Category: Diary

1756 November 11 (Thursday).  Rain a.m.  P.M. My wife and I, Thomas and Lucy accompanied by Capt. Baldwin, go over to Mr. Martyns, and at Eve we celebrate the Nuptials of Mrs. Molly to Dr. Minot of Concord.  Mrs. P________ and I lodge there.

1756 November 12 (Friday).  We Stayed till after Dinner at Mr. Martyns; In returning home we made a short Visit to Mr. Ebenezer Maynard and Wife.

1756 November 13 (Saturday).  Sister Forb. lies in a very low Condition yet.  I made her another Visit.  Billy brings home a shoat which I bought of Mr. Mason — weighed 84 lb. at 12 d. per pound alive.  P.M. I attended the buryal of Lt. Jonas Brighams Son Antipas, of about 6.

1756 November 14 (Sunday).  My Son Forb. preached for me, a.m. on Mat. 12.13, p.m. on John 6.28.29.  Which may the Lord accompany with His Special Blessing!  My Cousen Sadler and old Mrs. Tainter dined with us.  At Eve Mr. Forb. went to See his Mother, and tarryed there, She remayning in a low Condition.

1756 November 15 (Monday).  I visited her once more my Self.  She tells me She is not only willing to die; She is desirous of it.  And when I asked her whether She thought it was upon good Grounds? She answered If it were not why Should she Wish for it?  I dined there.  P.M. called to See Monsieur LeBlanch again.

1756 November 16 (Tuesday).  Billy has his Brothers Oxen and a Yoke of Mr. D. Hardy’s, and Nathan Kenny helps him in ploughing; and in harrowing in Rye, in the field behind the Meeting House.  Mr. Aaron Nurse sows the Grain.  N.B. Samuel Hicks here.  Dines with us; and informs me that his Father is at Worcester; and, as he expressed it, has taken the Strong Fort there.

1756 November 17 (Wednesday).  My Wife and Lucy ride to Marlborough and buy of Mrs. Anna Brigham nigh 70 £’s Worth of her Goods; at Eve return home.  Ebenezer with his Oxen, Mare and my Mare harrow the Field abovesaid, Billy driving, and Mr. Aaron Nurse sowing.  N.B. they dined here.  Mr. Forb. and his Wife went to his Father’s, his Mother lying in an extremely low State: and they tarry there.

1756 November 18 (Thursday).  This Morning Mr. Forb. and his Wife returned, and inform me that their Mother Forb. expired last night about 9 o’clock.  She had led a useful Life, and had hope in her Death.  This is now a wide and awful Breach!  The 5th that has dyed in that House of late.  The aged Deacon is also taken with the Distemper, though he be not bad yet.  Surely O Lord thou art a God that dost hide thy Self.  Thy Judgments are a Great [Deep?]!  Mr. Forb. etc. ride over to the North End.  I preached a Lecture to the Young Men — the Text Tit. 2.6, from page 17 to middle of p. 23, and used part of page 27.  But few at Meeting besides the Young people.  May God Himself give His Almighty Blessing!

 

N.B. My little Anna-Sophia goes alone across the Room, She being this Day 13 months old.

1756 November 19 (Friday).  Attended the Funeral of old Deacon Forbush’s Wife, my kind Sister in Law, who I hope is gone to inherit the Promises.  At Eve My son and Daughter Forb. and their little Lydia left us to go on their Journey to Brookfield.  May God grant ‘em to be brought on their Journey after a godly sort!

1756 November 20 (Saturday).  Alexander remains in but a feeble State.  Breck remains at t’other House.

1756 November 21 (Sunday).  I preached on Mat. 25.6 and part of 10th verse a. and p.m.  Deacon Forb. dined with us.  Divers persons give Thanks for recovery and there is now no one that I know of, who is Sick, but is in the way of Restoration.  D.G.

1756 November 22 (Monday).  [No entry.]

1756 November 23 (Tuesday).  Mr. John Child (the Glazier) here and mends our Windows.

1756 November 24 (Wednesday).  I made a visit a.m. to the French people.  Invited the Man and woman to come and dine with me tomorrow.

1756 November 25 (Thursday).  Publick Thanksgiving.  I preached on Ps. 150 from the 3d v. to the End.  A stormy time.  Snowed hard.  Monsieur Le Blanche was not well enough to come out but his Wife, and Daughter Mary, were at Meeting and dined with Me.

1756 November 26 (Friday).  Master John Martyn here, and bears a Message from his Father, desiring me to change next Lords Day.  Mr. John Mead here and dines with me.  Winterlike Weather.

1756 November 27 (Saturday).  Magdalene and Mary Le Blanch here p.m. and behave them Selves with decency.  Billy finishes thrashing our small Crop of Rye.  At night I was under great Indisposition by a Lax.

1756 November 28 (Sunday).  I have not had my Cloths wholly off all night being obliged to rise so frequently.  Early in the Morning sent Billy to Mr. Martyn to acquaint him with my Indisposition: It was also misty and Sloppy uncomfortable stirring.  But though I could not venture to ride to the North End, yet I went to Meeting here and preached — a.m. on Rev. 22.14 and p.m. on Mat. 25.6.  Widow Joanna Forb. and her sisters, Mrs. Woods and Mrs. Sadler, as also Mrs. Chamberlin, dined here.  In the afternoon I felt such disorder in my Bowels just as I was going to name my Text, that I feared I Should be obliged to go out: but I went through what I had prepared and made what decent dispatch I could in the whole Exercise, and hastened home.  Found it needfull to lye down, but am not to day followed with very frequent evacuations.  I find that others are in this working State — almost all my Family were obliged to get up last night, and I hear that others were so last week.

1756 November 29 (Monday).  Was at Mr. Rolf’s, where came Mr. Solomon Prentice.  I was also at Lt. Forbush’s, a.m.  P.M. and Evening am reading some of the incomparable writings of Mrs. Rowe.  To which are added some of her Husbands: Mr. Thomas Rowe.  But I have abundant Reason to humble my Self before God for the Great Unprofitableness of my Life; and am divers ways under Gods holy Frowns.  May the Lord grant me the Grace necessary for me that I may seriously reflect; and that I may be Quickened to New Obedience, that through the Merits of the glorious Jesus I may be recovered, and obtain the divine Favour!

1756 November 30 (Tuesday).  Snow’d Night and part of the Morning — then Rain.  Capt. Baldwin came from Brookfield, and arrived here at Night.

1756 December 1 (Wednesday).  I rode over to Mr. Martyns: Capt. Baldwin and Lucy with me; to wait on Dr. Minot and his New spouse, as they are now going to Concord.  I accompanyed them as far as Coll. Williams’s.  (There were 13 Horses, every one riding single.)  Capt. B. and Lucy went with them to Concord.  I went to Mr. Smiths and to Esquire Brighams (where I found Mr. Smith).  At Eve I returned home.

1756 December 2 (Thursday).  Mr. Aaron Nurse assisted in killing a small sow; weighed a little more than 6 Score.  P.M. preached at Deacon Forbush’s on Hos. 6.1.  As I came back called to see Le Blanche; and found Biglow sick.  Mr. Forbush came from Cambridge.  He went to his Fathers to lodge.

1756 December 3 (Friday).  An exceeding Cold Day.  Mr. Forb. to Brookfield.  Returned by him Sir Crawfords 1st Vol. of Art of Pleasing in Conversation.  P.M. Mr. John Freeland, Taylor, works here, making Coats for our Boys.  At Eve Capt. Baldwin and Lucy from Concord.

1756 December 4 (Saturday).  Capt. Baldwin, after dining at t’other House, setts out for Brookfield.  Mr. Freeland works here.  P.M. I rode over to Mr. Martyns and lodged there.

1756 December 5 (Sunday).  I preached at the North End on Mat. 25.6 a. and p.m. and returned home at Evening.  May God grant it may be awakening both to the Audience and to me!  N.B. My old School-Mate, Mr. Benjamin Goldthwait, now a Major in the Army, as I suppose, being on his Journey from the Lake, turned in to the Exercise p.m.  Mr. Martyn preached for me, on Job 35.10 and Hab. 3.16

1756 December 6 (Monday).  A very Cold Day, and perhaps not inferior to last Friday.  Neighbour Rolf’s House, I hear, narrowly escaped being burnt.  At Eve Billy goes to Mr. Joseph Bruces with many others, on the Affair of setting up an Artillery Company.

1756 December 7 (Tuesday).  Last night exceeding Cold

1756 December 8 (Wednesday).  Mr. Tainter, Mr. Thomas Twitchel and Mr. Eleazer Whitney dined here.

1756 December 9 (Thursday).  Visited Old Mr. Fay — was at Capt. Fays.

1756 December 10 (Friday).  Was at Le Blanche’s at Eve.  His Wife Sick.  N.B. I found in one of his Books that the Ten Commandments were very oddly disposed — viz. the 2d Commandment wholly omitted, and to make up the Number 10, the 10th was divided; the 9th was thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours wife — and the 10th thou shalt not covet thy Neighbours House etc.

1756 December 11 (Saturday).  Magdalene and Mary Le Blanch here for Something for their Mother who is no better.

1756 December 12 (Sunday).  Preached a. and p.m. on Mat. 25.6.10.  Mrs. Chamberlin and Daniel How dined here.  May God impress our Souls with His word!

1756 December 13 (Monday).  Mrs. Mary Nurse at work, making little Boys Coats.  I rode into the south of the Town — visit Le Blanch, his Wife better.  At Lt. Tainters, Ensign Millers and his sons, James and Daniels, Widow Thurstons, and Mr. Grows.  N.B. Town Meeting to Consider Town Debts etc.  Very pleasant, Spring-like Day.  Snow all gone.  O that I might have inward brightness and pleasure!

1756 December 14 (Tuesday).  Mrs. Mary Nurse.  Mrs. Pierponts Papers.

1756 December 15 (Wednesday).  Mrs. Mary Nurse.  Neighbour Blanch’s Son [blank] came to visit his Father, with another French Man, that marryed a Daughter.  Ebenezer brought me a side of Beef being part of his own steer weighed 220 (both of them).  A Cold Day.