Category: Diary

1773 October 12 (Tuesday).  Mr. Nathaniel Whitney informs me that Mr. Samuel Fay (whom he has been to See of late) is not only poor, but expressed himself concerning me, his Pitying Friend, as if he was out of Frame.  Mrs. Martyn and her Daughter in law, Mr. Richards Wife, made us a Visit, and dine here.  Wrote to my Son Baldwin about my Cattle, and to Alexander.  Mrs. Martyn took the Care of these Letters.

1773 October 13 (Wednesday).  My Kinsman Bradshaw came from Boston and from his Fathers.  He brought me Reynolds Gods Revenge against Murder and Gods Treasury displayed.  N.B. I delivered to him 60£ old Tenor to be delivered to Mr. Forbes, and for it I have his (Bradshaws) Receipt.  He dines here as do Dr. Joslin and Mrs. Cotton from Hopkinton.  The Men go to Grafton, Mrs. Cotton tarrys with us.

1773 October 14 (Thursday).  I rode to Grafton Lecture.  Called to See Joseph Grout junior.  Dined at Mr. Daniel Grosvenors Lodgings, viz. at young Mr. Merriams.  Mr. Sumner preached on Deut. 32.47, which may God bless and prosper for our Saving Good!  We retired after Meeting to Mr. Jonathan Wheelers and drank Tea.  We also stepped in to see Mrs. Hutchinson, her husband being gone to preach at Colrain.  I returned home at Evening.  Though Jonathan Maynard had laid aside the Design of our Husking to day, yet he undertook to get Hands together and they cut up, carted in the rest of the Corn, So that at Eve about 30 Hands came and husked it out.  We got ‘em a supper, and had Mr. John Harrington to tend and Mr. Thaddeus Warrins Wife to Cook.  Dr. Joslyn and Mrs. Cotton here, but the Doctor went with Dr. Haws to lodge.  Mr. Benjamin Webb, School master, among the People; and he returned Thanks.  We Sang part of Ps. 65, v. 2 and v. 8 to the End of 11.

1773 October 15 (Friday).  Dr. Joslyn tarries at Dr. Hawes, Settling difficult matters between them till after Dinner.  P.M. he came and waited upon Mrs. Cotton home.  The Town had a Meeting to Sell their Remnants of Stuff and Stock.  The Carpenters, House-Joyners etc. finish their Work at the Meeting House.

1773 October 16 (Saturday).  The Painter and Others are finishing the colouring, tarring over [illegible] etc. the Roof of the Meeting House.  P.M. I was at the Funeral of Mr. Artemas Bruce’s Child, of about 2 Months old.  Rode to Grafton and lodged at Mr. Joseph Merriams (the Deacons Son’s).  Mr. Daniel Grosvenor, Candidate, to Westborough.

1773 October 17 (Sunday).  Preached at Grafton, a.m. on Mark XIV.14.15.  Administered there the Sacrament of the Lords Supper, and dined at Mr. Jonathan Wheeler’s.  P.M. preached on Ps. 139.23.24.  All Success depends on God.  I implored pardoning Mercy, His gracious acceptance and Concurrence!  The Vows of God are upon me: O that I might perform them!  Returned to Mr. Merriams at Eve, and lodged there.  The Deacon and his Wife came there to Supper.  Mr. Grosvenor (having preached at Westborough a.m. on Phil. 3.19 and p.m. on Prov. 13.7) returned,  and Lodged with me at Mr. Merriams.  N.B. Lieut. Phinehas Leland lies dead: am informed that he dyed (hopefully) in Christ.  And Blessed are the Dead that dye in the Lord!  By desire, I appointed the Funeral.  O that we might be followers of them that through Faith and Patience inherit etc.

1773 October 18 (Monday).  Mr. Grosvenor and I broke Fast at Deacon Merriams.  N.B. I committed Mr. Hall of Suttons Book, Mr. Burroughs on Hosea Vol. 1 to be delivered safely to Mr. Hall.  In returning, called at Mr. Benajah Brigham’s, who and Wife are newly come to their place among us, to make them a Visit.  At home find that Breck has hired Mr. Jacob Snow to work for him, in building a Pew in the Meeting House.  With him Joshua Chamberlin: and here they diet.

1773 October 19 (Tuesday).  Both those workmen here.  Breck (p.m.) Sets out for Boston.  I send by him Mrs. Melvilles Book, viz. the Translation of Sir Thomas Mores Utopia, which I have read.  An happy Common Wealth no doubt!  But with great Defects!  [Here a Greek word.]  It is the Day for the Association to meet at Mr. Bridge’s at Sudbury: but I am unable to attend.  My Horse being sold, I tryed in Vain to get an Horse.  It was also very rainy in the early Morning and the Journey so great as to require very early Setting out, so that after my Disappointments yesterday, there was no time nor room to [illegible]; though it was to my great Trouble.  Employed in Mr. Lorings Diary.  It takes up much Time to read it so as to make the Table of Contents; but affords Quickening and Instruction.  God grant I may be profited by it!

1773 October 20 (Wednesday).  Mr. Joseph Pope is this Day to be ordained, at Spencer.  May he and the people he is to be set over, and those Servants of God that carry on the Solemnity, have much of the divine Presence with them!  And I wish they may have lasting peace and Joy!  May I ever remember the Solemn Charge which I have received!  May I be humbled under a  sense of my unfaithfulness and unprofitableness this long time that the Lord has continued me in the work; for which Patience of God I would bless His Name; and entreat Grace that may be sufficient for me the little Time I may be still endured.

1773 October 21 (Thursday).  Capt. Peter Coffin of Cape Ann, and his Son in law Mr. Nathaniel Smith going up to Brookfield, came, and dined here.  It is supposed that his son Peter (who has been sick) is so recovered as to be gone up to be marryed.  May a gracious God extend His Favour and Smiles, and may my grand Daughter, as well as the Bridegroom, be espoused to Jesus Christ!  Mr. Harrington, Chamberlin and Champney dined here.  At Eve came Messrs. Hezekiah Taylor, Benjamin Guild, and Amariah Frost, made me a Visit and lodged here.

1773 October 22 (Friday).  The young Gentlemen left us.  The workmen did not lodge here, and Except Mr. Harrington (being two of them now at work for Lt. Baker) did not come to dinner here.  Mrs. P________ not well.  At Eve Breck returned from Boston, says he saw the poor Criminal hanged.  The Crime was Burglary.  His name was Levi Ames.  O that others might take Warning!  Hear and fear, and do no more so wickedly.

1773 October 23 (Saturday).  Swift the Painter at the Meeting House, finishes his part  and goes home.  Mr. Davis of Holden calls here in his way to Southborough where he is going to preach tomorrow.  He brings me Dr. Fullers Holy and profane state.

1773 October 24 (Sunday).  Read the book of Obadiah and preached a.m. upon it.  P.M. Read Ezek. 35 because of its Illustrating what we have been upon in the morning.  Repeated Sermon on Mat. 6.12 from p. 10 to 18.  I humbly ask divine Concurrence.  Stayed the Church to communicate to them the Return of the Committee which was Sent to Mrs. Eunice Rice, and since she sends word that She can do nothing more, the Church concerns them Selves to get the Copys of the Evidences against her.  Vote that Mr. Tainter go to the Secretarys office for them.

1773 October 25 (Monday).  Read Dr. Fullers Holy and Profane state.  Survey my Papers Searching for Mrs. Eunice Rice’s Confession.

1773 October 26 (Tuesday).  On the Search still for said Confession.  Catechized at Mr. Timothy Warrins House instead of the school House, it being rainy.  Had 36 Children — Boys and Girls.  May God be pleased to bless what was delivered to them.

1773 October 27 (Wednesday).  Too wet to go abroad.  Can’t visit Mr. Thomas Frost who is sick.  Read Expositors on Jonah and Dr. Fullers holy State.  At Eleven o’Clock or past, came home Jonathan Maynard, having been out the night before beyond any of our Knowledge.  I give him some monitorys, and he returned me [monitorys?] of his going where he might have leave if he could not here, to be out as he saw Occasion.  I let him know that as he had promised me at our first Agreement that he would observe the Order of my House, so I expected it, and that he that would not be orderly Should not live in my House.

1773 October 28 (Thursday).  Visited, discoursed and prayed with Mr. Thomas Frost, who is Still confined by Sickness.  A Letter from John of his having sold my Horse to Mr. Ezra Bowman of Oxford for 14£ lawful.  P.M. was engaged in my preparations.  At Eve came Mr. Tainter and wife.  But especially Capt. Coffin, his Son Peter and his new-marryed Spouse, my grand Daughter, his son William and Daughter Hannah, his son in law Mr. Nathaniel Smith, Miss Sally Hill, My Son Ebenezer and Kinsman Bradshaw.  Four lodged here, viz. Mr. Peter and his Wife, his Sister and Miss Sally Hill.  Three went to Deacon Woods.  Ebenezer to Brother Bonds and took Mr. Bradshaw with him.

1773 October 29 (Friday).  Great Interruption by the Company, who breakfast here, and bid adieu.  Mr. Morse here and pays me the 16 Dollars which I lent him for the Towns Service.  I was obliged to assist in preparing for the work designed this Evening.  Went to Mr. Newtons and Deacon Woods etc. to ask my Neighbours to come.  Accordingly a Small Number were so kind as to assist me at Evening in drawing off the Gravel from the Knoll behind my House.  Deacon Wood with a yoke of Oxen, Mr. Barnabas Newton with his Plough and oxen, Mr. Jonathan Grout with a large Gravel-Drag (except the Tongue), Mr. Spring, Wheelock, Several of the work-men from the Meeting House.  However, there were in all, but a few for such a Work — neither Breck nor Harrington nor Caruth nor Snow, could be with me.  Yet a good Job was done.  Their Treat was Drink and Bread and Cheese.

1773 October 30 (Saturday).  [No entry.]

1773 October 31 (Sunday).  Read Jonah I and preached on the first five verses.  P.M. read Rev. XI and delivered something of Exposition extracted from Mr. Lowman.  Preached again on Mat. 6.12, which I had delivered some years ago, and it being writ Small, was obliged to use a Glass in reading.  Mr. David Maynard junior of Ashburnham dined here.  Mr. Levi Wilder of Lancaster came here after meeting — and lodged here.

1773 November 1 (Monday).  Read variously.  Joshua Chamberlin brought me Langley on Architecture, enriched with Plates, Plans etc.  Mr. Wilder left us.  At Eve I went to the Committee for the Meeting House, who sit at Deacon Woods; and carried by Desire of Mr. Seth Morse, my Account of the Boarding etc. of the Workmen: but it was not to Effect.  For they would not allow of my making Distinctions of Caruths being with us over the Sabbath — so that I took it again.

1773 November 2 (Tuesday).  Miss Suse Brigham came to make Sundry Gowns.  I visited old Miss Steward who is very low: also old Mrs. Grow.  Mr. Fish and his Wife came there.  We dined together.  But no word of Controversy between us.  I left them to go to the private Meeting at Mr. Tainters, where I preached on Ps. 119.126, 8 pages, and recapitulated to page 10, which God bless to all of us!

1773 November 3 (Wednesday).  P.M. Mrs. Godfrey here to be examined.  Went through what I could.  Lent her Mr. Doolittle on the Lords Supper.[1]  Capt. John Tainter of Watertown called to See me.

[1]Thomas Doolittle (1632?-1707), A Treatise Concerning the Lord’s Supper: With Three Dialogues for the Full Information of the Work (19th ed.; Boston, 1700).  Evans 909.  Subsequent American editions appeared in 1708 (Evans 1349), 1713 (Evans 1606, 39,565), and 1727 (Evans 2865).

1773 November 4 (Thursday).  My Son Ebenezer was to have returned from below, last Evening: I expected also Mr. Bradshaw with him: but neither Came.  P.M. while I was much engaged came Mr. Cook (the miller) to talk with me about Church Government and wants to have something about the Platform inserted in our Church-Covenant.  I told him the Church would not be likely to be pleased with Innovations.  But Mrs. Stockwell was waiting to be examined as Candidate for the Communion.  She was examined in part.  Night approached and therefore I was obliged to defer the rest.  Mr. Phinehas Hardy asks 35/ O.T. per Barrell for Cyder.

1773 November 5 (Friday).  I Sent Elias to Mr. Phinehas Hardy for 4 Barrells of Cyder, and he Sends me 5 and Apples.

1773 November 6 (Saturday).  I am informed that Miss Mary Steward expired this Morning.  A Person of Solid understanding and much given to Reading; and esteemed a pious woman.

1773 November 7 (Sunday).  This being the last Lords Day in our Ecclesiastical Year, Thanks were given to God for  His Goodness and Longsuffering in continuing us for the Space of 49 Years.  With Humiliations and Prayers according to the Occasion, Read Ps. 34.  Preached on Jonah 1.6.  Mr. Nathaniel Oake of Bolton dined here.  P.M. Read Rev. XII.  Preached again on the Subject of forgiving from Mat. 6.14.15, repeating from page 23 to 32 (N.B. pages 30, 31, 32 Capitulation).  I would earnestly beg of God to bless these Exercises both to Me and to the People.  In the Evening recollecting find, that since this time 12 Months, I and my Family have been exercised with divers and grievous Frowns of divine Providence.  In particular by the Death of my dear Daughter Moore, and by the Sickness of divers of us — Old Mrs. Kelly, Mrs. P________, Hannah, Elias.  May we be humbled and (Since they are so recovered) thankful to the Lord our Healer!

1773 November 8 (Monday).  Suse Brigham who Stayed here after Meeting yesterday and lodged, works for Sophy and Hannah in making New Crape Gowns — altering etc. etc.  Mrs. P________ with me to the Funeral of Miss Mary Steward, AEtatis 85.  I prayed.  May God Himself  teach us hereby etc.!

1773 November 9 (Tuesday).  My Children have among them the Life of Patty Saunders: I thought it needful to know what they read: find it a Piece of, I wish, I could say, innocent, Entertainment.  But whilst such Amusements are apt to teach Amour, and Intrigue, they are like to engage the mind and ensnare the Heart too far, and to consume too much Time: But besides, they being designed to Polish, they instruct in the fashionable, which are the most pleasing, though corrupt, principles and Ends: The loose, gay Sentiments are also clothed in the ensnaring Language of the Age.  These are observable in this Author; though they occur, perhaps more rarely here, than in some other Writings of this kind.  The very little regard shewn to our glorious and blessed Savior in this Sort of  Compositions, is no Small Defect, in a Christian and Protestant Country: The Apostrophe’s or Exclamations — Lord! — Bless me! etc. — with Signs that the Heart is very remote from the Frames of Devotion, are too vain and irreligious.  The Duke of C______ns making so light of his grandson’s deflouring Miss Lucy Hawley, and telling her she had done nothing to be ashamed of, deserves heavy blame — and it is inexcusable to teach young persons to disparage the Ordinance of God, marriage; by shewing that the union of their Affections is the Marriage to be looked for, whereas besides the union of the Affections, we are obliged by the Institution of God devoutly to acknowledge Him in it.  I Catechized at the south School House.  A Young man, Master Nathan Burnap, keeps the school.  He had his Children together and he tarried through the Exercises.  There were about 26 Children, and I wish divine Blessing might accompany what was Said, both on the Answers and in the Conclusion.  Rev. Whitney and his Brother Lambert made a Visit here, but I saw them not.  Mr. Joshua Locks Wife also, from Husuck; but was gone when I returned.

1773 November 10 (Wednesday).  Mr. Zebulun Rice here.  Mrs. Lock came again.

1773 November 11 (Thursday).  Breck and Hannah to Lancaster; the Latter expecting to go to Ashburnham.  Having Read, I wrote some Remarks on writings of Amusement and Entertainment.  Lent Mr. Silas Hill £6.13.4 Lawful Money, For which he gave me his Note.

1773 November 12 (Friday).  Mr. David Clark of Ashburnham came with his Son Benjamin, to live with me till he shall be fourteen years old: He, the said Mr. Clark, Says his son is in his twelfth year.  Will be twelve on the Sixth Day of next January.  They eat their Dinner here, and tarry to night.  My Son Baldwin here: he has sold my Sp[ar?]ked Ox for six pounds thirteen and four pence to Mr. William Watson of Brookfield, for which I have his Note of Hand.  Mrs. Stockwell here again to be further Examined — and is to be propounded, though not immediately.  This Evening I wrote a memorandum of what Mr. David Clark promised about his Son, but we were interrupted.  Deacon Fisher of Wrentham here.  I spake to him of his Son Nathans neglect to offer his Confession.

1773 November 13 (Saturday).  Mr. Clark in the Morning Signed the Said Memorandum and Jonathan Maynard and my Daughter Sophia witnessed it.  He leaves Benjamin here, and setts out for home.  Cousen Larkin Williams came in to see me, and was full of Talk in Defence of the Conduct of the Town of Marlborough towards Mr. Smith: and has divers Exceptions against Ministers in general — their settling for sallerys, and presently crying out for more, their preaching old sermons, which were paid for already etc. etc.  Breck returns — has been with Hannah quite to Ashburnham and left her there.  At Eve Mr. Sumner, going to preach at Southborough, calls here.  May it please God to prepare me by his Grace for this Sabbath!

1773 November 14 (Sunday).  It being the first sabbath of the Church’s and my Fiftieth year.  But by Reason of Mr. Whitneys Request to Change and the [illegible] Argument wherewith he urged it (neither was I at home when he came over on purpose to speak to me) I rode over to Northborough, and preached a. and p.m. on Isa. VI.10.  At Eve Mr. Thomas Lambert with me.  It was a cold Evening, but Mr. Whitney returned and Mrs. Briggs being very ill, I by Desire went with them to see her.  Lodged at Mr. Whitneys.

1773 November 15 (Monday).  In returning home I called at Mrs. Martyns and wrote to my son Baldwin at Brookfield, about my Cattle there: also at Ensign Rice’s; at Capt. Maynards but did not see him; at Beetons etc.  Dined at home, but presently rode to Mr. Thomas Bonds, who is about to go to Brookfield to drive down Cattle.  N.B. Mr. Jacob Snow builds a little House for Breck, and diets with us.