. Patty Ward and Mrs. Molly Martyn[2] here.

[1]The Reverend Mr. Timothy Harrington (Harvard 1737) had been the minister of Lower Ashuelot (Swansey, N. H.), 1741-1748.  He served Lancaster, 1748-1795.  Sibley, X, 188-195.

[2]The daughter of the Reverend John Martyn of the north precinct.

August 21, 1748

1748 August 21 (Sunday).  I preach’d at Sutton on 2 Cor. 11.3, a. and p.m.  Din’d at Captain Carters, but after Meetings I repaired to my Kinsmans Mr. Jonathan Fuller, and Supp’d at my Cousen Samuel Trasks.  N.B. Mr. Fullers Daughter Moreton and her Daughter Moreton, also there — and was exceeding glad to see a woman of whom I had heard so much: Mrs. Moreton being the person Mr. Clark[1] of Salem Village wrote his printed Letters about Infant Baptism to.  I lodg’d at Captain Carters.

[1]The Reverend Mr. Peter Clark of Danvers had published The Scripture-Grounds of the Baptism of Christian Infants (Boston, 1735).

August 22, 1748

1748 August 22 (Monday).  In returning from Sutton I first visited Captain Robert Goddard[1] — had Mr. John Hollands Company to Worcester.  I carry’d home Mr. Hedge’s Henry, the Volume on Evangelists and Acts[2] — but Mr. Hedge not at home.  Visited Mr. Maccarty — din’d at Dr. Brecks.[3]  My Studdy Lock to Johnsons to mend the Key.  At Colonel Chandlers.[4]  And at Shrewsbury was at Mr. Edward Goddards for Cheese, at Dr. Smith’s[5] — where was Mr. Cushing Cornet Hayward and Mr. Jonathan Green.  Heard that My Daughter Molly accompany’d by Mr. Wellman had been at Colonel Wards and with Mrs. Patty,[6] was gone to Mr. Morse’s.  But they return’s at Night.

[1]He lived in that part of Sutton that became Millbury.

[2]One of the works of Matthew Henry (1662-1714), the English nonconformist minister.

[3]Samuel Breck, the physician of Worcester.

[4]John Chandler, Jr., the prominent office-holder of Worcester.

[5]Joshua Smith, the physician of Shrewsbury.

[6]The daughter of Colonel Nahum Ward of Shrewsbury.

August 25, 1748

1748 August 25 (Thursday).  Catechiz’d the Children at the Meeting House.  Colonel Ward and Mr. Cushing call’d at Noon as they were going to Mr. Benjamin Fays to a meeting of Officers and desir’d me to give ‘em my Company.  Mr. Martyn and his wife made us a visit today also.  N.B. Mr. James Whipple and Mr. Noah Brooks here for advice about their Grafton difficultys.  I waited upon the officers after my catechizing.  Ensign Bruce made Lieutenant and Mr. Miller Ensign.  Also Mr. Bezaleel Eager made Lieutenant of the North Company.