Author: Anthony Vaver

April 13, 1736

1736 April 13 (Tuesday).  Mr. Prentice of Grafton and then Mr. Cushing, came; and we all proceeded to Southborough to Ministers Meeting.  Left David Ploughing in order to sowing Some Rie.  Mr. Josiah Swan[1] Examined, and gave an Exercise on Mat. 5.14.  He was approved and we gave him a Certificate.  Four of us Lodged at Ensign Timothy Brighams.

[1]Josiah Swan (1712-1777), Harvard 1733, minister of Dunstable, N.H., 1738-1746.  SHG, 9:331-32.

April 15, 1736

1736 April 15 (Thursday).  Rainy.  Mr. Solomon Prentice at our Public Lecture, on [blank].  The Church stopped after Lecture — see Church Records.[1]  Though Rainy yet Mr. Prentice would go home.

[1]“The Church Stopped on Account of First the Proposal, respecting a Consociation in the County of Worcester; but it was desired that this matter, so New and so weighty might still lye for more mature Consideration – The Second Affair was contained in a Letter from the Church of Sutton, Setting forth that our Brother Peres Rice had refused to join with them and come under their Watch and Discipline, though dismissed from us, therefor) for some Special Reasons (as he Suggests) which Reasons they pray may be required of him by the Church in Westborough, and sent to them as our satisfaction with them that they may be satisfyed that there [is?] nothing reflecting or reproaching either them Selves or any of their Members, in said Special Reasons.  The Church of Westborough voted, that in Compliance with the Request of Said Letter, a Line should be sent to our said Brother Rice desiring or requiring those Reasons – The Last Article was, the Practice the Pastor had (as occasion required)  gone into of forbidding both parties to approach to Special ordinances when Complaint has been brought by one Brother against another, till the matter can be laid before the Church; which Practice the Church confirmed and settled by their (Silential) vote” (WCR, 40).

April 16, 1736

1736 April 16 (Friday).  Mr. Tainter and Mr. Daniel Forbush gave me a Days work in Digging stones down in the New Ground on the south side, and I Set David to Digging with them.  I was obliged to send my Desire to Brother Samuel Hardy, to Brother Baker etc. to request that unless they Should make up their Difference they would wave their approach to the Communion till some further Care can be taken about the matter.

April 22, 1736

1736 April 22 (Thursday).  Sent for to Mr. Ithamar Bellows’s wife.[1]  She was very Low; had lately lain in,[2] and had a great Degree of Fever: very self Judging; but not without Earnest Longing after the Divine Favour.  I was at Capt. Warrins little Moses lyes in a Languishing Condition yet.  John Rogers[3] helped David to Day in Carting Muck.  Our own Cattle and Horse; Ensign Maynards Cart.  I Catechized on North side.  N.B. Neighbour Josiah Rice cut his Leg and bled in so great Degree that they were in very great Fears what would be the Event.

[1]Mary, wife of Ithamar Bellows.

[2]Seth, son of Ithemore and Mary Bellows, b. Apr. 15, 1736; d. May 18, 1736 (WVR, 18, 229)

[3]John Rogers, son of William and Mercy Rogers.

April 29, 1736

1736 April 29 (Thursday).  Received from Brother Samuel Parkman a Mournfull Letter of the Death of his Dear Daughter Dorcas[1] taken with Sore Throat the 18th.  Expired the 24.  Buryed 28.

[1]Dorcas, daughter of Samuel Parkman.  Death not in Robert J. Dunkle and Ann S. Lainhart, comps., Deaths in Boston, 1700 to 1799 (2 vols.; Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999).

April 30, 1736

1736 April 30 (Friday).  Mr. Jonah Warrin and Mr. Noah Rice came (upon hire) to get me Posts.  Mr. Warrin went away p.m.  It is an unusually Cold and Melancholly Season.  Grass very backward and Hay very short.  I hear it has gone hard with many Cattle in the Towns above us.  Through Divine Smiles I have Hay, Some Sufficiency, And have entertained Mr. Ebenezer Locks Cow most of the winter, and Brother Hicks’s 2 Steers the Spring.

May 1, 1736

1736 May 1 (Saturday).  David Bathrick went with my Team to the Ministerial Lot and brought up a Load of the Posts and Rails got by Lieutenant Holloway etc.  P.M. Mr. Ivory Hovey came up to see me and Returned to Marlborough.  He informed me of the Death of Mr. Mather Withington, late preacher and in Nomination at Marlborough.  David ploughed part of the Afternoon.

May 3, 1736

1736 May 3 (Monday).  I rode over to Mr. Fergusons.  Discoursed with Mr. Caruth of his Difference with his wife.  Visited Ensign Forbushwho is very bad of a pluretic Fever.  And at Eve Mr. Aaron Hardy who is also Sick of a Fever.  David to Day some Muck, some ploughing.  Cold Season yet.

May 4, 1736

1736 May 4 (Tuesday).  David finished our ploughing over for planting.  Ebenezer drove the Oxen at ploughing.  P.M. I rode to Beriah Rice’s to have my Horse shod.  N.B. at nigh one o’Clock I was called out of my Bed by Lieut. Baker, who was accompanyed by Capt. Forbush, Neighbour Bradish, Josiah Newton, Abijah Bruce, John Hicks and Samuel Hardy, to deliver me a Confession to be read to the Church Signed by the last of these persons, on account of his writing and uttering certain defaming verses of which Mary Bradish was the Authoress — See [blank].[1]

[1]On May 4, 1736, “Brother Samuel Hardy offered a Confession for his writing and so being instrumental in uttering forth, divers verses to the Defamation and Reproach of the Committee which the Town had improved to search out who Cut the Pulpit Cusheon, and to the Reproach of divers other persons….  This Confession was read, and he was restored” WCR,41).

May 5, 1736

1736 May 5 (Wednesday).  A very pleasant, Warm Air — almost the first and the only Springlike Day — so Cold and melancholly has the Spring been.  Late p.m. Mr. John Tucker of Boston, pump Maker, came with his Tools to go to work for me; but he did not go to work this Eve.  Mr. Jonah Warrin came and wrought upon the Posts (See April 30) and with Davids Help half the Day or thereabouts, finished ‘em — above 60.  Ensign Maynard rode my Horse to Boston.

May 6, 1736

1736 May 6 (Thursday).  Mr. Tucker began to work upon my Pump.  Neighbour Aaron Forbush came and gave me the forenoon in Boring: And Benjamin How — Rain p.m., beat off all my Hands from work — except that David Employed himself about making a Bench for the outside of the Kitchin, Eastward.  Rev. Mr. Hall of Sutton came towards Night, in the Rain, and lodged with us.  Mr. Tucker not well at Eve.

May 7, 1736

1736 May 7 (Friday).  A good Day for our Pump Business, and an Excellent warm Day for the Earth.  David Bathrick and Jotham Maynard boring.  P.M. Benjamin How at work here.  Mr. Hall went home.  I visited Deborah Brigham who is Sick of a Fever.  Ensign Maynard who rode down my Horse to Boston to wait upon my honoured and aged Mother up hither, came up without her.  The Reason Sarah Tiley Sick of the Distemper. 

May 11, 1736

1736 May 11 (Tuesday).  Mr. Tucker fitting Pump Boxes, Spire etc.  My Red Heifer drove up into the Woods beyond Brookfield Town; the Care of Driving etc. taken by Capt. Warrin.  We began to Plant.  Very good weather for our Business; p.m. especially.  I rode to Mr. Josi. Newtons for Pump Leather.  Simon Tainter junior[1] here in the Eve with Message from the Private Meeting requesting me to preach to them.

[1]Simon Tainter, Jr., b. Apr. 8, 1715.