Author: Anthony Vaver

1738 January 10 (Tuesday).  Visited old Mr. Forbush.[1]  Returned by Mr. Cooks[2] and Mr. Wards.

[1]Thomas Forbush.

[2]Cornelius Cook, son-in-law of Thomas Forbush.

1738 January 11 (Wednesday).  Ensign Maynard here from Boston.  Provisions exceeding Dear there.

1738 January 12 (Thursday).  I rode to visit the Indians, Old David,[1] etc., at their Wigwam.  At Captain Warrin’s about Pork; and rode up to Mr. Reuben Maynards on the same account but he not at home, being gone to Mr. Joseph Miles’ wedding.  N.B. I visited Mr. Samuel Fay and Family, and Mr. Bezaleel Smiths.

[1]David Monanaow or Munnanaw.

1738 January 13 (Friday).  Mr. Elias Havin,[1] on his journey to preach at Leicester here and lodged here.  N.B. Captain Fay here at Evening also, and Mr. Reuben Maynard.  It has been a Week of remarkably warm, pleasant Weather little freezing even o’nights.  N.B. I had visited Rebecca Ward, p.m. being called by Mr. Samuel Fay, junior.

[1]Elias Haven (Harvard 1733), schoolmaster at Hopkinton and later minister of Franklin, 1738-1754.  Sibley, IX, 304-309.

1738 January 14 (Saturday).  Mr. Haven left us.  Very high winds, but not very Cold.  Rebecca Ward[1] dy’d.

[1]Daughter of Increase Ward.

1738 January 15 (Sunday).  Matt. 8.14.15.  John 16.8.  Raw Cold.  Many Weathers.

1738 January 16 (Monday).  Very Cold.  P.M. at Captain Warrins, but he was not at home.

1738 January 17 (Tuesday).  Rebecca Ward was buryed.

1738 January 18 (Wednesday).  [No entry.]

1738 January 19 (Thursday).  Rode up to Captain Fays, to Mr. Reuben Maynards and to Cousin Winchesters.

1738 January 20 (Friday).  The Weather has been for Some Days wondrous fine and moderate.

1738 January 21 (Saturday).  [blank] Miller, a Glazier, mended our Glass.

1738 January 22 (Sunday).  Matt. 8.16.17.  Luk. 1.6.  My Spouse was taken into the Church.  Rained hard in the night.

1738 January 23 (Monday).  At Eve Mr. Miles (son of Deacon Miles) from Concord with a present of Onions.  The same Eve Mr. Horn, Mr. Daniel Fay, and Mr. Joseph Woods of Southborough were here.  In the Hands of the Former were a pair of Gloves for my wife and me from Colonel Chandler[1] of Worcester.

[1]John Chandler, Jr.

1738 January 24 (Tuesday).  Read Dr. Edwards[1] on the Use and Abuse of Apparell.

[1]A work by the English Calvinist divine, John Edwards (1637-1716).
[Addition to note: “The Use and Abuse of Apparel,” in John Edwards, Sermons on Special Occasions and Subjects… (London: Printed for Jonathan Robinson…and John Wyat, 1698).]

1738 January 25 (Wednesday).  Mr. Cushing made us a visit and tarried into Evening.

1738 January 26 (Thursday).  Mr. Increase Ward and his son had requested that we would keep this Day in humiliation and Prayer on account of the Frowns of Heaven upon them in their grievous Sickness and Bereavment.  Considering also that the Providence of God had been remarkable in the Late Mortality.  The Exercise was publickly mentiond in the Congregation the Sabbath past, but because of Mr. Ward’s and his Familys Circumstances we kept it at his House.  Mr. Prentice[1] came at our request and assisted in the Prayers.  I preached on John 2.2.  Repeating with some alterations and Additions, part of my sermon on 1 John 4.10.  Many were gathered together and the Family provided a decent refreshment afterwards.

[1]Reverend Solomon Prentice of Grafton.

1738 January 27 (Friday).  Rain, Cold and windy.  But in general the weather has been unusually Moderate, or rather warm.

1738 January 28 (Saturday).  My Kinsman[1] came up from College upon my Horse, which I sent down for him, by Ensign Maynard.

[1]Elias Parkman (Harvard 1737), Ebenezer Parkman’s nephew.  Sibley, X, 223-224.

1738 January 29 (Sunday).  On Eph. 3.10, a. and p.m.

1738 January 30 (Monday).  How different my State from what it was 2 years agoe!  God has Set one Thing over against another.  We should Sing of the Mercys of the Lord for Ever, but not forgetting his Judgments!  Mr. Seth Rice’s wife here.  We went down to Ensign Maynards in the Evening.  N.B. Mr. Haden here.

1738 January 31 (Tuesday).  Very Cold windy day.  Dr. Gott and his wife and Mr. Timothy Harrington made us a Visit and din’d and spent the Afternoon among us, except what time divers of us were down at Ensign Maynards, where were a Meeting of Houssatunnoc Petitioners for the drawing their Lotts.  N.B. Colonel Woods there also.  Very Cold Evening but they all returnd to Marlborough.  January leaves us like itself, but the most of the month has been the moderatest that most can remember.

1738 February 1 (Wednesday).  [No entry.]

1738 February 2 (Thursday).  I cannot but remember the Wormwood and the Gall of the Funeral Day Two years agoe[1] and Desire my Soul may still be humbled with me.  But God has turned the mourning of the Day (Day Two years agoe) into rejoicing and my sorrow into Gladness.  But O that I may neither forget the Blessing enjoyed in my Dear Molly, nor the holy, Severity of the most high in So Sorely and grievously bereaving me of her!  [Illegible] Storm of Snow.  Clear’d Somewhat when it was towards Evening.

[1]The first Mrs. Parkman died Jan. 29, 1736.

1738 February 3 (Friday).  [No entry.]

1738 February 4 (Saturday).  [No entry.]

1738 February 5 (Sunday).  Matth. 8.18.19.20.  Eph. 5.25.  Rain a.m.

1738 February 6 (Monday).  Cold. Slippery.  Mr. Francis Whipple and his Wife visited us at Eve.

1738 February 7 (Tuesday).  Considerable Storm of Snow.  Ensign Maynard at Evening.  Reading Potters Greek Antiquitys.[1]

[1]John Potter, Archaeologica Graeca: or the Antiquities of Greece, 2 volumes (Oxford, 1697-99).  Numerous other editions followed.

1738 February 8 (Wednesday).  Bright fine Day.  Ensign Maynard went to Boston.  I rode down to the South East of the Town, visited Mr. Bradish,[1] Goslin, Jonathan Bellows, Chamberlain, and at Evening Old Mr. Forbush.

[1]James Bradish.

1738 February 9 (Thursday).  We rode to Marlborough, our Kinsman in Company, he being accommodated with a Horse by Mr. Aaron Forbush.[1]  Mr. Bliss[2] preach’d to the Young Societys in that Town, from Ps. 119.9.  N.B. Confusion in the Singing by the young man’s reading the Longer meeter in Standish Tune, throughout the Singing.  After Service we went to Dr. Gotts, where we were refresh’d for we did not dine at Captain Williams’s where we call’d before meeting.  Divers of us Spent the Eve at the Colonel’s.  My Spouse and I lodg’d at Dr. Gotts, but my Kinsman with Mr. Bliss.

[1]Son of Deacon Thomas Forbush.

[2]Daniel Bliss (Yale 1732), later the minister at Concord, Mass., 1738-1764.  Dexter, pp. 439-440.

1738 February 10 (Friday).  Settled all accompts with Colonel Woods,[1] unto this Day.  Visited Mr. David Goodenow of Westborough under Lameness and Confinement at Marlborough.  Din’d at the Doctors and then rode up home.  Snow’d while we were upon the way.  Town Meeting at Westborough.  N.B. I gave Mr. James Miller a request to be admitted into No. 3 of the Houssatunnocs.  Ensign Maynard brought up divers Things from Boston for me.  N.B. Oysters, Salt Fish, etc.

[1]Benjamin Woods of Marlborough.

1738 February 11 (Saturday).  Ensign Maynard din’d with us upon Salt Fish, etc.

1738 February 12 (Sunday).  Mr. Grow[1] dined with us.  Variable Weather.  Eph. 5.25.  Repeated Sermon 2 on Matt. 20.6.  From 1 Tim. 5.13.

[1]Samuel Grow of Westborough.

1738 February 13 (Monday).  Mr. Tainter came and kill’d our Hog.  Weigh’d about 12 score.  N.B. Mr. Tainters Cousen Kendal[1] of Suffield here.  They din’d with us.  N.B. I wrote to Mr. Timothy Woodbridge[2] junior of Simsbury by Mr. Kendall.  Brother Hicks just at night pinch’d up the Barn Floor, and cutt up and Salted my Pork at Evening.  Potter’s Antiquities.

[1]Susanna, daughter of Deacon Simon Tainter, married Thomas Kendall of Suffield, Conn.

[2](Yale 1732), tutor at Yale College at this time and later minister in Hatfield, Mass., 1740-1770.  Dexter, p. 469.