December 1, 1751

1751 December 1 (Sunday).  The most Snowy, winterlike Morning that have had all this Season.  Although I had not any extraordinary hindrances in the Course of the week yet by one affair, or Concern or Care or Other I was so far interrupted that I finish’d but one sermon.  Read Numb. 24.  Preach’d on Mat. 19.4.5.6.  P.M. Read Rom. 14.  Repeated Sermon on Mal. 3.17, to page 8.

December 2, 1751

1751 December 2 (Monday).  Various weather.  Early Morn fair.  Cloudy generally through the Day, and not very Cold — but the Earth with a very Winter Face.  Mr. Hall[1] of Sutton din’d here, in his Way to Concord.  Sent Mr. Henry Goold 7£ old Tenor by him.  Read Sir Hovenden Walkers journal of his Expedition to Canada.[2]  Mr. Samuel Harrington here in the Evening.  Ebenezer and Thomas brought a Side of an Hog, kill’d at t’other House — weigh’d (the whole Hog) 11 Score and 17 pound.

[1]The Reverend David Hall.

[2]A Journal. . . of the late Expedition to Canada (London, 1720).  Admiral Walker commanded the ill-fated expedition against Quebec in 1711, which ran into stormy weather, lost 8 transports and 900 men in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and then returned to England.

December 5, 1751

1751 December 5 (Thursday).  Last Night and to Day Very cold.  Rode Lieutenant Tainters Horse to Mr. Bradish’s to the Private Meeting there.  Preach’d on Jer. 6.16, to page 13.  N.B. The Company Besides Mr. Bradish, his Wife, son and Daughter were Deacon Forbush, Deacon Newton, Lieutenant Tainter and his son — and Four Women.  At Night snow’d hard.  N.B. Mr. Abraham Temple who brought from Boston Lining and Trimming for a Blue Cloth Jacket for me, din’d with us.  At Eve Mr. Biglo, Mr. Daniel Hardy and Mr. Benjamin Winchester here.  Billy not well, but is better.v

December 6, 1751

1751 December 7 (Saturday).  Reverend Mr. Hall of Sutton din’d here.  N.B. He paid Mr. Henry Goold 18/ lawful Money, and brought me my Note — and 5/ Change (old Tenor).  And thus I have wholly finish’d with Mr. Goold.  N.B. I had sufficient Preparations made Seasonably before the Sabbath — which was a great Comfort to me.  However I Still added as New Thoughts were Supply’d, especially in the Heads of Application.

December 8, 1751

1751 December 8 (Sunday).  Bright and Cold.  Read Numb. 25.  Preach’d a.m. on Mat. 19.6.  Patty Pannell din’d here.  P.M. read Rom. 15.  Preach’d a Sermon I now added to that made on Occasion of my Daughter Elizabeths Baptism upon Mal. 3.17.  At the Close of it read from passages in the Boston Gazett or Weekly Journal No 1655.[1]

[1]Evidently Parkman read all or part of a moralizing piece that appeared under the title “From a late Magazine.”

December 9, 1751

1751 December 9 (Monday).  Cold.  I rode up to Mr. Samuel Hardys to See his Daughter Sarah, who has been Sick of a Fever some Time.  N.B. I call’d at Mr. Benjamin Fays.  N.B. I Saw two persons of the Neighbourhood there drinking Drams (Adonijah Rice[1] and John Dunlop), and I gave them a Brief Word upon it.  I call’d also at Mr. Phinehas Hardy’s to see him after his Recovery from his Wounds by the Fall of a great Log upon him.  N.B. We began to keep Geese here at the new House.  For Ebenezer brought a Gander from the other House, and I bought a Goose of Mr. Ebenezer Rice.  Mr. Daniel Hardy brought a Load of Wood.

[1]The son of Charles Rice of Westborough.

December 10, 1751

1751 December 10 (Tuesday).  Somewhat Pleasant Day.  Sir Forbush (being come from Brookfield) din’d here.  Mr. Simon Tainter brought a Load of Wood from Elijah Rice’s Swamp.  Mr. Phinehas Hardy a Load from his own place.  Lieutenant Forbush and Neighbour Batheric here and want to talk about the affair of Sudbury Council, and have been displeas’d; what they have been disquieted with was (as they apprehended) my not giving the Church Liberty to Send if they had been o’ Mind to.  Whereas they acknowledg’d that I gave Space for them to speak if they had had Disposition to Say any Thing: but what they complain of is that I did not ask the Church to Speak, as I have indeed sometimes done, when I have Seen them as I thought too Backward.  But however, as to Sending, it was not expected of us, after what I had Said to Captain Richardson and therefore the Reading of the Letters was merely to oblige them.  N.B. Ebenezer and Thomas are gone to wait on Dr. Chase, who, to Day brings his Wife[1] from Sutton.  Mrs. Lucy Bowker p.m. at Work making me a Cloth Jacket.

[1]Thomas Chase married Mary White, Sept. 26, 1751.  John C. Chase and George W. Chamberlain, Seven Generations of the Descendants of Aquila and Thomas Chase (Derry, N.H., 1928), p. 102.

December 12, 1751

1751 December 12 (Thursday).  A fine pleasant Day.  Sir Forbush dines with me, and p.m. preaches to the Young people on [blank].  Take heed that the Light which is in you be [blank].[1]  In which he takes his Leave of the Society.  Lieutenant Holloway here after Meeting.  May God give His Blessing to the Word deliver’d!  N.B. one of the Heifers which we have been wont to keep here, calv’d — Samuel Bumpso kind and helpfull about the Calf — that it may be Comfortable in the Hovel: Billy being gone to Mill at Southborough with the first Grist of Corn that we ever sent from this House.

[1][Additional footnote: Luke 11.35, “Take heed therefore, that the light which is in thee be not darkness.”]

December 13, 1751

1751 December 13 (Friday).  Mr. Harrington and Eleazer Whitney going to Chauncy-Meadows for Hay, brought each of them a Load of Wood.  P.M. Mrs. Forbush, the Deacons Wife, fell from Mr. Wymans (of Shrewsbury) Horse, a little South of the Stables.  She was much stunn’d.  Mr. Wyman and I took her up in an arm Chair and brought her into my House.  Sent for Dr. Chase, who came: he let her Blood.  She by Degrees came to.  I sent by her son Bowman to her Husband.  He and his son Jonathan and Mr. Tainter brought a Whirrey, and they carry’d her Home.  N.B. Mrs. Rachel Rice[1] came to our help.  N.B. I talk’d with her upon the sorrowful Subject of her Childrens Drinking.

[1]Mrs. Charles Rice.

December 16, 1751

1751 December 16 (Monday).  Exceeding Cold.  Reckon’d with Aaron Warrin.  His account was £11 10.4 old Tenor.  But the Glass which he had of me came to 42/ — gave him a Note for 9.8.4.  Lieutenant Holloway here.  Spoke to him of the Towns Debt to me.  He own’d it to be just — said he would talk with the Select Men about it — and forward it with those of the precinct that he could.

December 19, 1751

1751 December 19 (Thursday).  Sent by Mr. Jacob Whipple[1] of Grafton to Mr. Thomas Fleet,[2] printer, concerning my Young Horse.  See his Paper of Last Monday.  At Eve Ebenezer and Lucy came over and Supp’d here.  N.B. My Discourse with Ebenezer about his Settling in the World.  I made him various offers for his Encouragement and he acquainted me with his Desires to Marry.

[1]The son of Deacon James Whipple.

[2]Publisher of The Boston Evening-Post. The issue of Dec. 9, 1751, contained the following advertisement: “To be sold, a good Draught Horse. Enquire of the Printer.”

December 25, 1751

1751 December 25 (Wednesday).  Stormy and Cold.  Mr. Beeton here.  He brought home various pieces of Work — a shovel, in particular the wood of which Ebenezer had made.  I went over to the other House (not having been there for a great While).  Ebenezer (I conceive) going to Boston with my Young Horse, to Mr. Thomas Goldthwait — but to my disappointment he is not going.  Sir Forbush from the North Side, where he went not without Expectation that there was a Lecture appointed.  The proposal was Lieutenant Holloways — but Mr. Martyn forgot it.

December 26, 1751

1751 December 26 (Thursday).  I went over to t’other House again and Sent off Ebenezer with my Horse to Boston — he himself riding the Mare.  A.M. It was a Snow Storm, but it was clear by that he was out of Town.  My urgency arose from our being in Danger of loosing this Opportunity — and we are short of Hay.  When I return’d Mr. Joslin was here — brought money.

December 28, 1751

1751 December 28 (Saturday).  Mr. Simon Tainter brought (as he call’d it) a Small Jagg of Wood from Elijah Rice’s — he and his son din’d here.  Stormy.  Snow — rain — p.m. came Deacon Mellen[1] of Hopkinton with a Letter from the Church in Holliston to our’s to sit in Council there on January 8, next; there having arisen Difficultys among some of their members — Viz. Captain Ephraim Littlefield and Mr. Daniel Mellen.

[1]Henry Mellen.

December 29, 1751

1751 December 29 (Sunday).  Ebenezer return’d from Boston last night — and brings News that Brother Samuel Parkman is ill of a Fever.  Read Numb. 28 and gave some observations.  Preach’d a.m. on Job 33.27.  P.M. read 1 Cor. 11, and preach’d on number 2.  Us’d sermon on this Text, which were compos’d when I was young (Viz. June 1724).  I therefore made great alterations and additions (in delivering although not in Writing) proceeding to page 8.  After the usual Exercise I stopp’d the Church and read the Letter from the Church in Holliston, and ask’d for a Vote, but there were but very few Hands — after repeatedly requesting that they would offer Some Reason which I might Send with our Answer, for our not complying, Justice Baker Said he believ’d there was Some Difficulty among ourselves which was the Reason — and after further Enquiry, I found it was, and with respect to Me, he himself and others being dissatisfy’d with my so suddenly dismissing the Church when I had read the Sudbury Brethren’s Letter on November 24.  Mr. Francis Whipple Stops to the Same Purpose.  I answer’d (in Substance) that if I had given the Church Ground of Offence it was altogether undesign’d, and I was utterly insensible of it, at the Time of it: that I conceiv’d I gave Time eno’ for any Body to Speak if they had desir’d it.  But that indeed Such were the Nature and Circumstances of the Affair, that I did not expect any Thing would be Said — For what I designed’d in Reading those Letters and in acquainting them with what I had done about them was, to oblige the Sudbury Brethren and to gratifie the Church also hoping for their Satisfaction and Concurrence in what I had done if they approv’d of it, or otherwise, to have the Church’s Sentiments and apprehensions about what was my and their Duty.  So that I was So far from designing to give any Offence, that it was all done out of Respect and to avoid all manner of Ground and of offence: That I could freely appeal to the Consciences of all that I was always Stanch for order; and though I would vindicate the Authority of the Ministry, yet made Conscience of not invading the Privileges of the Church — and as to this present Article, it was (as I apprehended) wholly owning to a Misunderstanding of the Design I had in Staying the Church.  And if the Time which I gave for any Brother to Speak (if any one inclin’d to) was Short, yet I thought it as long as was at all needfull or could be desir’d in such short Days and Cold Weather (N.B. it was Sacrament Day also), when people are uneasy to get home — So that I had no imagination that any one was disquieted.  But if they any of them were then uneasy, it would have been much more proper to have manifested it before now; either at the Time of it, or at least to have come to See me and Speak to me of it (as Several had done, and I had satisfy’d them) than to let it alone all this Time; and now make it Such an Obstruction to our Duty.  I Said I hop’d they were not fond of Divisions, and of having Councils to come here too for we ought to learn by the Evils which others suffer’d ourselves to beware.  These Things were Said at divers Times, in replying to Brother Baker and others — but to him chiefly — little else being offer’d but what was by him — And I added, that if the Space which was given (however I apprehended it) between reading the Letters etc and my dismissing the Church, was verily too short, I was Sorry for it, and I ask’d their Pardon.  But Justice Baker said that did not satisfie him; but he would take a Time to come and see me; which (that we might make Short) was propos’d to others also to do, and to do it in this ensuing Week — that So this Hindrance being remov’d we might next Lords Day Act upon the Holliston Letter.  This Obstruction was a Trouble to me; but that the Brethren should be so much disquieted as this came to, and yet keep it from me so long, till I am far less Capable of making Defence, did not a little Disturb me.

December 30, 1751

1751 December 30 (Monday).  Very Cold Season.  I went over to t’other House, and receiv’d Ebenezers Account of his late Journey, in which he sold my Horse for 90£ old Tenor.  It Storm’d and Snow’d hard.  Zachary Hicks[1] was here from Sutton and lodg’d here.  Ebenezer assisted by Mr. Barns[2] kill’d our Chamberlin cow.

[1]Zachariah was the son of John Hicks of Sutton.  Benedict and Tracy, Sutton, p. 660.

[2]Richard Barns of Westborough.

December 31, 1751

1751 December 30 (Monday).  Very Cold Season.  I went over to t’other House, and receiv’d Ebenezers Account of his late Journey, in which he sold my Horse for 90£ old Tenor.  It Storm’d and Snow’d hard.  Zachary Hicks[1] was here from Sutton and lodg’d here.  Ebenezer assisted by Mr. Barns[2] kill’d our Chamberlin cow.

[1]Zachariah was the son of John Hicks of Sutton.  Benedict and Tracy, Sutton, p. 660.

[2]Richard Barns of Westborough.