COLLECTIONS
OF THE
Electronic
Version Prepared by
Dr. Ted Hildebrandt 6/5/2002
Committee
of Publication
GEORGE E. ELLIS.
WILLIAM H. WHITMORE.
HENRY WARREN TORREY.
JAMES RUSSELL LOWELL.
COLLECTIONS
OF THE
VOL.
VII. FIFTH SERIES.
PUBLISHED
BY THE SOCIETY.
M.DCCC.LXXXII.
UNIVERSITY PRESS:
JOHN WILSON AND SON,
SECOND
EDITION.
PREFATORY NOTE
This volume, the third of the series of the
SEWALL PAPERS,
completes
the publication from the manuscript diary of Judge
Sewall, in
the Cabinet of the Society.
The most important of his other papers in
our possession
is a very
large volume, much of it closely written, contain-
ing his
correspondence, with miscellaneous matter.
It is
intended
that the contents of this volume, also, shall be
transcribed;
but it has not as yet been decided whether the
whole of its
contents, which would fill at least two volumes
of our
series, shall be published, or only such a selection of
its more
important papers as might be gathered into one
volume.
DIARY OF SAMUEL SEWALL.
[Judge Sewall having gone from home to
hold court, the following ex-
tracts,
enclosed between asterisks, are from entries in the small volume
which he
carried with him, labelled "Magunkaquog," See Vol. II., p.
425.]
* May 10. 1714. To Sarah, the Wife of John Ballard, Ship Car-
penter, in
said Ballard
for keeping of him from Friday last, 3s Five in all.
£0. 5. O.
May 10.
Went Towards
Gerrish's at
Wenham.
May
11. Visited Sister Northend. Mrs. Phillips, Mr. Payson.
Din'd at
Cousirr Woodbridge's, at Newbury, went on to
to Capt
Wingat's. The Rev. Seaborn Cotton,
Pastor of the Church
at
Doctr
Benjamin Dole, aged about 27 years, departed, May 8. 1707.
Robert
Smith, aged 95, died Augt. 30. 1706.
May 12.
In a piece of a Gazett, mentioned, A large Dromedary
seven foot
high, and 12 foot long, taken from the Turks at the Siege
of
Midweek, May 12. Went to Brewster, the Anchor in the Plain:
got thither
about 11: staid there for Mr. Justice
Thomas and Lynde.
We din'd
together there. Took Joseph Brewster for
our guide, and
went to
Town. Essay'd to be quarter'd at Mr.
Knight's, but he not
being at
home, his Wife refused us. I accepted
Mr. Penhallow's
Invitation
by his Maid. Not being able to get Hay,
sent our Horses
to Pasture
on
ker's, who seemed
to receive us with passionat Respect.
Went to
our
Lodgings, I to Mr. Penhallow's, Col. Thomas to Capt. Went-
worth's, Mr.
Lynde to Capt. Plaisteed.
1714. Publick Fast.*
VOL. III.
1
2 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1714.
*[Judge Sewall h.as notes of the sermons
on both parts of the day from
the same
text, Matt. vi. 11., the subject being continued.]
Hic jacet sepultus Thomas Daniel1
Armig. qui hanc fragilem pro
imutabili,
vitam commutavit, 13 Novs. Ano Salutis Nostrae 1683,
Anoq. Aetatis suae, 49.
Superior Court Held at the house of Mr.
Curtis at Spruce Click
in
1714. per Three Justices; viz, Sewall, Thomas,
Lynde. Grand Jury
18, Mr.
Joseph Hill, Foreman. Jury of Trials,
Mr. Richard Cutt,
Foreman. Raine against Woodman, Apeal, Demur on Title
of Land.
Hubbard
against Hambleton. Demur. on Title of
Land.
I paid at Curtis's £1.8.
Twenty-Eight
pounds in full of all Demands and took his Receipt,
28. 0. 0.
Mr. Tapin, May 16. 1714. a. m.
[Notes of the sermons on both parts of
the day are entered. We copy
only the
improvement of the afternoon discourse.]
Christians of the greatest excellency are
compar'd to Vessels
of
Gold. Are pure, precious, will endure
the Fire. Are fill'd with
all the
Graces of God's Spirit. Christians that
do not excell are
compar'd to
Silver; persons of Lesser piety, though truly piety.
Use. Labour to be Vessels of Gold, or at least of
Silyer.
Superior Court at
tices,
Sewall, Thomas, Lynde. Grand Jury
23. Mr. Saml. Hart, Fore-
man. Jury Trials, Capt Dan'l Rindge, Foreman.
Noyes against Adams, Guardian to Thurlow,
2d Jury Trials, Mr.
William
Moodey, Foreman.
Davison against Silver. Trespass and Ejectment. John Harts-
horn's Deed
to his Son, John Hartshorn, Acknowledg'd, June 30.
1703. Recorded, Nov. 21. 1704. Davison's Writt served and the
house
Attached, Sept. 9. 1704. Execution
served Decr. 12. 1704, by
Nicholas
Davison, Son of the Apellant and his Deputy, and the said
Nicholas
Davison chose the Aprisers.
Mr. George Corwin, May 19. 1714, day of
his Ordination.
[As the notes of the sermon which follow
indicate the standard set for
the ministry
at that time, they are here transcribed.]
2 Cor. 2. 16. And who is sufficient for these Things? How weighty,
how
difficult a work.*
1 Doubtless the Thomas Daniel, of
Cutt. His widow married Thomas Graffort, Dec. 11,
1684. See Brewster's
Rambles
about
1714.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 3
*Doctrine. The Employment of the Ministry is a work so
difficult
that no man
of himself is sufficient therefor.
Proposition 1. The Employment of the
Ministry is a Work.
They that
charge Ministers with idleness, do it out of gross igno-
ranee. Is constituted a Ruler over God's House. What weightier
Work than
Government? Husbandry a laborious Work 1
Cor 3
6. 7. 8.
9. I have planted. We are Laborers together with God
Tim. A Good Work, for which there is no Respit.
Prop. 2.
Employment of the Ministry is a most difficult Work.
Superior Aid
and Assistance Souls of Men the Object.
The
Salvation of them. Imortal Spirits, they
are the Guardians of
them. Exposed to Lethargy. That may receive forgiveness of Sins
and an
Inheritance among them that are Sanctified.
What more
difficult
than this? Nothing being of equal value
to Men's Souls,
Care must be
Answerable.
From Metaphors whereby their employment
is signified. Hus-
bandry. Builders; Shepherds. Watchmen, Ezek. 3. Must deny
himself, not
sleep, that others may rest the more securely.
Stew-
ards, 1 Cor.
4. 1. Of the Mysteries of God: requires
prudence,
faithfulness. Luke, 12. 42.
Ambassadors for Christ, 2 Cor. 5. 20
very
difficult to be rightly discharg'd; to know rightly to manage
between God
and his Rebellious Subjects.
From the degree of Knowledge requisite for
those that undertake
this
Work. That build not Straw and
Stubble. Resist Gainsayers.
Convince
them. From that vast variety of Work
that lyes upon
their
Hand. Publick Duties. Praying with and for the Congrega-
tion. Suiting each occasion, Dispensing the Word
most profitable
for the
Auditory. Speaking without Fear or
Affection. Seek out
acceptable
Words, and yet not Men-pleasing.
Administring Ordi-
nances. Not cast pearls before Swine, nor keeping any
away to
whom they
are due. Privat, Visit, pray for them,
comfort them in
critical
hours, that, if possible, they may be saved.
That conform
himself as
much as possible to all Humors. 1 Cor.
9. 19. That I might
gain the
more; become all things to all. Lambs to
be led gently, Isa.
23: weak to
be fed with Milk. Rich. Poor.
To accomodat our-
selves to
all these is no easy thing.
In regard of the peculiarly strict an
Exemplary Conversation re-
quir'd of a
Minister. All his Actions ly open to
view. 1 Tim. 4. 12.
Let no man
despise thy youth: but be thou an example.
1 Pet. 5. 1.
Ensamples to
the Flock. Practising before them what
you exhort
them
to. Nothing more disserviceable to
Religion than the loose
conversation
of men in Sacred Orders. Many watch for
their Halt-
ings. Must have a good Report of them that are
without. Ought*
4 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1714.
*to be able
to refer their people to their own Practise.
Walk so as
you have us
for an Example. Who sufficient.
Prop. 3.
No man is himself sufficient for this great Work. But
our
Sufficiency is of God. No wonder that
some of the most able
have been
difficultly drawn to this work, that the Excellency of
the power
may be of God, not of us.
Use.
Infer. 1. The extream mistake of
those who look upon the
Work of the
Ministry as a light and easy Work.
Infer. 2.
Extream Rashness and Weakness of those who hurry
precipitately
into the Work of the Ministry.
Infer. 3.
Should quicken Ministers under a deeper sense of their
insufficiency,
to repair to God for Help.
Am call'd this day to preach in a peculiar
mailer to myself. Tis
God's
Business they go about.
Infer. 4.
Should beget in the people a hearty pity and concern
for their
Ministers, and excite their fervent Prayers for them. En-
courage
them. Strengthen their hands. Make their work as easy
to them as
they can. Attend to their Ministry. Profit by it.
When
do thus, may
hope for God's Blessing on their Ministry.*
May, 26
[1714]. Election-day. Three chosen in the
room of
Peter Sergeant esqr, deceased,1 Major Wm Brown,
1 This reference to Peter Sergeant will
serve as a pretext to correct an
error in a
note in Vol. II. p. 174. Mr. H. F.
Waters informs us that Ser-
geant had
four wives, as appears by the following item in his will: "I give
and bequeath
to my much Respected and Kind Brother and Sister-in-Law,
Eliakim
Hutchinson, esqr. and Sarah his wife, and to their
children, viz.
Messrs. William Hutchinson and wife and Thomas Palmer
and wife and
Spencer
Phipps and wife, £10 each, amounting in the whole to £80 to buy
them
mourning." "I give and bequeath to the aforesaid Mrs. Sarah Hutch-
inson and
the two children of Mrs. Abigail Bourne of
Elizabeth my
second wife" . . . £200.
This wife was therefore Elizabeth,
daughter of Henry Shrimpton, and
this
confirms our note (Vol. II. p. 203) in regard to Spencer Phips's wife.
Mr. Waters adds that Sergeant's first wife
was clearly a daughter of Capt.
George
Corwin (see New England Hist. Gen. Register, Vol. XXVIII. p. 200),
as is shown
by a letter of Corwin in the American Antiquarian Society
Library,
dated May, 1683. Mr. Waters suggests
that she was named Eliza-
beth, and is
probably mentioned by Sewall (Vol. II. Preface, p. 13*), as fol-
lows: 1681,
Dec. 23, "two of the chief Gentlewomen in Town dyed, -- viz.
Mrs. Mary
Davis and Mrs Eliza. Sargent."
His third wife was Lady Mary Phips, and
his fourth, Mrs. Mehitable
Cooper. --
EDS.
1714.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 5
who has not
been here in town this year, or two, Mr.
Daniel Epes.
May, 27.
Govr [Dudley] approves of all but
field whom,
being absent, he leaves to further Considera-
tion p,
m. 25 Sworn.
June,
3. It seems Nathanl Byfield
esqr. is compleatly
Negativ'd,1
which I knew not till was now call'd to a New
Election: Voters 91.
Dr. John Clark has 51. Votes.
At
first
declines serving; Afterwards accepts and is sworn
about the
9th June. On the Eleventh of June, makes
the
Council a
Noble Treat at his house. Lieut Govr
[Tailer],
Genl
Nicholson, Col. Byfield, Col. Brown there.
Dr. C.
Mather
crav'd a Blessing. Great Thunder and
Lighten-
ing while we
were there. Mr. Secretary [Addington]
and I came
away first with borrowed Cloaks. Note.
Govr
and Mr.
Comissary [Belcher] went to Weston this day to
Mr.
Williams's, I supose on account of his daughter's Mar-
riage to Mr.
Wm Dumer.2 So they
not at Dr. Clark's.
1
ralty,
1703-15. "He complained of being injuriously reproved by Mr.
after that
always in the opposition." The
power of the Governor to veto
the election
of members of his Council was often exercised or reasons
purely
personal and arbitrary. -- EDS.
2 William Dummer married, April 26, 1714,
Catherine, the twelfth child
of Governor
Joseph Dudley, and sister of Rebecca Dudley, who was then the
unhappy wife
of Samuel Sewall, Jr. He was the son of
Jeremiah Dummer,
the second
cousin of our journalist. Dummer's
promotion was rapid
after this time;
he was Lieutenant-Governor under Shute, 1716-23, acting
Governor for
nearly five years, 1723-1728, and again at Burnet's death,
He died at
368) speaks
highly of him: "His general aim was
to do public service."
By his will
he founded
ment to his
fame.
From the reference to Weston, we presume
that Dummer's marriage was
celebrated
there. The minister there was Rev.
William Williams, H. C.
1705, son of
Rev. William Williams, of Hatfield. The
latter married Eliza-
beth,
daughter of Rev. Seaborn Cotton, by his wife, Dorothy Bradstreet,
niece of
Governor Joseph Dudley. Owing to the
large families in this line,
it seems
that the bride was own cousin to the grandmother of the officiating
clergyman;
and yet she was only twenty-four years old. -- EDS.
6 DIARY OF SAMUEL SEWALL. [1714.
My Son and
daughter went not to Weston. This Court
the Deputies
send in a Bill to complain of a Duty laid on
Boards
brought from
ernment of
New-Hampshire: Govr intimated
as if the Act
was only for
Boards cut in
that the
Copy of the Act might be sent for. Mr.
Secre-
tary writ a
Letter, which the Govr Sign'd; But after
several
posts, no copy came. At last the
Deputies had
Affidavits
from several, of their being compel'd to pay the
Duty, and
desired a Comittee might be named to find out
a Remedy;
which they propos'd by laying a Duty on
Wines from
thence &c. The Govr now
grew Warm, and
plainly
Espous'd the New-Hampshire Interest: And
said
nothing
could be said to it, except we had the Act before
us. He would sooner have his hand cut off, than
sign
such an Act
as the Comittee offer'd. I said the
laying
such a Duty
on our Boards was unjust; which the Govr
resented,
blaming me for my Heat. Extenuated the
mat-
ter as if
twould come but to about £15. Whereas
Mr.
Comissary
said it would come to £500. per anum. At
last the
Deputies sent in this Resolve:
In the House of Representatives.
JUNE, 25. 1714.
Voted, That the Inhabitants of this
Province being obliged to
pay a Duty
for Goods brought out of our own Province from the
River
comonly called
Hampshire;
Is a great Grievance and Abuse to Her Majs good
Sub-
jects of
this Province, highly injurious to the Government, and a
Breach of
the Good Correspondence between the Provinces.
JOHN BURRILL, Speaker.
The Govr writ a few Lines
offering some to be sent to
New-Hampshire
to confer about this matter. Deputies
sent in a
Negative to it by a Message; one part of their
Answer was
because it imported our inability to help our
selves. Court was prorogued to the 18th August. Depu-
ties sent
for the Bill of the Judges Salary, and made it
1714.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 7
Two Hundred
and Fifty pounds; adding Fifty pounds.
After the
Court was risen, I presented the Speaker with
Mr. Colman's
Book of the Virgins.
Just after I saw Mr. Pemberton, by Mr.
Gerrishe's
Shop: I told him the Court was prorogu'd. He and I
after a
little Space walk'd together, he was going, it
seems, to
Madam Saltonstall's: I went with him having
Election-Sermons
in my Pocket. When we came against
Mr. Myles's
he vehemently upbraided me with the un-
civil
Treatment he met with when he pray'd with the
Council; as
if were us'd like a Boy. They pointed to
him. It put him in mind of what Mr. Belchar had
told
him of
ing. I said We were of another mind or else would
not
take the
pains to get the Divines of the Town. No
body
went with
him to the door. I said I supos'd twas a
meer
accident. No body asked him whether he were out of
breath. As to this last it behooved him to have
step'd
into Mr,
Gerrishes Shop, or some other convenient place,
till he had
taken breath. As to the pointing, I
aprehend
it was thus;
Just as he came in, there was a great Mes-
sage from
the Deputies; and the Lieut. Govr with his
hand
directed him to go into the Closet till that was over.
Mr.
Pemberton could not fairly complain of this, and not
being
enquired of whether he were out of Breath, at the
same time, I
am sure I endeavour'd with respect to de-
sire Mr.
Pemberton to take his Turn with the other Min-
isters. He at last consented. Only as the week began
with Friday,
he desired to be excus'd till the begining of
the week
following, by which means Friday and Satter-
day were
suplied by my Son out of his Turn. And
then
the next
week, one morning, Govr Saltonstall was with
Mr.
Pemberton; and he declined coming upon that score
1 "Practical Discourses on the
Parable of the Ten Virgins," &c., &c.
First
published in 1707. -- EDS.
8 DIARY OF SAMUEL SEWALL. [1714.
and sent the
Messenger to my Son. Althoo,
Mr. Pember-
ton had
been' fill'd with Gr Saltonstall's company before.
July, 1.
I rec'd Money of Mr. Palmer, and waited on
Mr.
Pemberton with 20s. He hardly
rec'd it: Mention'd
the great
inconvenience he was under by attending the
Council; how
he was fain to put nature by its course;
how he had
bled. I told him if it was so
prejudicial to
him, it
should not be Exacted of him.
July, 5.
I went to Mr. Pemberton, found Mr. Comis-
sary and Mr.
Bromfield there. They began to speak to
me about
Deacons, some of ours very old and infirm.
Mr.
Pemberton spake how much Col. Checkley was
broken;
which I had not observ'd. Mention'd the
ex-
pediency of
adding to their number.
Oliver: I said I should like him very well if he
would
Accept. Then nam' d Mr. Sam. Phillips: I said nothing.
But said, I
had need of a List of the Church members be-
fore I could
speak to it. Mr. Pemberton said he was a
man of Substance;
seemed to be much for him. When
they were
gon, (I think twas then) I mentioned to Mr.
Pemberton
Mr. Dorr's 1 Question. An
Essentiae Rerum
sint
aeternae? Affirmat.
Mr. Pemberton seem'd to approve of
it. When he did
not explain
it to my satisfaction; He said, I have for-
got my
Philosophy. Upon my mentioning Divinity,
He
said, There
was nothing of Divinity in it. This he
spoke
with an Air
of displeasure. I came away, Meeting Mr.
Remington in
the Street I told him of it, and desired him
to speak to
the President; and by Mr. Higginson next
day I
received a kind Letter from the President with a
Master's
Thesis in it corrected as it now stands.
I re-
turn'd an
Answer of Thanks in another Letter.
Comencement-day, July, 7th. I go with Joseph; Mitch-
1 Joseph Dorr, A.B., 1711. His"
M~ter's Thesis" would belong to
1714. --
EDS.
1714.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 9
ell Sewall
was in the Boat. Mr. Eaton took us up a
ash, and so
we rid comfortably from the River; went to
the
President's, visited Mr. Brattle. Mr.
Flynt is indis-
pos'd and
retired to Col. Goff's. Go to the
College and
quickly into
the Meetinghouse. The Govr
and Govr
Saltonstall
their chariot fail'd at B. White's: were fain
to stay
there while Brill could fetch the Coach; which
made the Govr
late. Foxcroft makes the Oration, a good
one. After Dinner, the Govr and
Overseers order the
Comencement
to be kept on the last Wednesday in Aug-
ust anually:
because of the Heat &c. The
Governour,
Govr
Nicholson, and Govr Saltonstall, the Lieut Govr, Mr.
Secretary,
Sewall, Mr. Smith. After the Exercise I
and
my Son
visited Sir Foxcroft, Sir Thaxter, Sir Hobart. 1
Left Mitchel
Sewall at
with us;
quickly lit of a Calash, came over in the Boat
with Mr.
Wadsworth and from thence to his house and
home. Laus Deo.
July, 2.
Mr. Sol. Stoddard preach'd at his Brother's.
I was
there.
July, 10.
Had Mr. Sol. Stoddard, and Mr. Simeon
Stoddard at
Diner with us. Mrs. Eliza. Hirst was with
us by mere
accident unknown to me.
July, 13. 1714. Mr. Sol. Stoddard returns; went out
of Town in
his Brother's Coach. P. m. I lay a Brick in
Mr. Colman's
House building near his Meetinghouse:
gave Hill
the Mason 3s; Cophee call'd him from above.
This Cophee tells me he gives Mr.
Pemberton £40. for
his Time,
that he might be with his wife. I gave
him
5s
to help him.
July 16.
Friday, About 2 p. m. Is a great
Flash of
Lightening,
and terrible Clap of Thunder; hardly any
preceded or
succeeded it. It struck Col. Vetch's
house
that bought
of Capt. Wyllys's Heir, the end of the Kitchen
1 Graduates of 1714. -- EDS.
10 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1714.
next
Pollard's.1 Split the principal
Rafter next that end,
to the
purloin [purlin]. Ript off the
Clap-boards, loos-
ened many
more; plough'd off the cieling of that end wall
here and
there in a Line; lifted up the Sash window,
broke one of
the squares; knocked down two boys that
stood by the
dresser. Tis the more Melancholick,
because
Madam Vetch
is just removing thither; though the Work
of
Transformation be not finished.
Seventh-day, July, 17. Benj. Larnell2 apears to have
a Fever by
being delirious: Mr. Oakes was not apre-
hensive of
it, and came not to enquire how his Purge;
wrought. I called Mr. Cutler who administers to him.
Burne
Watches.
Lords-Day, July. 18. I put up a Note. Mr. Pemberton
prays
expressly and largely for him: p.
m. Mrs. Williams
visits
him. Nota. Between 6 and 7, is a Council at Mr.
P.
Dudley's. Col. Nicholson, Govr
Saltonstall there.
Whiting. Ten of the Council, who advis'd the Govr.
to
proceed
Eastward notwithstanding what Genl Nicholson
had received
from Govr Hunter about Jealousies lest the
5. Nations should be debauch'd by Mary-Land
Indians and
those of
Quebeck.
July, 19.
Began to rain about 11. at night; held all
night, and
this morning, Laus Deo. When it
held up, I
went to Mr.
Pemberton's, desired him to come and pray
1 We have mentioned Col. Vetch in Vol. ll.
p. 142. His house bought
of Capt.
Wyllys's heirs, is thus described in Suff. Deeds, lib. 26, fol. 159.
"April
18, 1712, Elizabeth Willey, widow, and Ruth Willey, singlewoman,
only dau.
and gr. dau. of Edward Willys, decd,
sell to Samuel Vetch for £400,
the
dwelling-house of said E. W. in
of Arthur
Mason, 213 feet: south-east on John Frost, decd, and William
Wheeler 142
feet: south west on Winter street, 213 1/2 feet, and north-west on
Common
street, 152 feet."
March 22d 1713-14. Samuel Vetch and
wife Margaret sold this house
and land for
£1050, N. E. currency, to Capt. Thomas Steel.
Witnesses
Phillip
Verplank, Murdoch McKiver, and Henry Nicholson. -- EDS.
2 He was an Indian youth, a student in
charge. --
EDS.
1714.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 11
with my
Family before he went; he said he had a great
deal of
Business; yet I had some expectation of his coming,
and forbore
to ask my son to pray that might the more
reserve our
selves for him. He came not. In the
After-
noon I went
to have accompanied the Gentlemen to the
Sloop, but
they were gon a little before, before 4 o'clock.
July, 20.
My Son comes to our House and prays for
Larnell in
his Mother's Bed-chamber; I, his Mother, and
Sister Hanah
present. Judith was gon to her Brother's
to sojourn,
her Mother hastening her away because of
Larnell's
Sickness.
July 22.
Midweek. Benja Larnell
expired last night
about
Midnight. Was delirious to the last as
far as I can
perceive. I left him about 11. Buried this day. Bear-
ers Sparhawk
Welsteed. Moodey Gray.Allen Gee.
Students of
and
Gloves. I and the President went next
the Corps.
Had
underbearers. Is laid in the New Burying
place.
The Note
that I put up at Lecture was, " Prayers are de-
sired that
God would graciously Grant a suitable Improve-
ment of the
Death of Benja Larnell, Student of Harvard
College." I spake to Mr. Wadsworth of his death, be-
held all
time in the Morning. He pray'd very well
about this
Article.
July, 25.
Mr. Timothy Cutler preaches at the South
in the
Morning. Prays excellently for Mr.
Pemberton at
July, 27.
Go to
Sheriff; I
think 2 under-sheriffs, Mr. Bordman, Capt.
Parker,
waited on us from
July, 28. 1714. According to my Promise, I carried
my daughter
Hanah to Meadford to visit Cousin Porter
lyeing in;
In her Mother's Name she presented her Cousin
with a red
Coat for her little Aaron,1 blew facing for the
1 See Exodus, Chap. XXXIX. -- EDS.
12 DIARY OF SAMUEL SEWALL. [1714.
sleeves,
Galoon. Cost about 12s. 2d. I carried her 3.
oranges. Gave the Nurse 2s. Maid ls. Hanah gave the
Nurse 1s.;
got thither about 1. Over the Ferry
before
dark: 5s for the Calash.
Mr. Porter went to
come home,
though the Sun scarce half an hour high
when we came
away. Laus Deo. This day a fine Boy,
Saml
Stone, 9 years old next Octobr. was playing with
other
children about a pile of Stick'd Boards, which fell
down upon
him and so bruised and broke him, that he
died on
Thorsday about 6. p. m. Breath'd and
spake
about 25
hours. Alas! Alas!
July, 26.
Mr. Colman preach'd Mr. Pemberton's Lec-
ture. Deming, and Baker din'd with us. Comissioners
met to give
Govr Saltonstall an Oportunity to vindicate
himself
relating to the Pequot and Mohegan Indians.
I
treated the
Govr. and Comissioners with a Glass of New
Canary, 3s
a Bottle.
Genl Nicholson arrived not at
Piscataqua till Monday
July, 26. p.
m.
Friday, July, 30. Govr returns by Land, and the
Sloop
with the
Gentlemen in her arrive.
Satterday July, 31. The Govr holds a Council to ad-
vise what
Measures to take as to the Man evil-entreated
by Indians
between Hatfield and Dearfield: pull'd him off
his Horse by
the Hair of the Head, strip'd him, threaten'd
to kill
him: Said they did it on account of the
servant
Maid taken
from one of the 4 Indians that went for Eng-
land. Govr writes to Col. Partridge to
send Capt. Shel-
don to
Saltonstall
present at this Council.
Augt 3.
Govr Saltonstall returns with his Lady.
Saml
Apleton goes with him, set out about 7. m.
John Cunable takes measure for a window
in my wive's
Bed-Chamber
to the North-east; because of so many
buildings
darkening us to the Southwest. Augt.
4. How-
[1714.] DIARY OF SAMUEL SEWALL. 13
ell, the
Cabinet-maker, takes down the closet that stands
in the
corner, to make way for the window.
Fifth-day,
Augt.
5th. Fast for Rain at the
Lecture. I keep at home
by reason of
my swell'd face, though tis something fallen
from what
twas yesterday. Note. about 2. p. m.
Hanah was
coming
hastily down the new Stairs, fell, and broke the
Pan of her
Right Knee in two; one part went upward,
the other
downward. I got her down and set her in
my
chair, sent
for Dr. Cutler: who told us how it was; we
led her up
into her Chamber: Neighbour Hamilton and
others came
in and got her to bed, then Dr. Cutler bath'd
it, with
spirits of Wine, put on a large Plaister, then with
two bolsters
and large Swathing bound it up tite to bring
the broken
pieces together, and Unite them. Madam
a-clock
Scipio comes and tells me that my daughter Hirst
is brought
to Bed of a son. I gave him a good
shilling.
Hanah is
glad to hear of this.
This day Augt 5. the Ship arrives that brings news of
the death of
the Princess Sophia of an Apoplexy May, 28.
AEt.
84. Bill against Dissenters keeping
Schools1 pass'd
both
Houses. Mr. Dudley Bradstreet quickly
after he
had received
Orders, dy'd of the small Pocks.2
1 This is the Schism Act, "one of the
worst Acts," says Lord Mahon,
"that
ever defiled the Statute Book." It
was entitled "An Act for prevent-
ing the
growth of Schism." By it, all
schoolmasters and private teachers
had to
declare conformity to the Church of England, be licensed by a bishop,
receive the
sacrament according to the communion of the
land, and
subscribe the oaths of allegiance and supremacy. It never actu-
ally took
effect, being suspended in 1714, and repealed in 1719. -- EDS.
2 This was Dudley Bradstreet, Jr., son of
the Dudley Bradstreet who was
the third
son of Governor Simon Bradstreet, by his wife, Ann Dudley. The
father was a
colonel, and married Ann (Wood), widow of Theodore Price.
Rev. Dudley
Bradstreet, Jr., H. C. 1698, was ordained at
1706. He is said by
Wainwright,
and to have had sons, Simon and Dudley, born at
Dudley
Bradstreet, probably his son, married at
ters. The Rev. Dudley Bradstreet was dismissed from
14 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1714
Augt.
6. Genl Court prorogu'd to
the 15th 7r. I was
not at
Council.
Augt. 7th. Hearing of it just at the time, as was with
the Chief
Justice, I went to the Funeral of our excellent
Nurse
Hill. (Between Mr. Winthrop's and the
house, I
saw a large
and fair Rainbow). Buried in the old
Bury-
ing place:
Bearers, Capt. Hill, Williams; Deacon Atwood,
Maryon;
Barnard, Hubbard. Mr. Cook and I went
to-
gether, next
Mr. Bridge,
Augt. 8. Our little Grandson, William Hirst, is Bap-
tized by Mr.
Colman.
Augt. 9. Last night our neighbour Green died. He
married Mr.
Gold's daughter: was of
Third-day, Augt. 10. Timothy Green removes to New-
London.1 Cousin Green and his wife and others accom-
pany them to
Daughter
Hanah. Gave Mr. Green at parting Two
pieces
of Eight;
Mr. Danforth of
that Mr.
Hale of
they must
call a Council to remove him from thence.
Lord's Day, Augt. 15. Mrs.
Hanah Angier, the only
surviving
child of the excellent Mr. Urian Oakes, dyes at
visiting her
Lying-in daughter-in-Law Angier.
Augt. 16. Mr. Mayhew comes to Town with his daugh-
ter
Reliance.
Augt. 17. Hanah's knee has a new Plaister put on it,
and is new
bound by Dr. Cutler.
Augt. 18. Dr. Oakes and I ride to the Funeral of Mrs.
for his
Episcopal tendencies, and went to
died, as our
text shows. He was, of course, grand-nephew
of Governor Joseph
Dudley,
whose son, Paul Dudley, married Lucy Wainwright, and whose
daughter
Mary married Francis Wainwright. -- EDS.
1 This was Timothy Green, the printer, son
of Samuel, Jr., and grand-
son of
Samuel Green, both printers. See N. E. H. G. Register, XVI. 14.
-- EDS.
1714.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 15
Angier1
at
Grandmother,
Brothers, Urian and Laurence. Bearers,
President,
and Mr. Brattle; Mr. Hancock and Gibbs; Mr.
Flynt, and
Bradstreet. Mr. Angier tells me his wife
was
about 55.
years old: therefore I conclude she was born at
Titchfield.2 Mr. Comissary Belchar and I followed next
after the
Women. Perhaps I was the only
Country-man
at the
Funeral; and had Boarded at Mr. Oakes's when
Mrs. Angier
was a Maid. The widow Hastings I visited
before the
Funeral: She is very weak; her Memory
al-
most quite
Shatter'd: was very glad of my visit and
Thank'd me
for it. Her Feebleness wholly prevented
her
from being
at the Funeral of her old Master's Daughter
whom she
greatly helped to bring up.
Augt. 19. I am told of the sickness of Deacon Jno
At-
wood, was
seized yesterday, before day, with great pain at
his Breast.
Augt. 20. Govr. warns a Council. I knew not the
Cause, but
being sensible of the Drought resolv'd to move
that a Fast
might be apointed. Went to Mr. Wads-
worth, Mr.
Pemberton, my Son: All aprov'd of it:
Would
have spoken
to all [the Ministers?] in Town, but it grew
Noon, and
very hot, which prevented me. Prepared
Mr.
Secretary,
Bromfield. Got Mr. Comissary to speak in
Council. It was pass'd, and the Govr sign'd
a sheet for
it Sept.
2. Mr. Secretary drew it up by
Candle-light,
desiring my
Assistance. I carried it to the printers
that
night. I knew nothing of Mr. Attorney's
Remonstrance,
till I heard
it read.
Augt. 21. I presented Capt. Williams, my son, Mr.
Pemberton
each of them with a Psalm-book of the newest
1 She was Hannah, daughter of Rev. Urian
Oakes, and wife of Rev.
Samuel
Angier. For her descendants, see Paige's
History of Cambridge,
p. 481. --
EDS.
2 Tichfield is in Hampshire, south-east
of Bishopstoke where Sewall
himself was
born. --EDS.
16 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [ 1714.
Edition.l
Mr. Pemberton's and my Son's
4. 6d. price
bound very
neatly in Kid's Leather.
Augt. 23. Great Shews of Rain, cold easterly wind;
but a very
few drops. I hear at
deal of
Rain, and so half way to
Midweek, Augt. 25. I went to Brooklin, visited son
and daughter
Sewall, Hanah Gave her Cakes, and a new
18d
Bill. As I came home I visited Madam
Dudley, Cous.
Wm.
Dumer. Coming home Mr. Jno
Colman came up
with me, and
told me of the very great Sickness of the
Rever'd Mr.
Peter Thacher.
Augt. 26. Amiable useful Deacon Atwood dies between
10. and 11.
m. After Sermon a note was put up. Mr.
Bridge in
his prayer made an honorable mention of him;
praying that
God would sanctify the awfull Stroke in re-
moving one
very usefull to the Town, one of the props
of it.
Just at night I call'd to Mr. O. Thacher
riding home,
who tells me
his Father is much worse than he had been;
desires my
prayers for him. This was at Silence
Allen's.
I came home
through the comon, met Mr. Walter and his
wife,
desired his prayers; and for me. He said
we had
lost a good
Deacon. Said when come to my Age must
expect to
dye. The Lord prepare me and teach me
more
to Lean on
him when creature-props fail. Extream
hot.
Sixth-day, Augt. 27. Meeting was at Madam Willard's.
Began about
2. p. m. Son pray'd, Mr. Bridge more
1 Probably this was "The Psalms Hymns
and Spiritual Songs of the
Old and New
Testament, faithfully translated into English Meeter." The
fourteenth
edition was printed at
Probably
Sewall bought either the fifteenth or sixteenth edition. This was the
famous
of 1758),
was made in 1640, by Richard Mather, Thomas Weld, and John
Eliot; and
afterwards revised by Henry Dunster and Richard Lyon. He
adds that,
owing to its merits, "I found in
Congregations
prefer'd to all Others in their Publick Worship, even down to
1717 when I
last left that Part of the
1714.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 17
largely; Mr.
Pemberton preach'd from Exod. 33. 15. If
thy presence
-- made a very good Discourse; then
pray'd. Sung the 121. Ps. I set the Tune of the 119th.
Col. Tyng
was there.
Seventh-day, Augt. 28. Deacon John Atwood is buried;
was a Great
Funeral. Mr. Cook and Col. Hutchinson
went next
the Relations; Sewall, Addington; Em Hutch-
inson,
Townsend; Mr. Comissary, Mr. Stoddard -- Bur
ied at the
North; is much Lamented.
Lord's-day, Augt. 29. Beard arrives, who brings the
Act of
Parliament against Dissenters keeping School;
which
ordains that no Catechism shall be taught in
Schools, but
that in the Comon prayer Book.
I could not observe that Mr. Pemberton so
much as
used the
Comon form of praying for him that was to
speak in the
Afternoon:1 only pray'd God to be with us in
our coming
together.
I supose Mr.
dyed the day
the Royal Assent was given to the Bill
against the
growth of Schisme. Dy'd by a fall from
his
Horse riding
to preach at Nantwich, being on a visit at
West-Chester.
John Banister died at Banbury, June
23. Sam. Sewall
arrived in
Jabez Salter from
Augt. 30. Govr violently oposes the Petition
of Oulton
and
Powell. Mr. Comissary brought the
discourse of it
forward
(twas fil'd when I was not there). Mr.
Daven-
port
mentioned that Capt. Moodey might be served with
a copy of
it. Govr said Mr. Moodey was
an Honest Man.
Said to Mr.
Comissary, If should petition to ly with your
wife would
you grant it. Com. said he would not
con-
sent. At last twas done, viz. what Mr. Davenport
mov'd.
1 The disturbed cordiality of fee1ing
between Sewall and his senior pastor
made the
former sensitive to the omission of any reference to his son, who
was to
preach in the afternoon. -- EDS.
2 Matthew Henry, the Expositor. --
EDS. VOL. III. 2
18 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1714.
Presently
after the Council, Capt. Moodey went with the
Govr
to Mr. Dudley's.
Augt. 31. I read the Act against Schism at Selby's
Coffee-house. About 4. p. m. visited Mr. Peter Thatcher,
dial: got home well a little after 9. Laus Deo. Carried
him two
China Oranges. Says he was 63 years old
the
18th. July last.
Septr. 1. His father calling me before I was up, I go
and pray
with his son, William Bairstow, who he fear'd
was dying.
Midweek, 7r. 1. Madam Elisa Savage buried;1
Bearers,
Winthrop,
Cook; Sewall, Addington; Belchar, Bromfield.
All the
Ministers had Scarvs. Dr. Increase
Mather very
kindly
inquired after my Daughter Hanah: I had
ac-
quainted him
with her broken Bone. Dr. Cotton Mather
shew'd a
Letter that Reported Mr. Henry's Death.
The Dr.
saith that
Mr. Wats is also dead. Discours'd of the
Act against
Schisme.
Sixth-day, 7r. 3. Cunable sets up our new Window on
the
North-east side of our Bed-chamber, a little to en-
lighten the
darkness of it.
7r. 6. Visited Mrs. Lord under her Indisposition at
the
widow
Dyer's. Went to the Meeting of the
owners of
the
Salt-works2 at the Still-Tavern.
Col. Byfield was there.
Agreed to
pay £10. apiece towards a Boylery; the said
Byfield to
buy Iron pans in
7r. 9. Now about Col. Byfield visits me in the
evening.
Saw him come
out of Mr. Harris's as went to Lecture.
7r. 11th. I set out for
so hot and
late that Lodg'd at
1 Mrs. Elizabeth Savage was daughter of
Joshua Scottow, and widow of
Thomas
Savage, Jr. She died Aug. 29, 1714, aged about sixty-seven, say
in his
Dictionary, IV. 27, prints the year as 1715.
2 See Vol. I. p. 457, note. -- EDS.
1714.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 19
7r. 12. Rid with Capt. Billings to Mr. Man's. See his
Sermons. Lodg'd at Capt. Wear's.
7r. 13. Set out early in the Fog, for Rehoboth. Baited
at Millar's:
Overtook Mr. Corwin at Carpenter's, and
there din'd
together. Were met by the Sherif at
Gate.
7r. 14. Are inform'd by Mr. Collamor of the sickness
of Mr.
Justice Thomas, which prevented his coming.
Mr.
James Hale
pray'd at the opening of the Court.
Friday, 7r. 17. p. m. News was, brought to us of the
Queen's
death as we sat on the Bench.1
Chapman told it
Mr. Corwin;
and he standing up with a very sad coun-
tenance said
to me, Sad News! I was afraid
burnt
again. Mr. Sparhawk and 2 other
Gentlemen
brought
it. After the Court's Adjournment sine
die,
went and
discoursed Mr. Sparhawk at his house.
7r. 18. I visited Capt. Davis, His wife though abed
desired to
speak with me; I went to her. She is
greatly
distress'd
in Mind, the Lord Calm and Comfort her.
Set out about 10. m. Col. Pain, and Mr. Mackintosh
accompanied
me out of Town. Col. Pain went on, for
company's
sake. I went with him through Febe's
Neck;
tis a
pleasant Road and but little further, saw Mr. Hale's
Meetinghouse. Din'd at Millar's. went on to Slacks, who
had good
English Hay. Sent Mr. Shortt the News;
he
had not
heard it before.
7r. 19. Heard Mr. Short.
7r. 20. Din'd at
At the
entrance of
ery and
preaching the day before. At
1 In the "Magunkaquog" volume
is the following entry: "As we were
upon the
Bench in the Afternoon, News was brought of the Queen's Death,
Augt. 3d.
Had the News at Osburn's before Sunset in a Letter from my Son,
Mr. Joseph
Sewall, which Mr. Sparhawk brought and of the Proclamation
of King
George the same Day, Duke of
Papists in
20 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1714.
Proclamation
[of George I.] was to be on Wednesday;
which Major
Spurr confirm'd. Got home before Sunset
and found
all well. Laus Deo.
7r. 23. Govr calls a Council where I heard
of Mr. Sec-
retary's
Illness.
7r. 22. Midweek; Proclaim'd; and took the Oaths.
Din'd at the
Green Dragon. Dr. Mather crav'd a Bless-
ing; Mr.
Pemberton return'd Thanks. I ask'd the
Govr
if he had
Business for the Council; He said No; so I went
home, not
going up into the Council-Chamber.
7r. 23d. It seems Mr. Jonathan Belchar makes a great
super, at
which were the Govr, Andrew Belchar esqr, Jn°
Higginson
Esqr, Penn Townsend esqr., Addington Daven-
port esqr,
Benjamin Lynde esqr., John Clark esqr. Thomas
Hutchinson,
Addington, Sewall, Eliakim Hutchinson,
Bromfield,
nor the Lieut. Govr were not there, nor in-
vited any of
them that I know of; nor any warning of a
Council:
This I knew not of till the Lord's-day after.
7r. 24. Friday, I went to Charlestown Lecture; heard
Mr. Stevens
preach. Din'd. with Col. Phillips, where
din'd also
Madam Usher, Townsend. Visited Mr.
Stevens
and wish'd
his wife Joy. Visited Mr. Bradstreet (He
in-
vited me to
Diner though twas not his Lecture), Madam
Bradstreet
not well, nor her little Son. The widow
Fos-
ter, Mr.
Isaac Foster's Mother, died Wednesday night just
as it began
to Rain, aged about 87. years.
7r. 26. My son of Brooklin, who came hither on Tues-
day, by
reason of his Indisposition, goes not abroad.
David
fetched him
in a Coach.
7r. 29. I was not aware the Govr was in
Town: Went
not out till
past 3. p. m. Enquir'd and found him
with;
the Council
to my surprise. Mr. Davenport had been
swearing the
Deputies who were more than forty. Saw
Mr. Adams in
the street, he thank'd me for my Book and
Letter. Invited him to Dinner.
1714.] DIARY OF SAMUEL SEWALL. 21
Just before
night attended the Funeral of Mr. Wain-
wright's
child. I hapened to sit just by Mr. Jona
Bel-
char. Told him Mr. Gookin was Married in that room.
7r. 30. Dr. Mather preaches from PS. 68, 33. He
doth send
forth his voice, a mighty voice. In
speaking it
the 2d
time, he said 78. which puzzled me in finding it.
Govr
and Lieut Govr, Mr. Winthrop at Meeting. Mr.
the
dangerous sickness of my dear Friend Mr. James
Noyes of
7r
eleventh, as he was riding home from Lyme.
Had been
at the
Comencement. I was hindered by Mr.
Glover, re-
ceived 134£,
and taking up his Mortgage: so that I went
not to
Council this day.
Octobr. 1. Rains hard, went not to Council. Had
something of
a Flux: And tis not agreeable to me that
the Court
should meet before the 20th.
Inst, the day they
were
Prorogu'd to. I fear the precedent will
be bad.
And I find
it difficult to intermeddle in Addresses.
In the
evening
Cousin Quinsey calls, sups and tells me the pro-
ceedings of
their House upon the Council's sending to them
to join in a
Comittee, B. Lynde, Clark,
dress the
King to continue the Govr, Lt Govr, and Secre-
tary in
their Posts. Non-Concur'd. Sent again from the
Board. Mr. Pierce of
ing the
Deputies would not Reconsider it. Then
the
Govr told
the Council they intended Good: but now they
should be
Hurt by it: were White paper before; but
now were
blotted. Call'd Mr. Secretary to him
into the
Closet, and
then Capt. Belchar. Then adjourn'd the
Council to
Monday 2 p. m.; desired all to attend.
8r. 3. Mr. Eliphalet Adams sits in the pulpit a. m.
and
preaches
with us p. m.
8r. 4. Council meets Govr; after other
things past,
opens the
matter of the Address. Then Govr,
Lt Govr,
Secretary
withdraw. Council seemed unanimous that
for
22 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1714.
them 12 in
n°, to do any thing would be inconvenient; it
having
fallen when offer'd in the
8r. 5. I wait on the Lieut Govr, visit
Mr. William
Homes,1
Mr. Thomas Craighead, Ministers, in order to
know what
was best to be done as to the ship's coming
up. Carried them a Bushel Turnips, cost me 5s and
a
Cabbage cost
half a Crown. Dined at the Castle Lt
Govr
also invited
Mr. Homes. Mr. Stanton the Chaplain was
gone a
Guning; I left this Distich for him.
Imbres nocturni decorant Regalia Lucis:
Rex populum, tanquam Gramina tonsa, riget! [?]
8r. 6. Mr. David Hayns dines with us. He assures
me he has
found the Bound of the Farm beyond Wadchu-
set, comends
it, and will run out the Line when the Leaves
are
fallen. Gave him the Bounds of
Quanssicamon Farms
that he may
review and refresh them.
Octobr. 7. Thorsday:
Overseers' Meeting in the Coun-
cil Chamber
after Lecture. Order'd that Treasurers
must
give Bond,
for the faithful discharge of their Trust.
Mr.
Tho. Robie
confirm'd as Fellow, Mr. John White as
Treasurer.
Octob. 19.
Went to the Salt works and Run the
Bounds: I made a pillar of Stone about the Stake by
our
Causey. Mr. Sheaf assisted with a Chain and compass:
came away to
Lt. Tho. Salter's Funeral.
Midweek Octob. 20. New
1 These were perhaps missionaries. Allen says that Rev. William Homes
was minister
of
school
there; returned to
He came here
again in 1714, and settled at Chilmark, where he died, June
20, 1746,
aged eighty-three. -- EDS.
2 The New North was founded by
"seventeen' substantial mechanics."
Mr. John
Webb was the first pastor, his successors being Peter Thacher,
Andrew
Elliot, John Elliot, Francis Parkman, &c.
In 1721, a difficulty
arose about
settling a colleague to Mr. Webb, and a secession occurred, the
seceders
building the New Brick meeting-house.
Mr. William Waldron was
the first
minister there. -- EDS.
1714.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 23
Increase
Mather read their Names and Covenant which
they had
Subscrib'd, and they took their Assent to it, then
voted their
choice of Mr. Webb. Gave him his charge,
He, Dr. C.
Mather, Mr. Bridge, Mr. Pemberton Laying on
their
Hands. Dr. C. Mather gave the Right Hand
of Fel-
lowship. Govr was there, Mr. Speaker and
many of the
Court. Only the Four Churches in Town sent to. Mr.
Webb's Text,
He was a Burning and a Shining Light;
were
entertain'd at Mr. Seers's. Lt
Govr not there.
Capt.
Turfrey was buried, this Afternoon. I
was not
there
because the Govr made his speech by Candle-light.
Mr. Colman prays at opening the Court,
Thorsday, Fri-
day,
Saturday.
23.
A comittee brought in somthing about Piscataqua.
Govr
said he would give his head in a Hand-Basket as
soon as he
would pass it.
25. -- Mr. Sewall prays. Genl Nicholson comes to
Town. 26.
heard not of the King's Accession till he
came to
Marble-head. Boards with Capt. Southwark.
27.
A Church is gathered at Ipswich Farms as at Bos-
ton last
week. Mr. Gerrish gave the charge to Mr.
Wig-
glesworth. Mr. Wise the Right Hand of Fellowship,
much
aplauding the N. English venerable Constitution.
Mr. Rogers
pray'd.
Joseph Avery
ordain'd.
29.
Day apointed for officers, Mr. Davenport spake
against it,
when Govr nominated Mr. Ebenr Allen of the
Vinyard for
a Justice: said should soon hear from Eng-
land. So all fell.
Lt Govr seconded him. Lt Govr told
me Capt.
Hale was to be made a Justice.
30.
I forget to call my son to prayer.
Deputies con-
curr'd with
the Council to emit 50000£.1 Chief-Justice
1 In bills of credit, to be put into the hands
of trustees, to form a capi-
tal for a
sort of public bank. See Palfrey, IV.
334. For the Act, see
Province
I..aws,
24 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1714.
said twas
contrary to the Statute of Mortmain. I
an0-
swer'd, twas
quite on the other side, for this was all for
the Publick
benefit.
31.
Plenty of Rain last night. Mr. S.
preaches for
Dr. Mather
m. and he preaches with us p. m with great
vigor, Mat.
20. 4, 5. Mr. Mayhew preaches for Mr.
Walter.
Novr. 1. Jarvis arrives, brings News of the King's
being at
Helvet Sluys waiting for a wind. He came
from
Plimouth 7r.
15. Suposes the same wind carried the
King
to
Mr. Webb prays.
Novr. 5. Now about had a Conference about Piscataqua
Duties. Govr persuaded to Moderation; a
Treaty with
them by
Comittees. I am a Massachusets man: --
Comit-
tee is
agreed on. They Give the Govr
£250. By Can-
dle-Light
tbe Govr sends in and Dissolves them by the
Secretary. Govr ask'd the Council's Advice,
but I think
had it not.
Monday, Novr 8. Set out for
P. Dudley in
the Governour's Chariot from the Town-
House to the
Ferry. From
ley in a
Calash. Din'd at Lewis's, had a
Comfortable
Journy. No Sheriff met us. Lodge at Brother Hirst's
because of
Brother's preparation for Cousin Margaret's
Wedding.
[The following additional entries are in
the Magunkaquog volume. ]
* Nov. 8. 1714. Rains much in the Night. Snows hard in the
morning, yet
clears up. Ride with Mr. Attorny in the
Governour's
Charret to
the Ferry. Set out from
11. David waits on us. Have a very good dinner at Lewis's, boil'd
Beef and
very good Roast Fowls. Mr. Ogilvy, his
wife and others
there. Mr. John Barnard de Diacono came in,
and Returned
Thanks. Get to
shut
up. By Consent of all Lodg'd at Bror.
Hirst's. He came and in-
vited
me. Cous. Margaret is just upon her
Marriage. 9r. 9th. Had
a
comfortable Night's Rest. Laus Deo.
1714.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 25
*
Lynde. Grand Jury, Mr. Simon Willard, Foreman,
18. One Jury
Trial only,
Mr. Nathanl Marston, Foreman. Stacy vers. Savage,
Apeal. Hinde against Dimond, Apeal. About riding a Horse un-
mercifully
in a Storm, till he died. For Hinde,
costs, Six pounds,
9s. Former Jury set the Horse
at £5 specially, and the Court gave
Judgement
for the Defendant.
Nov. 10. 1714. Lent to David Sinclar a Conecticut 40s Bill of
Credit, £2.
O. O.
Col. Hathorn, Mr. Noyes, Mr. Green, Mr.
Corwin, Mr. Chever, Mr.
Thorsday, Nov. 11. Col. Sam. Brown invites me to Diner. Go
with my
Brother on board the Hampshire, Merchant, Abel Combs,
Master,
ready to sail for
120 Tuns
Burden. Din'd with Col. S. Brown, where
were Major
Brown and
his Lady, Mr. Justice Corwin, Lynde, Mr. Noyes, Mr.
Cooke and
his wife. Had a very noble Treat. In the Evening Mr.
Noyes
Married Mr. John Higginson, Widower, and Mrs. Margaret
Sewall. Parents of the Bride-groom and Bride present,
and Capt.
Gardener and
his Son, Capt. Gardener, Bro. Hirst and his wife and
daughter, my
Grand-daughter Mary Hirst. Sung 5 Staves
of the
45 Psalm,
from Myrrh Aloes1 to the end. I set
Novr. 9th. Though had but four or five Actions could
not finish
the Court. Cous. Storke dines.
Novr. 10. Mr. Noyes prays. The Jury increase the
Judgment
against Capt Arthur Savage, even beyond the
writ; sent
them out signifying that both were in fault,
might Lessen
the Judgment. Adjourn'd to Pratt's, and
there sine
die.
Mr. George Corwin preach' d a very good
Sermon. Mr.
Noyes,
Corwin, Green,
with us.
Thorsday Novr. 11. Brother and I went with Mr.
Storke on
board the Hampshire, Merch't Abel Combs
Master. They sail'd about one a-clock. In the Evening
1 Bay Psalm Book, Ps. xlv. 8: --
"Myrrhs Aloes and Cassias smell
all of thy Garments had." -- EDS.
26 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1714.
Mr. Noyes.
Marryes Mr. Jn° Higginson, and cousin Mar-
garet.1 Parents of Bridegroom and Bride present. And
Capt.
Gardener, the Bridegroom's Father-in-Law, and his
son Capt.
Gardener, honored the Wedding with their
presence. Mr. Noyes pray'd. After sung 5 staves of the
45. Ps. from
Myrrhe Aloes.
Friday, Novr 12. I set out for
Rain'd
pretty hard before David and I got to Lewis's (Mr.
Din' d
there. Mr. Epes and his Wife and
children met us
there, so
wet, and children crying, that resolv'd to lodge
at Lewis's. Are removing to
Snow and
Rain on our backs; yet it beat on the fore-part
of the
Calash, and wet us pretty much.
Ferry-boat was
just ready;
Got home comfortably about 10. Minutes
after Five;
shifted stockings and shoes. Though had
my
heavy cloak
on; yet hardly ever felt less weariness in
walking from
the Ferry, home; where find all well; Laus
Deo!
Monday Novr 15. Town is full of the sad News of the
Packet's
being Cast away.
Novr. 16th. Meet the Proprietors of Dunstable at the
Green
Dragon. After that had a Meeting of the
Comis-
sioners.
Novr. 18. Mr. Bridge preaches the Lecture. Obiter,
shew'd twas
but Just that should have a Charitable opin-
ion of each
other.2
1 John Higginson, 3d, of
11, 1695,
who died June 24, 1713. He married
secondly, Nov. 11, 1714,
Margaret,
daughter of Captain Stephen Sewall. He
died April 26, 1718,
aged
forty-two years. -- EDS.
2 In looking over the notes of the many
sermons heard by Judge Sewall,
which he
thought worthy of a sketch, a reader can hardly fail to observe the
simple,
fiat, and commonplace character of the remarks or emphatic points
which he
reports from the preachers. He evidently
loved simplicity in the
pulpit. But some of the sermons must have been a
little more profound and
sinewy. --
EDS.
1714.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 27
Novr. 24. Very cold day. Mr. George 1 laid in my
Tomb till
Madam George have an oportunity to build
one. Bearers, Tho.
Fitch, Danl
Oliver; Jn° Colman, Grove Hirst. Was a
Well-accomplish'd
Merchant, and apears to have been a
good
Christian, desirable, usefull Man. All
the Ministers
had scarvs.
Novr. 25. Thanks-giving day; very cold, but not so
sharp as
yesterday. My wife was sick, fain to
keep the
Chamber and
not be at Diner.
Lord's-Day, Novr 28. Rains very much. Have the
Lord's Super
at the New North, which is the first time.
My son
preaches there in the After-noon.
Novr. 29. Mrs. Barrel buried. Col. Hutchinson and I
follow'd
next the Women. I told him twas that day
Five
and twenty
years since we Landed at the
our Passage
from
Novr. 30. Now about a Letter is written to the Agent2
to direct
him to oppose the Bankers, or stay them till Ad-
vice from
the
for that
end. Govr urges it with
considerable Warmth,
but much of
the Letter that was drawn by the Governour,
was not
sent, not agreed to. I perceive the
Bankers de-
sign to
petition at home for a Charter of Incorporation;
which may be
a matter of very great Concern to this
Government.
Decr. 1. Brother Moodey comes to Town to get an
Agreement
drawn up in order to his intended Marriage
with Mrs.
Abigail Fryer: Her Maiden name was Frost.
Governour
tells me of Mr. Pierpont's death at New Ha-
ven, a very
great Blow to that Colony, and to all New-
1 Doubtless John George, merchant, of
daughter of
Rev. Samuel Lee. See Vol. I. p.148, note.
The widow mar-
ried Dr.
Cotton Mather, July 5, 1715, as his third wife, and survived him.
-- EDS.
2 Jeremiah Dummer. See Palfrey, IV..335.
-- EDS.
28 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1714.
Mather each
of them an Angel.1 Decr.
2. To Mr. Pem-
berton
ditto. Some days agoe to Mr. Holms and
Craig-
head.
Decr. 4. Brother Moodey returns homeward.
Decr. 5. Capt. Thomas Richards dyes.
Monday, Xr. 6. The Govr calls a Council, and pro-
rogues the
that if no
orders arrived this Assembly might be in a
readiness
for the Election: If the Govr falls he will fall
upon the
Lieut Govr.; 3 and who shall grant writts to call a
New-Assembly;
or if they doe, who will obey them?
Townsend
said, An Assembly had been called without
Govr
or Lieut. Govr. 4 I said I
hop'd orders would arrive
to prevent
all Disputes. The News-Letter of this
day,
mentions the
Assembly's sitting Xr. 15.
Dec'r 7.
Superr Court sits, Mr. Pemberton prays; Son
dines with
the Court at the green Dragon.
Xr. 8.
Son prays: no Minister dines with us.
Dec; 9. Mr. Colman preaches, Dr. Cotton
Mather
dines: Genl
Nicholson, Lt Govr, Col. Hutchinson, Towns-
end, Dumer,
Mr. Sam1 Lynde, Capt. Edward Brattle.
Govr
was invited, but came not to Town. Capt.
Steel is
1 About ten shillings English. -- EDS.
2 "There were only two ordinary
sessions of the General Court this Year,
both of
which acts were passed. The Court was
called together in a
Special
Session upon the arrival of the tidings of the death of Queen
Anne, that
the members might take the oath of allegiance, and adopt
an Address
to King George, and sat from the twenty-ninth of September to
the second
of October, when it was dismissed, no acts having been passed.
The Assembly
again convened on the twentieth of October, in accordance
with the
prorogation, and was dissolved on the fifteenth of November.
On ~
the tenth of
November, writs were issued for a new Assembly to convene on
the
fifteenth of December, but on the sixth of December, this Court was
prorogued by
proclamation, to the nineteenth of January, before which day
it was dissolved
in the same manner." Province Laws,
3 Sewall's meaning seems to be that the
Governor intimated that his own
fall would
involve equally the fall of the Lieutenant-Governor. -- EDS.
4 See Palfrey, IV. 339. --EDS.
1714.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 29
told that if
he expected the
must speak
in time before they were dismiss'd: He ex-
press'd
himself for it, and Mr. Valentine his Attorny.
Then I
declar'd my Opinion for the Grand-Jury and said,
I would not
sit too Try Capt. Steel except it were brought
on that
way. I think at Pattens Mr. Attorny
show'd
Genl
Nicholson's Letter to him expecting his aprobation
of the
Information, and that the Govr had directed him to
follow the General's
Direction.1
Decr. 10.
Grand-Jury brings in Ignoramus upon Capt.
Steel's
Presentm't. Just before
Diner, the Govr and Coun-
cil come in
and take the Right Hand, and the Court &c.
the Left:
Grand-Jury had the seats at our end, Mr. Wm
Torrey, the
Fore-man, sat at the extremity of ours.
Mr.
Sheriff Read
the Proclamation in his place, I think Genl
Nicholson
desired it. Mr. Secretary having made
the In-
troduction;
Had not been any Gen'l Meeting since re-
ceived the
Letters which the Packet brought: so did it
at this
Supream Lord
of the Massachusets. We have had this to
Ballance our
Court's being Remov'd to December, that
we have had
the Honor of the King's being Proclaim'd in
it. Capt. Blacket and Mead were at the
Proclamation.
But Capt.
Mead only Din'd with us.
The Grand-Jury dismiss'd.
Saterday, Decr. 11th.
only Sewall, Thomas, and Lynde hold
the
Court. Mr. Justice Corwin is gone home;
Chief Jus-
tice
indispos'd. Mr. Tay's Jury bring in
their verdict for
Jackson
Confirmation for building five Pues in the
Wooden old
Meeting house, set a-work by Elisha Cooke
esqr. the
Father. Mr. Justice Lynde ask'd some
ques-
tions of the
Jury with a seeming dissatisfaction. I
said I
thought they
had done Right. Mr. Thomas whispered
1 A criminal information is not founded on an investigation by a
Grand
Jury. --
EDS.
30 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1714.
me in the
ear, He thought they had done Right, though
he was
against
moving in
the
and declares
the Verdict.
Lord's-Day, Xr. 12. Neither Capt. Belchar, nor Capt.
Williams
abroad: my Son reads the Psalm.
Xr. 13.
I visit Capt. Williams, who has been very
sick ever
since last Wednesday. Tells me he was 71
years old
that day my son was ordain'd. Desires
Prayers.
Visit Deacon
Marion, who has kept house many days.
Decr. 14. Mr. Secretary leaves the council by reason
of pain in
his bowels, goes to his House of office, and
there voids
a great quantity of Blood; call'd his Indian
Girl: but
she could not suport him but that he fell down
in the way
to the house and more help came and led him
in. If this Cedar should fall, twould make the
Province
greatly
shake.
Decr. 17. Mr. Secretary is in Council again. 'Tis voted
that the
Platt of Canada River which Capt. Southack has
made; be
presented by our Agent, he to ask the Favour
of Genl
Nicholson's company in doing it.
Decr. 17. Mr. William Cooper preaches at Mr. Pem-
berton's
Meeting, from the 4th.
Ps. Lift up the Light of
thy
Countenance -- Prays and preaches excellently.
Mr.
Colman was
there.
Decr. 18. Mrs. Judith Winslow1 buried; a
widow of
near 90
years old, in the old Burying place: in a Tomb.
Bearers,
Cook, Elisha Hutchinson; Sewall, Addington:
Oakes,
Cutler. I returning Mr. Secretary told
me he had
a bad Turn
again last night. This day Mr. Hudson
Lev-
1 Judith Winslow was second wife and
widow of John Winslow, of Bos-
ton, who was
son of John, of
in October,
1683, leaving Judith half of his house and land while she con-
tinued his
widow. For over thirty years she seems
to have respected his
memory. --
EDS.
1714.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 31
erett's
widow 1 is buried at Roxbury.
She died at the
widow
Tomson's house.
I visited Capt. Belchar, who is Confined
by his sore
Legs.
Midweek, Decr. 22. My Son Joseph and I visited my
Son at
Brooklin, sat with my Daughter in the chamber
some
considerable time, Drank Cider, eat Apples.
Sarah
Cumin sat in
the same Room on the Bed with her sore
Leg. Daughter said nothing to us of her
Greivances, nor
we to her.2 Mr. Josiah Winchester, and Aspinwall were
by reason
below with my Son upon Business.
Decr. 23. Dr. C. Mather preaches excellently from Ps.
37. Trust in the Lord &c. only spake of the
Sun being
in the
centre of our System. I think it
inconvenient to
assert such
Problems."
1 Very little seems to be known of Hudson
Leverett, famous only for his
father and
his son. His first wife was Sarah
Peyton, who was alive in 1674
(Suff.
Deeds, lib. 13, f. 384). The following
documents show that he mar-
ried,
secondly, about 1692, a widow, Elizabeth Myham, who survived him,
and whose
death is here recorded. Leverett seems
to have died poor, as his
son refused
to pay his small legacies. In the
settlement of the great Leverett
estate, it
seems that he had at best a life interest in a part of his father's
property.
The name of his wife, Myham, is plainly
written on the will, but it is not
known to
us. The name Mylam, Milam, or Milom, is
a
The will of Hudson Leverett, gent., is on
file in Sufiolk Probate Office,
No. 1986,
but is not recorded. It is dated Oct.
10, 1692. He mentions son,
John
Leverett, daughter, Mary Leverett, son, Thomas Leverett. Gives to
wife,
Elizabeth, £200 ; to "wife's daughter, my daughter-in-law, Elizabeth
Myham,"
£30; to cousin Esther Pawmer, £10. Son
John, executor;
friends
Richard Wilkins, bookseller, and Enoch Greenleafe, trunk-maker,
overseers.
John Leverett, Dec. 1, 1692, executor,
"declared his refusal of that trust,
not finding bona
notabilia whereon to administer."
Suff. Deeds, Lib. 16, f. 368. Sept. 16, 1692, Hudson Leverett, for his
conjugal
love and affection to Elizabeth, his present wife, gave to David
Adams, of
Boston, blockmaker, and Abraham Adams, of the same, inn-
holder, as
trustees for her, a note of Harlakenden Symonds for £30, and
also various
household goods. Also six acres of land
at New-London.
Aug. 8, 1694, the trustees delivered the
same to her. -- EDS.
2 We have already noted the fact of the
evidences of a disagreement be-
tween Samuel
Sewall, Jr., and his wife, Governor Dudley's daughter. -- EDS.
32 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1714.
Decr. 25. Shops open, &c as on other days, very
pleas-
ant
weather. Capt. Williams buried; Bearers,
Col.
Checkly,
Capt. Hill, Mr. Tay, &c.
Mrs. Bradstreet of Newbury, her killing
her Negro
woman is
much talked of.1
Lord's Day, Decembr. 26. Mr. Bromfield and I go and
keep the
Sabbath with Mr. John Webb, and sit down with
that Church
at the Lord's Table. I did it to hold
Com-
munion with
that Church; and, so far as in me lay, to
put Respect
upon that affronted, despised Lord's Day.
For the
Church of England had the Lord's Super, yester-
day, the
last day of the Week: but will not have it to-day,
the day that
the Lord has made.2 And Genl Nicholson,
who kept
Satterday, was this Lord's Day Rumaging
and
Chittering with Wheelbarrows &c., to get aboard at
the long
Wharf, and Firing Guns at Setting Sail.
I
thank God, I
heard not, saw not any thing of it: but was
quiet at the
New North. I did it also to Countenance
a
young small
Church, and to shew that I was pleas'd with
them for
having the Lord's Super once in four Weeks,
and upon one
of the Sabbaths that was vacant.3
Had a
very comfortable
Day.
Decr. 27. Very pleasant wether. My Son tells me
that Thomas
Sewall went to the Church of England last
Satterday:
He expostulated with him about it.
Decr. 28. Govr sends to my Son to invite the
Ministers
to Diner to
morrow: sends his Coach for the Doctors;
only Dr.
Cotton Mather, Mr. Colman, Sewall, Webb,
1 Dr. Humphrey Bradstreet, son of Moses
Bradstreet, was of Newbury,
and by wife
Sarah had seven children, 1692-1713. He
died May 11, 1717,
and his
widow married, secondly, June 9, 1719, Edward Sargent. Coffin
(History of
Newbury) refers to Sewall's Diary, but cannot add any light upon
this
subject. -- EDS.
2 Another evidence of Sewall's
unconquerable prejudice against a recog-
nition of
Christmas-Day. -- EDS.
3 That is, when the rite was not observed
in either of the other Meeting-
houses. --
EDS.
171
4/5] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 33
goe, all in
Govr's Coach. Xr.
29 being a storm of
snow.
Midweek, Xr. 30. Mr. Bridge preaches, No Govr,
Lt.
Govr, Chief-Justice; Jer. Dumer esqr. there.
Decr. 31. Very pleasant day after the Snow; visit Mr.
Mr.
Addington, who takes Physick, though he took some
this week
before; complains for want of Breath. Of
his
own accord
Talk'd to me, About the Circumstances of the
Government;
what should do, if no orders should come
by the first
of February: Said, ought to think before
hand; I
consented with him and had some discourse.
I
desired to
see the Letter about the president of the Coun-
cil; and
pray'd him to let me see the Act at large which
continues
comissions for half a year after the Queen's
death. Son Gerrish and S. Sewall, de Stephana,
visit us.
New-years-day, 1714/15. In the morning read in Course
that awfull
portion of Scripture, Isa. 24. Mr.
Addington
being at his
office, shew'd me the Record of the Queen's
order dated
May, 3. 1707, which is thus concluded:
"The Eldest Councillor who shall be,
at the time of your death
or absence,
residing within our said Province of the Massachusets
Bay, shall
take upon him the Administration of the Government,
and execute
our said Commission and Instructions, and the several
Powers and
Authorities therein contained, in the same manner, and
to all
intents and purposes, as other our Govr or
Comander in Chief
should or
ought to do, in case of your Absence, till your return; or
in all cases
untill our further pleasure be known therein.
So we bid
you
farewell.
"By Her Majs Command,
1 We may set forth briefly the points of
the difficulty about the govern-
ment at this
time. News of the death of Queen Anne,
on the 1st August,
1714, was
received here on September 15th. The
Hazard, sloop, sent with
orders to
our government, was lost on Cohasset rocks, November 12th. The
commissions
of the Governor and Lieutenant-Governor by law expired in six
months from
the termination of the preceding reign, namely, on Feb. 1,
1714-15.
By the charter, the Council, or the
major part of them, were to assume
34 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [171 4/5.
Visited Mrs. Kay. In the morning return' d Mr. Cut-
ler the
Watch he gave me upon Trial this day Senight at
Capt.
Williams's Funeral.
Jany
2. L. Day. My Son changes with Mr. Webb, by
which means
I miss hearing him this day, and Decr. 26th.
Jan 10.
Snowy day, Mr. Gee sends his Son to invite
me to Diner
to morrow at his house.
Tuesday Jany 11th. went thither, where din'd Dr. Incr.
and Dr. C.
Mather, Mr. Bridge, Mr. Wadsworth, Mr.
Capt.
Martyn, Mr. Hallawell. It seems it was
in remem-
brance of
his Landing this day at
captivity.1 Had a good Treat. Dr. Cotton Mather in
returning
Thanks very well compress'd many weighty
things very
pertinently. After Diner,
notwithstanding
the Fogg, I
visited Mr. Bradstreet; Madam Bradstreet
and her
daughter remain very ill still. I gave
him an
Angel to buy
him a few candles. Got home well. Laus
Deo.
Midweek, Jany 12. Genl
Council. It being mov'd:
Council were
of opinion the Genl Court was dissolv'd;
because
Prorogued before met, which was not agreeable
to
Charter. Now declared it to be
dissolv'd. Govr men-
tioned the
renewing Comissions. I mov'd to adjourn
to
the
government, which they did, on the presumption that the order in the text did
not supersede the charter.
The supremacy of the Council was short, as
on March 21st, Dudley dis-
played a new
commission reinstating him, probably, ad interim.
March 17, 1715, Colonel Elizeus or Elisha
Burgess was appointed Gov-
ernor, in
England, and he remained there. His
commission, with that to
the new
Lieutenant-Governor, William Tailer, was published in Boston,
Nov. 9,
1715. Tailer then succeeded, and
J. Dummer,
however, in
£1,000, and
Colonel Samuel Shute was made Governor, June 15,1716, with
William
Dummer as his Lientenant-Governor. Shute
arrived here Oct. 4,
1716. --
EDS.
1 Undoubtedly the host was Joshua Gee,
Sr., father of Rev. Joshua Gee,
the
colleague of Cotton Mather. See a
reference in Vol. I. p. 199, to this
captivity.
-- EDS.
171 4/5.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 35
the 2d
Febr. But the Govr adjourned
to the 26th Jany. I
mov'd that Lt
Col. Somersby might be sent to transmit
a copy of
his Inquest about Mrs. Bradstreet's Negro.
Govr
oppos'd and
check'd me, said twas to accomplish a diligent
search. Col.
Noyes inform'd what was done, which gave
me occasion
to speak. Mr. Pemberton and Mr. Colman
in their
Lectures pray God to continue the Govr, if it
may be.
Jany 26. Genl Council; Govr
offers a Proclamation to
be voted to
continue all Officers till the K. pleasure
known. Mr. B. Lynde, Major Genl W., Col.
Hutchinson
opos'd
it. Consideration was desired till
morning. Then
it was
Negativ'd; but 2 or 3 for it. I spake
for it on
Wednesday,
saying it enter'd not into the Question act
[on account
of ?] the 6. Moneths end. But now I voted
with my
Brethren, for I saw twas so worded as to tie up
the hands of
the Council from making any Alteration
though the
Government should be devolved on them
next week. Went to visit Mr. Pemberton and wife: but
they were
not at home.
Jany 30. Cold day.
Mr. Pemberton prays that God
would Govern
the Succession of the Government.
Jany 27. My Son preach'd to a numerous Congrega-
tion,
finishing his Text, Blessed are the pure in heart.
Jany 31. There is a Sessions held in
Tuesday, February 1. As I was busy in signing Bills,
Mr.
Bromfield came to me and desired me to go to the
Major Genl
at Ten a-clock; they had some discourse yes-
terday at
the Sessions, Several would be there. I
got
thither
about 11., was the first and were but 4. in all, as
I remember;
Sewall, Em Hutchinson, Jos. Lynde Mr.
Bromfield. Agreed to call as many as we could together
at the
Council-Chamber at 3. p. m. there met
12. viz.
Mr.
Winthrop, Tailer, Elisha Hutchinson, Sewall, Jos.
Lynde, Em
Hutchinson, Bromfield Winslow, Clark, Da-
venport,
Hutchmson Thomas, Mr. Secretary. Col. Towns-
36 DIARY OF SAMUEL SEWALL. [171 4/5.
end was at
Roxbury, to hear his son That preaches.
Col.
Phillips
came not over; Mr. Comissary was indispos'd by
the
Gout. Col. Lynde sent his son Phillips
with the
Letters; we
had Spoken of another. Mr. Bromfield had
spoken to
Flag to warn them. Lt Govr,
as I hear, en-
quir'd what
the Major Genl had to do to warn a Council?
When were
together in the Closet, I mollified a little by
saying we
were not a Council, but some Gentlemen of
the Council
met together upon an extraordrnary occa-
sion, which
Mr. Tailer took up with, placidly; After a
pretty deal
of Talk, I motion'd that we might send to the
Governour to
enquire whether He had received any Or-
ders; which
was readily agreed to. At last, when I
could
shift it no
longer, Sewall, Jo. Lynde,
Hutchinson
went into the said Hutchinson's Coach.
Got
thither a
little after Five, only the Governour's Lady was
there; Mr. Wm
Dudley received us, and call'd the Govr.
After
a-while I rose up, and began to do the Message,
Govr
would have me sit down. The Message was
this;
May it
please your Excellency, whereas the Six Months
given by the
Parliament of Great Britain, for continuing
persons in
their Civil and Military Offices; do expire this
day: These are humbly to enquire whether your
Excel-
lency has
received Orders from our Soveraign Lord King
George,
enabling you to sustain the place of Governour
of this
Province longer? If you have receiv'd no
such
Orders, we
are of opinion that Authority is devolv'd upon
His Majs
Council, by the direction of our charter; and
that we are
oblig'd in obedience thereunto, and for the
welfare of
His Majesties Subjects here, to exert our selves
accordingly.
We humbly thank your Excellency for your
good Ser-
vices done
this people which are many; and for your
Favour to
our selves in particular, and take leave to sub-
scribe our
selves your Excellency's most humble and
faithfull
Servants.
17l 4/5.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 37
Note.
I had drawn this up, but they would vote but
what is on
the other side.1
I intended it as a Letter: But they would
have it by
word of
Mouth. So I shew'd not the paper. The Gov-
ernour's
Answer was, I have received no Orders: and ex-
press'd an
Aversion to enter into discourse. I
said, If was
out of the
Province, this much more. Govr
said that
was a Jest;
might be out of the Province at a great dis-
tance, at
more to be
at Cascobay, than at
to me,
saying, Judge Sewall. 'Twas Candlelight,
went to
the door and
crav'd Excuse for not going to the Gate.
And sent no
body with us.
Govr said there were Thirty
Canada Indians at Piscata
qua, he was
listening after it.
When return'd, found our Company Waiting
for us.
When we had
related the Governour's Answer, and they
perceived by
his declining to argue the matter, he de-
sign'd to
hold his place, it put the Gentlemen to it.
seem'd to be
of that mind; Mr. Winthrop would have had
the
Secretary write Letters; but he said, 'Twas no Coun-
cil he could
not doe it. I said Let us write and all
sub-
scribe. Mr. Winthrop was so knockt that he said it
could
not be done,
if the Secretary declin'd. The Lt
Govr and
Secretary
left us. At last resolv'd to Write, and
writ
Five
Letters; To Situate, Marble-head, Salem, Ipswich,
Newbury. Gave the Northern Letters to Col. Lynde to
send from
Charlestown by an Express. Gave Capt.
Cushin's to
a Marshfield man whom Col. Winslow directed
us to; he to
pay him for how much he went out of his
way. Time fix'd in the Letter sign'd by Ten, was
two
a-clock p.
m. Febr. 3.
1 Meaning what is on the other side of
the leaf in his Journal, closing
with the
word "accordingly." -EDS.
38 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [171 4/5.
Febr. 2.
Went to the Meeting at Bror Thornton's, read
out of Mr.
Shepard on the Virgins. They that were
ready went
in: sung clauses out of the 45th Psalm.
Thorsday, Feb: 3. Very great Congregation; Dr.
Mather prays
for them that had the Administration of the
Government;
mentions neither Govr nor Lieut. Govr. Lt
Govr
was present.
Thorsday, Febr 3. p. m. The Councillors met, whose
Names are to
the Proclamation. Had long debate, drew
up votes to
state the Question till I was weary. At
last
voted the
Devolution; only 2 or 3 that did not vote;
Then ordered
4. to acquaint the Govr what was done;
viz, Elisha
Hutchinson esqr. Eliakim Hutchinson esqr.
Penn
Townsend Esqr. and Josiah Winslow esqr.
They
went though
the night was pretty well enter'd. Many
of
us stayed
till they return'd: Govr said
was not dead, nor
out of the
province. Adjourned to the morning.
Friday, Febr. 4. Drew up a Proclamation; at my
going to
Diner Col Hutchinson desired me to draw some-
thing, which
I did, and 'twas agreed to with very little;
alteration.
Note.
I had said King William and Queen Mary of
Blessed
Memory, I pleaded when spoken to, They were
our
Founders. Lt Govr
spake hard against it, unless the
same was said
for Queen Anne, so twas struck out.
Mr. Secretary drew that in the English
Letter: Mr.
Secretary
first drew, till His Majesties Orders; which Mr.
B. Lynde and
I opos'd, as that which bound up our hands,
from doing
anything: so twas struck out. Publish'd
it
by Beat of
Drum. Paper was sullied with the
Rain. Mr.
Hiller read
it, out of the Council-Chamber Gallery; Col.
Checkley,
Major Fitch, Capt. Abijah Savage &c. present.
Dr. Cotton
Mather could not be found, Sent for Mr. Pem-
berton, who
was at Capt. Winslow's, and he pray'd with us.
I should
have noted, that Mr. Tailer Contested the prece-
dency with
Mr. Winthrop, seeing he had had the Honor
171 4/5.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 39
to sit at
the Board as Lieut Govr and that the order of
privy seal,
a Copy of which he produc'd, was Dead.
But
the Council
carried it for Mr. Winthrop nemine Con-
tradicente.
Febr. 6. No Govr nor Lt Govr
mentioned in our publick
prayers.
This day I set Windsor Tune, and the people
at the 2d
going over
run into
Tuesday, Febr. 8. I walk with Judge Palmer, Mr.
Danl
Oliver, Capt. Keeling, Constable Wainwright, to
suppress
Disorders. Gave widow Noaks 3s.
Febr. 9.
Council; Col. Phillips, and Capt. Norden take
their Oaths,
to the Devolution Government. I told
Phillips, we
wanted him last week: He said his heart
was
with us; but
he was not well.
Febr. 10.
Mr. Bridge preaches from Ps. 149. 2.
Sung
the 47th
Psalm.
Febr. 11th. Son preaches at Mr. Winthrop's.
Febr. 12.
Last night Mrs. Bethiah Walley is brought
very little
to Bed of a dead child.
Febr. 13.
My wife goes to the Lord's Super.
Richie
Love
Recomended by Mr. Homes.
Febr. 14.
I wait on Dr. Incr. Mather to have a Comis-
sioners
Meeting appointed to morrow, at 3 aclock.
But
when I came
to Dr. C. Mather, he said should be em-
ploy'd in
the Afternoon; so appointed it in the Morning:
Gave Flagg
the List to warn, because Maxwell was Cast
out of the
Church yesterday, and is superanuated.
In the Afternoon, Col. Townsend, Mr.
Bromfield, Mr.
Mr.
Addington, Davenport and I visited the Governour, who
Treated us
with good Drink and Apples. No body went
with us to
the Gate. Govr. Hunter's Proclamation
comes
to Town
dated Jany. 29. ordering those of pernicious prin-
ciples to be
aprehended and punished, who assert that
Comissions
are void at the end of the Six Moneths.
Midweek, Febr. 16. Council, Col. Otis, Capt. Cushing,
40 DIARY OF SAMUEL SEWALL. [171 4/5.
Col. Noyes,
and Wheelwright, Take the Oaths. Vote to
give New
Comissions to Civil Officers.
17.
Sign many Comissions. The
and
Ministers meet at the Chief Justices in the evening
to speak
about sending an Address, which is agreed to.
I visited
Madam Coney and went from thence to the said
Meeting.
18.
Dr. Cotton Mather, Mr. Pemberton, Colman, come
into Council
and intimat what was discoursed last night at Mr.
Winthrop's. Council order me and Mr. B. Lynde to
give their
Answer, viz, That 'tis agreeable to them, and
they wish it
may be gone forward with. We went imedi-
ately but
can't find them, went to Mr. Pemberton's, Col-
man's. At last as were going to Dr. Mather's, Mr.
Lynde
call'd at
his Brother's and found the Dr. there.
We went
in, drank
Tea, after we had done our Message. A
comis-
sion was
drawn and sign'd for Mr. Wm Dudley as Sheriff;
he was sent
for to offer it to him, He said he had one
already from
the Govr and Council and saw no reason to
take
another, with a Little seeming Banter he said his
had a Seal,
This had none.
Febr. 16.
Bror. goes to Brooklin.
Febr. 19.
A Comission is given to Mr. Wm Pain.
Note. Dr. Incr. Mather was at Mr. Wadsworth's
Lecture.
Febr. 20.
Excellent Wether. Mr. Pemberton
not
abroad in
the forenoon, yet preaches p. m.
Monday, Febr. 21. Son Sewall intended to go home
on the Horse
Tom. brought, sent some of his Linen by
him: but
when I came to read his wive's Letter to me,
his Mother
was vehemently against his going: and I was
for
considering. I took the Horse and rode
to Timo Har-
ris of
Brooklin. Staid there so long that twas
almost
dark before
I got to Roxbury. Meeting house, yet
call'd
and saw Mrs.
Mary Mighell. Visited Mr. Walter, staid
long with
him, read my daughters Letters to her Husband
and me: yet
he still advis'd to his going, home.
Went
171 4/5.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 41
home in the
dark between 7 and 8. My Wife can't yet
agree to my
Son's going home.
Febr. 22.
Lt Govr goes out of Town. Rains most
the day.
Febr. 23.
Great Storm of Rain. Wind at
North-east;
so that
shall hardly have a Council to day.
Midweek, March, 2. Mr. Secretary offers a Draught
for a
Fast. The President persuaded him to
strike out
words about Establishment
of the Government. Mr.
Tailer
procured to have the Prince particularly men-
tion'd. I prevail'd to have Rain Specially
inserted, and
gave the
Words, which I prepar'd at Noon; carried it to
the Press.
Midweek, March, 9. Mr. Secretary is in Council; Fore-
noon and
Afternoon. I remember, I ask'd leave of
him to
go to the
Barbers, assuring him I would return presently.
Fifth-day, March, 10th. Mr. Secretary is taken with
fainting as
he rose out of his Bed in the Morning: sunk
down. Taken agen at Noon. As went out of the Coun-
cil in the
Morning, Mr. Davenport desired me to acquaint
Mr. Sewall
who preach'd: but he was got into pulpit be-
fore I
reach'd the Meetinghouse, so no publick Prayers.
March, 13. Mr. Secretary Pray'd for publickly.
Midweek, March, 16. Lt
Govr comes to me in the
morning,
shews me Mr. Dudley's case truly stated; 'twas
laid at his
Steps. Councillors were much surpris'd:
p. m.
sent for the
Printers: before had done examining them, I
went away to
the Funeral of my Grandson, Billy Hirst,
after I had
acquainted the President.
March, 18. Being desired, I drew up a Proclamation.
Satterday, March, 19. Mr. Secretary Addington dyes
between 11.
and 12. before Noon.1 Govr
Dudley came to
visit him;
but he was dead 1/4 of an hour before.
1 Isaac Addington, a son of a surgeon of
the same name, and of Anne, a
sister of
Governor Leverett, was born in
42 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [171 4/5.
March, 20. Lt Govr. comes to my
house, shews me the
printed Copy
from the London Gazett in Govr Hunter's
hand at
New-York. It seems Mr. Paul Dudley
bestirr'd
himself to
have his Father pray'd for as Govr, and that
the Order
for the Fast might not be Read. Mr.
Pember-
ton Spake to
me as went by the foreseat in the morning.
I Spake
against it as I could so on a sudden surprise, men-
tion'd the
Exception, or provision be made. Mr.
Sewall
pray'd as
formerly. Mr. Pemberton ask'd if I had
read
it, I said
yes: Said he should have seen it! At
Noon I
carried it
to him borrowed of Mr. Newton: He had it
of
Mr. Cambbell
before, was reading it; Said he was amaz'd
I should
speak as I did; twas as far from it as East from
West:
New-England, he fear'd, would pay dear for being
Fond of
Government. I say'd unless he knew those
that
were Fond of
Government he did ill so to Censure.
Said
I came only
to give him a sight of the Proclamation,
he might use
his Freedom. He thank'd me and I went
away.
P. m.
Mr. Pemberton acquainted the Congregation
that he had
received an Order for a Fast from Civil Au-
thority, he
had it not with him, Spake of reading it next
Lord's
Day. He never said a word that I know
of,
though the
President and Three other of the Council were
there, March 19, 1715. Though trained to the profession of his
father, he
devoted
himself to the public service, and was highly honored for his ability
and fidelity
in several trusts in the interest of his native place. He was
a
representative of
He took an
active part in the proceedings against Andros, Dudley, and
others of
the Council in the revolutionary outburst in April, 1689, and,
temporary
re-establishment of the popular government, he was chosen Secre-
tary of the
Council of Safety. On the return of
Dudley, and afterwards,
under the
Governorship of his former prisoner, it wou1d seem that both were
willing that
oblivion should settle on their former relations, for Addington
filled the
office of Secretary till his death. He
was a Judge of the Court of
Common Pleas
from 1693 to 1702, and Chief-Justice of the Superior Court
in
1702-03. He was Assistant or Councillor
from 1693 to 1714, and was
successively
Clerk, Registrar, and from 1702 to 1715, Judge, of Suffolk Pro-
bate Court.
-- EDS.
171 4/5.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 43
of his
Church, and before him: he saw not fit to advise
with
them. Pray'd for those that were or might
be called
to the
Government. A little before night Mr.
Paul Dudley,
and Mr. Wm
Dumer come to my house; call to Speak with
me. Mr. Dudley acquaints me that the Govr
intended to
be here in
Town about Eleven a-clock to publish the proc-
lamatlon,
that I might be there; said would goe to every
one of the
Council. I said, but is this sufficient,
meaning
the
Copy. His eyes Sparkled, Said he had no
orders to
dispute,
there had been great Friendship between him
and me. I said I had done nothing to forfeit it. As was
going out
said his at father would come to Town with two
Troops of
Horse.
In the evening most, or all the
Councillors in Town
met at the
Chief Justices. I ask'd whether, Or
other
provision be
made -- did keep
the Council in the Govern-
ment? All seem d to express themselves satisfied,
that
their
Fatigue was almost over. Capt. Belchar
said he
would hinder
the coming of the Troops.
Monday, March, 21. Govr comes to Town with Four
Troops in
stead of two. Twelve of the Council were
there at the
proclamation. I was not there, I used to
be
with Mr.
Addington; and was griev'd at the forbidding
to read the
Fast. i.e. Mr. P. Dudley writ to the
Minis-
ters to pray
for his father, and not to read the Order for
the
Fast. I knew nothing of the Fast, till
Mr. Pemberton
was declin'd
reading it. Dr. Mather, Mr. Bridge, Mr.
Webb
read it; Mr.
Pemberton and Colman did not. Dr. C.
Mather said
it was sign'd by the hon'ble Wait Winthrop
esqr. the
president of the Council and 17. more of the
council, and
Countersign'd &c.
Midweek, March, 23. Mr. Addington buried from the
Council-Chamber;
twas a sad Spectacle; Bearers, Lt Govr,
Mr.
Winthrop; Elisha Hutchinson, Sewall; Eliakim Hutch-
inson,
Belchar. 20 of the Council were assisting,
it being
the day for
Apointing Officers. All had Scarvs. Bearers
44 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [171 4/5.
Scarvs,
Rings, Escutcheons. Was laid in Govr
Leverett's
Tomb. March 24.
Mr. Bridge preaches the Lecture.
Friday, March, 25. Mr. B. Lynde and I take the
Hackney
coach and wait on the Govr I wish his Excel-
lency good
success in his Return to the exercise of his
Government;
ask'd if had any Service to Plimouth;
entertain'd
us very pleasantly, came with us to the Gate.
March, 26.
Mr. Judge Lynde and I set out for Plimo.
Jn° Arcus
waits on me; got comfortably to Mr. Randel's
before
sunset.
March, 27. Mr. Eels preaches very well. Sup with
him. Give Sarah Witherel (now Hubbard) Ten
Shillings.
Gave Mr.
Eels some small Books. Earl Sacrament,1
Wads-
worth
Catechisme, Colman
First
Proclamation, Declaration, in the 5s. for Contribution.
March, 28.
Set out for Plimouth with Briant, pretty
deal of Ram
and Hail. Dine at Cook's. Sheriff with 9
in his
Company come thither notwithstanding the Rain,
in which
rode to Plimouth: Got thither about 5 p.
m.
with little
inconvenience, my Hood and Coat sat very well
about
me. Laus Deo.
March, 29.
Made Mr. Little Clark pro hac vice, Mr.
Cooke being
sick of the Gout. Mr. Valentine at his
com-
ing gives us
the News by Bermuda that came to
on the
Lord's day, March 27. Col. Byfield
stands vigor-
ously for
the Government.
March, 30.
Adjourn sine die. visit
Mrs. Little (Hanah
Willard)
very sick, desired my Prayers.
March, 31. Aedem intravi mane. After the exercise,
Mr. Cushman
Sups with us; visit Mr. Thomas, and Mr.
Watson and
wife: he not at home.
Apr. 1.
Snows all day, whereby are kept at Plimouth.
Mr. Josiah
Cotton, and Stedman dine with us. To
Madam
1
Rev. Dr. Jabez Earl's Treatise on the Sacrament, 1707, often reprinted
(Allibone).
-- EDS.
1715.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 45
Willard
Twenty Shillings; Mr. Ephraim Little, Ten; To
the
Sheriff's Attendants each a bound Book Wadsworth,
Earl, Colman
Providence.1
Apr. 2.
Set out homeward about 6. m.
Baited Bair-
sto,
Cushing, Mills. Got home about 6. p. m. Laus
Deo.
Apr. 3. Dr. Incr. Mather preaches at the
South p. m.
April, 7. Govr and his
Lady at Lecture, Mr. Wads-
worth
preaches, Mr. Pemberton being sick. Text
Heb.1.
8. A Sceptre of Righteousness. Genl Council p. m.
Govr
propounds Mr. Paul Dudley for Judge of Probat.
Ten No's;
Eight yea's, as the Govr told them.
Mr. Fitch
made a
Justice, Mr. Jonathan Pool at
Apr. 8.
Rains hard, abates about 5, which makes way
to attend
the Meeting at Mr. Stoddard's, where Mr. Sewall
preaches;
Mr. Colman is an Auditor.
Apr. 10.
Mr. Holyoke preaches at the South p. m.;
Mr.
Pemberton remains sick.
April, 12.
Council settle Mr. Tucker's Estate of Rox-
bury. Govr is very pleasant, Speaks to
Mr. Winthrop
and me to
dine with the Ministers to morrow. Visit
Mr.
Pemberton a
3d time.
Apr. 13.
Swallows apear. Mr. Short sets
out for
Newbury. The Govr, Chief Justice Winthrop,
Sewall,
Townsend
Dine with the Ministers at the Dragon. I
sat
between Mr.
Bridge and Mr. Thacher of Milton. Dr.
Incr. Mather
crav'd a Blessing; Dr. C. Mather return'd
Thanks. Mr. Pemberton not there.
Apr. 14.
Mr. Craighead preaches the Lecture in Mr.
Colman's
Turn. Mr. Thacher of Milton, and Mr.
Dan-
forth of
Taunton dine with us. I visit Mr. Peter
Dallie,2
who seems to
be in a languishing dying Condition; has
kept house
about 8. weeks. Mrs. Little died last
Tues-
1 Rev. Benjamin Colman's Sermon on Mrs.
Elizabeth Wainwright, 1714.
--EDS.
2 This was Rev. Pierre Daille, minister
of the
He died May
21, 1715, in the sixty-seventh year of his age. -- EDS.
46 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1715.
day
night. Council, at which gave 10.
Discourses Capt.
Tho.
Hutchinson, and Charlestown Gentlemen not there,
April, 21. News comes that Col. Burgess1 is
to be our
Governour. Arriv'd just before Lecture, which is Mr.
J.
Sewall's. Sarah Cumins was Married this
day; This
News will
damp my daughter of Brooklin her Triumph.
May, 2. Little Samuel de Josepho,
born. Mrs. Whit-
more
Midwife.
May, 8. Baptised; The wet wether
and my Indisposi-
tion caused
me to stay at home; that I had not the
Satisfaction
to be present at the Baptisme. I took
cold
May, 1.
which kept me at home all the time of the Court
the first
week.
May, 24.
Went with Col. Townsend to Roxbury Lec-
ture. Lecture visited the Govr, confin'd
by his
Gout. His Excellency made a Dedimus to my
self, Col.
Phillips,
Col. Lynde, to give the Deputies the Oaths.
This was
done before I knew of it. Rid home with
Mr.
Comissary in
his Coach.
1 Readers of Dr. Palfrey's admirable
History of New England will re-
member the
novel and characteristic feature of his method by which, when
tracing the
measures of our local governments in our colonial and provincial
times, he constantly
takes us back to the court and cabinet of the mother
country, to
develop the influence which parties and intrigues there had
upon our own
affairs and interests. Certainly, the
aptness and significance
of his
method in so doing were abundantly illustrated and justified by the
facts which
be set before the reader. It was curious
to note, in some of the
English
judgments and criticisms on his work, when it was first noticed
abroad, that
some slights and other than considerate and respectful com-
ments were
passed upon the seeming assumption that our affairs could at the
time have
had any serious interest for Englishmen, and that court intrigues
were at all
influenced by any reference to our colonial concerns. None the
less was
there very much of that reciprocal interaction. And the indifference
or contempt
which seemed to characterize the feelings of most Englishmen
towards the
colonies -- while there was in reality such a living tie of com-
mon interest
between them received a fatting retributive penalty, when,
in the
fomenting of the controversies which opened our revolutionary war,
even English
statesmen were rudely aroused to a conviction, that it would
have been a
wiser course for their cabinet had discreet policy taken the
place of
trifling and intrigue. -- EDS.
1715.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 47
May, 25.
Election-day; Col. Phillips, Lynde, and I
give the
Deputies the Oaths. Mr. Jer. Shepard
preaches.
Dine at the
Green Dragon. Six left out; Phillips,
Cor-
win,
Townsend, Partridge, Saml Appleton, Noyes.
May, 26.
The Deputies send the Election to the Govr
to
Roxbury. His Return is, I Consent to the
election of
Mrs.
Councillors, except Nathanl Byfield Esqr.
May, 27. Friday, Col. Hutchinson, Sewall,
Jn°
to go to
Roxbury, and take the Oaths before the Govr in
his
Bed-Chamber. Return to Boston, and
administer
them to the
Councillors.
May, 31.
The Govr comes first to Town, was carried
from Mr.
Dudley's to the Town-House in Cous. Dumer's
Sedan: but
twas too tall for the Stairs, so was fain to be
taken out
near the top of them. He vehemently
urg'd
passing the
Ministers' Motion for a Synod. Withdrew.
Brother
Moodey for Newbury and Bror Northend for Row-
ley. Lodge at our House.
June, 6.
Mr. Stephens preaches the Artillery Sermon.
Made a very
good Discourse from Isa. 2. 4. Govr
dines
not
publickly, at the Dragon.
I should have mention'd the Smiting
Plimouth Meet-
ing-house by
Lightning June, 3. Friday, Capt. Warren
their Deputy
came as far as Bairsto's May 24. Was
taken sick
there, 25. Carried in a Horselitter to
his
Son-in-law
at Jones River, 26. to his own House at
Eel River,
where he expired on the Lord's day night
following.
Tuesday, June, 21. In the Forenoon Govr slgnifies his
Intention to
prorogue the Court; had sat 4 weeks and
done
nothing, were distemper'd. Bill for the
Tax Read;
I express'd
my desire that the voting of it might be left
to a longer
time, at least to the Afternoon: but the Govr
would have
it voted then; and it past in the Negative
because
'twas but for 11,000£. I voted not
because of
great
moment, and so suddenly call'd for.
Deputies are
48 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1715.
sent for in,
and the Court prorogued to the 20th July at
10. m.
Friday, July, 1. p. m. I finish my work on the Bills of
Credit for
£50.000. and carry the two last Bundles to
Col.
Checkley, as I went to the Meeting at Capt. Habijah
Savages';
Told him I came to take Leave of him. Laus
Deo.
Satterday, July, 2. I give Col. Hutchinson Mr. Col-
man's Book
on the Virgins, in Consideration of his giving
me my
Table. Cost 10s. I bought of Mr. Gerrish, Dyke
on Philemon
for my Dear Wife.1 When I got
home
was
grievously surpris'd to find Hanah fallen down the
Stairs
again, the Rotula of her Left Knee broken, as the
other was;
and a great Gash Cut a cross her Right Legg
just below
the Knee, which were fain to stitch.
Much
blood issued
out. The Lord Sanctify this Smarting Rod
to me, and
mine! This cloud returning after the
Rain!
Broke her
Right Knee-pan the fifth of August 1714.
July, 3.
Put up a Note for Hanah to be pray'd for, in
the morning.
July, 4.
Joseph prays with his sister in the Chamber.
July, 5.
Mr. Pemberton prays with her.
July, 6.
Went to the Funeral of James Salter, a Sober,
desirable
Man of about 31 years old. I went with
Mr.
Bridge, and
as I came back, brought him in: He
likewise
pray'd with
Hannah.
This day it is Fifty four years Since I
first was brought
ashoar to
6, 1661,
Lord's Day. The Lord help me to Redeem
the
Time which
passes so swiftly. I was then a poor
little
School-boy
of Nine years and old. This day I have
written a
Letter to my Cousin Joseph Moodey, student in
1 Rev. Daniel Dyke died about 1614,
"a Puritan divine of great learning
and
piety." Among his works Allibone
mentions "Philemon, 1618, quarto."
-- EDS.
1715.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 49
Harvard
College, mending a Copy of his verses shewed
me by his
Father. Two were thus alter'd :
Tempore,
quaeso pater, libros mihi mittere dignes!
Musaeum vacuum est, et solus degere Cogor.
Transcrib'd
my three Lines made to direct me in sign-
ing the
Pound-plate.1
Ter
Dyke Ter signat Rubro, qui Tertius Ordine signat
Ultimus
et primus gradiuntur passibus aequis.
Sent four Bills exemplifying it, and 2d
Bill to make it
as the up
Forty -- Praying God for his Blessing on his Academi-
cal Life
concluded. Laus Deo. His Tutor Mr. Holyoke
carried it
at last.
Friday, July, 8. Mr. Leverett the President comes to
our House,
and we issue cousin Jno Quinsey's Business;
Dine here,
and two Men that came from Dover to enquire
after Mr.
Short.
July, 14.
Son preaches out of Isa. 11. His
Rest shall
be
glorious. Mr. Stobo, and several other
Carolina Min-
isters were
Auditors. p. m. I visited Dr. C. Mather and
his new Wife2
at the house that was Mr. Kellond's. young
Mr. Rogers
din'd with me.
July, 15th. Mr. Short calls early in his way to Dover.
In the
evening I receive Sir William Ashurst's Letter
bringing the
Remittance of Mr. Hopkin's Legacy.
1 The" Act for a new impression of
the Bills of Credit on this Province,
passed June
25, 1714, empowered and directed a committee of six persons
specially
named (of whom Sewall and Checkley were two), or any four of
the six, to
cause to be imprinted, bills of credit to a stated amount, from
three plates,
and to sign them. Sewall refers, in his
Latin lines, to the
four signers
and the three plates. Musaeum, in
the distich, seems to mean
the
College. Joseph Moody did not graduate
till 1718. Edward Holyoke
was Tutor
from 1712 to 1716, and became President in 1737. -- EDS.
2 Rev. Cotton Mather married, July 5,
1715, for his third wife,
widow of
John George. Ante p. 27, note. -- EDS.
VOL. III.
50 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1715.
July, 17.
My son and Mr. Webb Exchange. Mr.
Pemberton
not abroad in the Forenoon. Baptizes Mr.
Clark's Son
John, p.m. Walk with Mr. Bromfield,
Const.[able]
Thair &c., but were pretty much prevented
by the Rain:
staid out tin near Sun-set.
July 21.
Madam Cooke 1 dyes, Sleeping in her Chair
after Sore
and strong pains. Was a pious worthy
Gentle-
woman, born
April 26, 1651. Married June 1668.
July 23, interred in Govr
Leverett's Tomb in the Old
burying
place. Bearers, Govr, Lt
Govr; Winthrop, Elish
Hutchinson;
Sewall, Em Hutchinson. Scarf,
Ring, Gloves,
Escutcheon. Rain'd pretty much.
July, 24.
Mrs. Ane Kay was buried; bearers, Sewall,
Checkley;
Deming, Hill; Lewis, Langden. Aged 74.,
born at
School-Mistress.
July, 26.
Go to
man's
Calash. Mr. Brattle prays at opening the
Court.
All the
Justices there. Chief Justice dines not
with us,
by reason of
the Sickness of Madam Brattle.
July, 27.
By candle-light Adjourn sine Die.
July, 28.
Mrs. Brattle dies at 2 p. m.
July, 30.
Mrs. Brattle 2 Buried; Bearers, President, Mr.
Angier;
Gibbs, Wadsworth; Pemberton, Bradstreet.
Fel-
lows Flint,
Holyoke, Robie had Scarvs. After the
women
followed Lt
Govr Usher, Sewall; Jos. Lynde, Em Hutchin-
son; Tho.
Oliver, Francis Foxcroft esqr. Twas Six
a-clock
when came
out of the Burying place; so I came Straight
home upon my
Gray Horse; Saw a Rainbow in Charles-
town Market
place. Caus'd the Shops to be shut up,
as I
rode
along. Got home very comfortably. Laus Deo.
1 She was Elizabeth, daughter of Governor
John Leverett, and wife of
Elisha
Cooke. -- EDS.
2 This was Elizabeth, daughter of
Nathaniel Hayman, of Charlestown,
and first
wife of Rev. William Brattle, of Cambridge.
She died July 28,
1715. --
EDS.
1715.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 51
Twas a great
Funeral, and would probably have been
much
greater, but for the Abundance of Rain which fell
this day,
and danger of more throughout the Afternoon.
Lord's Day, July, 31. My Son baptises Nathanael Be-
thune,1
James Salter and Anne.
Feria Secunda, Augt. 1.
1715. Dr. Increase Mather
visits us,
Discourses in a very Friendly obliging maner.
At my desire
prays with Hanah, and speaks Comfortably
to her: Prays
for me, my Wife, eldest Son present, the
family. Laus Deo.
Feria tertia, Augt.
2. Fast at Mr. Colman's about Call-
ing another
Minister. Mr. Wadsworth began with
Prayer;
Mr. Colman
preach'd from Ephes. 4. 8. 11.
Excellently:
Censur'd him
that had Reproach'd the Ministers as if they
were Gog and
Magog; said would conclude as Zech. 3. 2.
The Lord
rebuke thee Satan -- Mr. Bridge pray'd and
gave the
Blessing.
p. m.
Mr. Pemberton pray'd, Dr. Cotton Mather
preach'd
from Isa. 5. 6. latter clause, I will command the
clouds
&c. Excellently; censur'd him that
had reproach'd
the
Ministry, calling the Proposals Modalities of little con-
sequence,
and made in the Keys; call'd it a Satanick in-
sult, twice
over, and it found a kind Reception. Dr.
Increase
Mather concluded, Sung the 3d part of the 68th
PS. Gibson set the Low Dutch Tune, Dr. Incr.
Mather
gave the
Blessing. All excellently; only I could
wish
the
extremity of the censure had been forborn -- Lest we
be devoured
one of another. Neither the Govr
(though in
Town) nor
Mr. Paul Dudley present.
Monday, Augt. 8. Set out at 11. at night on Horseback
with Tho.
Wallis to inspect the order of the Town.
Constable Eady, Mr. Allen, Salter,
Herishor Simson,
1 Probably a son of George Bethune, of
in
1724. He was of a younger branch of the
Bethunes of Balfour, and his
descendants
now represent the male line of that distinguished Scotch family.
See Heraldic
Journal, IV. 178. -- EDS.
52 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1715.
Howel, Mr.
John Marion. Dissipated the players at
Nine
Pins at
Mount-Whoredom.1
Benjamin Davis, Chairmaker, and Jacob Hasy
were two
of
them. Reproved Thomas Messenger for
entertaining
them.
As came home between 2 and three took up
Peter
Griffis the
notorious Burglarer and comitted him to
Prison. Generally, the Town was peaceable and in good
order.
Tuesday, Augt. 9. Sent the Keeper a Mittimus per
Joseph Webb:
S. Tyly writ it.
Midweek, Augt. 10. Cousins Mehetabel and Sarah
Moodey go
home by water. This day Billy Gibs, the
Minister's
Son, is drown'd at
Bridge. Boarded at Mr. Brattle's and went to School:
was about
11. years old. Was drown'd at young
Floud
and not
taken up till eleven at night, by Torches; one
accidentally
trod on him; could not Swim. Buried at
Watertown
next day. The same Midweek. Bordman on
the Comon
had a little Son who came from the Reading
School near
Eccles's, and dy'd before night. The
good
Lord awaken
us by these awfull and Sharp Afflictions!
Augt. 11.
Mr. Pemberton preaches. Dr. C.
Mather
sick and not
at Lecture. Dr., his father there. It seems
my good
friend Mr. Thomas Mayhew2 died the same day
1 We may presume this spot to have been on
the slope of Beacon Hill.
Mr.
Bowditch, in one of his invaluable "Gleaner" articles in the
"Tran-
script,"
under the date of Nov. 16, 1855, writes as follows: "I once saw a
very large
and accurate plan in the possession of the Mount Vernon proprie-
tors, made
sixty or seventy years ago, which was entitled by the surveyor,
in large and
elaborate letters, 'A plan of Mount Hoardam.'
This strucck
me as a very
ingenious and modest way of conforming to the then popular
nomenclature
of the spot, without giving offence 'to
ears polite.'" It seems
from Sewall,
that the name, as applied to some locality in Boston, is very
ancient. --
EDS.
2 Thomas Mayhew was third of the names,
his father being Rev. Thomas
Mayhew, Jr.,
of Martha's Vineyard. This Thomas was
Justice of the
Inferior
Court of Common Pleas, serving as associate from its foundation.
1715. ] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 53
Madam Cook:
did. The Loss is to us in a maner
irrepa-
able,
respecting the Government of the Indians.
Augt. 12. Mrs. Lord from
her 20d Fine Rain at night.
Lord's Day, Augt. 14. About an hour before Sunset I
walk with
Constable Thair, and by that means went in to
the new
Burying place attending the Funeral of Cousin
Ana Powell
17. mos old.
1692, and as
Chief Justice from July 17,1699, to Oct. 27, 1713. His bro-
thers,
Matthew and John, as indeed all the family, were noted for their
devotion to
the cause of the Indians. -- EDS.
1 This reference may be a proper place to
give some details about the
Dummers in
Richard 1 Dummer (Sewall's grand-uncle), by first wife, Mary, had to
Shuball, b.
Feb. 17, 1636, H. C. 1656. By second
wife, Frances, widow of
Rev.
Jonathan Burr, he had three sons, Jeremiah,2
Richard,2 and William,2
and a
daughter, Hannah.2
His son, Jeremiah2 Dummer, of
; William,3 b. ; Samuel,3 b. ; Anne,3
b. , m. John Powell, May 12, 1714.
Of these, Jeremiah,3 Jr. was the well-known Agent of the Colonies who
died in
England in 1739. Eliot, in his
Biographical Dictionary, gives a
good account
of him, and we annex the following remarks from the "Boston
News
Letter," No. 1828, for Aug. 23, 1739.
It is copied from a London
newspaper.
" From the 'Daily Advertiser,' May
26. -- The Gentleman who was said
by Mistake
in some of the Papers of this Week, to have died at Maryland
Point, was Jeremiah
Dummer, Esq: formerly agent to the New-England
colony. During a considerable Part of Queen Anne's
Reign he was inti-
mate with
and greatly valued by all the Ministers, and the brightest Genius's
of that
Time, he being well skill'd in the learned Languages, and some of the
Modern,
thoroughly acquainted with the most valuable Parts of Literature,
and a
graceful Speaker. He had a fine Memory:
and being of a very com-
municative
and beneficent Disposition, his Company was eagerly sought
after by all
Lovers of good Sense and Humanity.
"Having a true Relish for Life, he
retir'd from Business some Years,
which he
pass'd among his Books and a few Friends.
He died at Plaistow
in
Being, who
was going to appear before its Creator, and with the warmest
Wishes to
his friends and Acquaintance, and particularly to his Country, to
which he
address'd those famous Words of Father Paul, -- Esto Perpetua."
We presume that Jeremiah 3 died without issue. Samuel
3 Dummer lived
at,
Wilmington, Mass., where he died Feb. 6, 1737.
The Middlesex Probate
foundation
show administration was granted, with consent of his brother William,
54 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1715.
Mr.
Pitkin din'd with us this day.
Augt. 15. Joseph prays with Cousin Green's John, very
sick.
Augt. 16. Col. Townsend, Son Sewall the Minister, and
I ride in
the Hackney Coach to Mr. Walter's Lecture.
Brought home
with us Madam Increase Mather. Mr. W.'s
Doctrine
was, Every Comand of the Law is Good.
in the
Author, Matter, Design: from Rom. 7. 12. Saw
little Hanah
at the Governours. Gave her an Eighteen
peny Bill.
Augt. 18. Mr. Pemberton apears in a Flaxen Wigg.
Mr. Webb
preaches from Eccles. 9. 10. Whatsoever
thy
on his
estate, to Samuel Ruggles and to his daughter, Elizabeth Dummer.
Charges are
made for the expenses of the widow for lying in of a posthumous
child. Sept. 1, 1740, administration on estate of
this Elizabeth Dummer
was granted
to Rev. Daniel Rogers, of
The
inventory mentions land in Jamaica formerly owned by her father, and
property in
England unascertained: it was probably derived from her uncle.
Samuel
Dummer was sheriff of Middlesex, 1729-1731.
She died at Littleton, July 16,1740, and
is called the only child of Samuel
Dummer,
"born of Elizabeth who was his wife, now wife of the Rev. M.
Daniel
Rogers of said L." Rev. Daniel Rogers is said (N. E. Hist. Gen.
Register, V.
325) to have married Mary Whiting, perhaps a first wife. By
this wife he
had eight children. His wife Elizabeth
died Sept. 13, 1779,
aged
seventy-four years, and he died Nov. 22, 1782, aged seventy-seven years.
The other son, William 3 Dummer, was our Lieutenant-Governor,
many years
the acting Governor. His will (Suff.
Wills, Lib. 59, f. 398) men-
tions no
children, nor Dummer nephews or nieces.
He gave his estate partly
in charity,
to found the Dummer Grammar School, and the rest to the chil-
dren of his
sister, Anne Powell. Of this, Jeremiah Powell was the principal
heir, though
his brothers, John and William, were also favored. He gave
to Jeremiah
Powell, lauds in North Yarmouth, Co. York, bought of Rev.
Daniel
Rogers, of Littleton, and his wife, Elizabeth, which had formerly
belonged to
Samuel Dummer, of Wilmington. He
mentions kinsfolk,
Nathaniel
Dummer, of Ipswich (whom he made a trustee of the school),
Mary Oulton,
and William Vans, son of Mr. Hugh Vans.
Although the male line of Dummers was thus
extinguished in the de-
scendants of
Jeremiah,2 his brother Richard,2 who married Elizabeth
Apple-
ton, and
died in 1689, had four sons, John,3
Richard,3 Nathaniel,3 and
Shubael,3 some of whom continued the name.
Nathamel3 Dummer, men-
tioned as
above in the will of his cousin William,3 was
great-grandfather of
Henry E.
Dummer, now living. -- EDS.
1715.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 55
hand
findeth. Made a good Discourse. PS. 90. 9-12.
Sung.
Augt. 19. Mr. Thomas Bridge is seiz'd again with his
paralytic
Distemper.
Augt. 20. I set out with Jno Arcus for
lash, get
thither about 5. p. m. Very hot. Visit Cousin
Higginson
sitting on her Pallet Bed. Mr. Noyes
comes
to me there.
Augt. 21. I visit Col. Hathorne, who is very glad to
see me.
Augt. 22. Mr. Corwrn and I set out for Newbury,
Round,
because of the high wind; Though the Rain were
mostly over,
yet we had a little. Din'd at
Chadwell's,
where were
Mr. Lynde, Capt. Price. Went by
Thurrel's
Bridge
because of the high wind; got seasonably to Cous.
Woodbridge's,
where we had very good Lodging.
Augt. 23. Din'd at Winget's. Went to Bloody Point
to Mr.
Knight, where had good Pasture for our Horses,
Ferry'd over
the Calm Water very pleasantly to Capt.
Layton's, in
Kittery.
Augt. 24. Mr. Emery pray'd at opening the Court.
Mr. Moody
gone to
Case, Mr.
Cutts desires a view; near night they goe.
Augt. 25. We impanel and industriously improve an-
other
Jury. Tother Jury returns. Finish all our Ac-
tions this
night.
Adjourn to 7. m. Much Rain.
Augt. 26. Hear the Kitte'ry Selectmen respecting their
Presentment
for not having a Schoolmaster. Adjourn'd
sine Die.
Ferry'd over very well to Mr. Knight's.
At
Hampton I
order'd a Bass to be Dress'd ; sent for Mr.
Gookin, with
whom We din'd very pleasantly. Got well
to Cous.
Woodbridges, when duskish. Mr. Cutting
Noyes,
and his Bror
Major Noyes, came to us, Capt. Greenlef,
Deacon
Coffin.
Augt. 27. Mr. Corwin and I go by the Ferry; Thomas
56 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1715.
and Lynde by
the Bridge and John Arcus; call at Sister
Northend's,
She came out to us. Baited at Chadwell's
Call'd at
Mr. Wigglesworth's, Gerrish. Got to
Brother's
about two p.
m. Dine, set out past 3. Twas Nine
aclock
before got into my own house: found all well.
Laus Deo.
Augt. 28. Son administers the Sacrament. Mr. Stod-
dard and
Pemberton join in breaking Bread. Mr.
Wil-
liams comes
to us and sups with us.
Augt. 29. Mr. Williams prays with us in Hanah's Cham-
ber, who is
grown much better.
Septr. 1. Mr. Stoddard preaches the Lecture, Excel-
lently.
7r 2d. Prays with her again Excellently; and with us.
7r 3d. I visit Mrs. Mary Mighil at the house of the
widow
Rebekah Nash; and Speak to Mr. Perkins, and
Mr. Webb to
visit her.
7r. 10th. Mr. Lynde and I set out for
with Mr.
Belchar at
the Houses,
Bait. Get to Wrentham about Sunset.
7r. 11th. Hear Mr. Man preach forenoon and Afternoon.
Dine at his
House, and go to prayer there after the Ex-
ercises. In the evening Mr. Man vists us, at Capt.
Wear's.
7r. 12th. Set out for Bristol. Bait at Freeman's. Sev-
eral met
there about their Settlement, Mr. White present.
Having some
Occasion given me, I said, To have a good
settlement
the way was to dig deep by Humiliation for
laying their
foundation. Gave Mr. Short's daughter a
New-England
Shilling. Din'd at Carpenter's. Were met
at the Gate
by the Sheriff, Pain, Mackintosh esqr. Capt.
Brenton, Mr.
Nutting, Mr. Birge, Mr. Raynolds. Mr.
Curwin kept
Sabbath there. Col. Thomas came to us
be-
fore we left
Mrs. Sarah Smith's Chamber.
7r. 13th. Mr. Sparhawk prays Excellently at opening
the Court,
14, 15, 16, 17.
1715.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 57
Thorsday was very Rainy. Mr. Hale dined with us
one day.
17th. adjourn'd to the Chamber and there, after
Diner,
adjourned sine
die. I visited Madam Byfield, who is
som-
thing
lonesom and much afflicted with the Tissick; She
was very
glad to see me, I gave her one of the Comemo-
rations.1 Got home a little before Sun-set. Curwin,
Thomas,
Lynde mov'd out of Town.
7r. 18. Lord's Day, Mr. Sparhawk goes to Swansey, and
Mr. Hale
preaches at Bristol both parts of the day.
Dea-
con Cary
sings Sweetly. Visit Mr. Sparhawk in the
evening. Give him a 20s Bill.
7r. 19th. Henry Mackintosh esqr. and Mr. Sparhawk
bring me
going to the Gate: I would have had them
gon
back
sooner. Gave said Mackintosh a
Comemoration; and
his
daughter, Mr. Colman's book of Mirth.2 Had the Com-
pany of Mr.
Fr. Homes to the Black Horse. Sheriff
came
after us to
the Ferry. When had Baited at Hunt's
with
Oats Mr.
Cooke and I proceed to Frenches; where we
din'd with
Fry'd Lamb and Partridge. Got to
Billinges
before 'twas
dark.
7r. 20. Proceeded by way of punkapog, and then
through
Brush Hill, viewing the pleasant Meadow on
Neponset. Got home well abt 1/2 hour past
One. Laus
Deo!
Left word at Capt. Lamb's that Madam Blagrove
intended to
set out on Tuesday morning.
7r. 22. Great Rain, which makes the Lecture thiner.
Council,
wherein the Govr prorogues the Court to 8r. 26.
Met before
Diner. Before night Parnell arrives, in
whom
comes Mr.
Secretary Woodward, who went over to the
Governour in
Mr. Wainwright's Coach.
1 This was Cotton Mather's sermon,.
"Just Commemorations; the Death
of Good Men
considered, with the Character of some." 1715. -- EDS.
2 "The Government and Improvement of
Mirth. In Three Sermons from
James v.
13. More especially designed for the
Use, and recommended to
the serious
Perusal of Young Persons, and in particular the Young Gentle.
men of
58 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1715.
7r. 23. Flag warn'd a Council, at which Mr. Woodward
produe'd his
Comission,l and a Letter from Govr Burgess
earnestly
Recomending him. The Letter was directed
to
the
President and Council. The Council
adjourn'd to
4. p. m. and
sent Mr. Belchar and Mr. Davenport to pray
the
Governour's presence and Advice. In the
afternoon,
the Lt.
Govr. apeard return'd from
cern'd that
the Govr not there.
7r. 24. Lt. Govr and Secretary
go to Roxbury in Mr.
them. Flagg warns; Govr sits by the side
of the Table
facing to
the South; Lt. Govr [Tailer] in one of the South
windows. The Comissions were produc'd and Read, Oaths
given. Then the Lt Govr stood
up and with deference
enquired
whether his Comission did not supersede the
Govr. The Govr answered No. Lt Govr said he
reckon'd
himself
oblig'd to propound it, Should rest in the Council's
Opinion. Some Debate was had. Col. Hutchinson pro-
pounded
there might be a fuller Council. Others
said
'twas
requisite it should be imediatly determin'd.
Capt.
Belchar
answered in the Negative. Mr. Clark
seem'd to
hesitat. I express'd my self that I was of Col.
Hutchin-
son's mind,
but if my answer was now expected, I said
that, seeing
the Lt. Govrs Comission directed him to Gov-
ern by the
Comission and Instructions of Govr Burgess,
in case of
his death or absence, I was of Opinion the
Lt
Govrs Comission did not impower him to be Comander
in Chief of
this Province: Because neither the
Comission
nor
Instructions, Nor any Authentick Copy of them, refer'd
to in it,
were arrived. Lt Govr
did not like the vote
should be so
put. 'Twas propounded to put it, whether
the
Governour did not abide.
The Govr call'd for the
Proclamation, which was read.
1
Samuel Woodward was sworn in as secretary, Sept. 24, 1715, and re-
signed in
1717, when Josiah Willard succeeded.
Joseph Marion was sworn
as deputy
secretary, May 10, 1716. -- EDS.
1715.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 59
Lt.
Govr said, Now other provision was made, he had a
Comission
from King George. Mr. Cooke said, making
other
provision refer'd to the Charter. Others
said, The
clause
refer'd to what was pass'd, not to what was to come
hereafter. At length the Govr dictated to the
Clerk to
this
purpose, Whether the Government was devolved on
the Lieut.
Govr., the Comission of Govr Burgess, nor any
copy of it,
by which was to govern, not being arrived.
It was
Nemine contradicente, carried in the Negative.
Winthrop,
Cooke, Elisha Hutchinson, Sewall, Joseph
Lynde,
Eliakim Hutchinson, Belchar, Bromfield, Clark,
Before night I acquainted Mr. Pemberton
with this
Transaction,
that he might know how to pray. He had
not heard it
before. Mr. Colman was with him. We
came away
together.
7r. 25. m. I acquainted my Son, and of Mr. Bridges
extream
Sickness. Mr. Pemberton prays that the
Govr
whose power
was continued. After the Exercises, my
Son comes in
to Mr. Bridges, when Mr. Williams was gon.
Mr. Maryon,
Mr. Bridges Son-in-Law, desired my Son to
Hutchin.
pray, which he did very well.
7r. 26. Between 11 and 12. Mr. Bridge Expires; with
him much
primitive Christianity is gone;1 The old Church,
the Town,
the Province have a great Loss. He was
par-
ticularly
dear to me. His Prayers and Sermons were
many times
Excellent; not always alike. It may be
this
Lethargick
Malady might though unseen, be the cause of
some
Unevenness. The Lord help us duly to lay
the
death of
this worthy person to heart! We may
justly
whether fear
he is taken away from Evil to Come. Isa.
57.
1 Rev. Thomas Bridge, born at Hackney in
1657, preached in the West
Indies and
the
mentions
four printed sermons by him. Rev.
Benjamin Colman published
was sworn a
funeral sermon on him. -- EDS.
60 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1715.
Midweek, 7r. 28. Went to
Natick
Comittee, Waban and others.1
Major Fitch, Mr.
Oliver and I
dine with the President. I would have
dined publickly
[at the ordinary]; but the president
declin'd
it. I went in a Calash, came home by
Moon-
shine. Accomplish the Bargain for Magunkaquog [Hop-
kinton]
Land, and paid Fourteen pounds in part. Laus
Deo.
7r. 29. Mr. Colman preaches the Lecture. PS. 16. 8.
Text, Num.
33. 38. preached an excellent Funeral Sermon
for Mr.
Bridge, who was buried after Lecture.
Bearers,
Dr. Increase
Mather, Dr. Cotton Mather; Mr. Walter,
Mr. Colman;
Mr. J. Sewall, Mr. Jno Webb.
Mr. Wads-
worth led
the widow, and Mr. Pemberton was very sick of
the Piles.
After the Relations went Lt.
Govr, Winthrop; Cooke,
Hutchinson;
Sewall, Thomas. The Governour was not
at Lecture,
nor any of his family, nor at the Funeral, that
I saw. Cool Convenient day.
Monday, 8r. 3. Govr
calls a Council at 3 p. m. De-
livers the
Books of Record and Files into the hands of the
New
Secretary, and gives him the Keys of the Secretary's
Office.
Third-day, 8r. 4th. I Lent Major John Quincey Five
pounds; and
give him a Psalm-book cover'd with Turky-
Leather for
his Mistress.
This day, 8r. 4. Chadder arrives, 28 days from Tor-
Bay; brings
Certain News of the French King's Death,2
and that the
Duke of Orleans is Regent. Sir Wm Ash-
1 The Indian town of
efforts of
Eliot and Gookin, had been the most promising and orderly of eight
similar
settlements, never really recovered the prosperity which it had en-
joyed
previous to Philip's War, and the calamitous removal of its inhabitants
to Deer
Island. But Sewall continued to plan and
labor for the benefit of
its Wretched
people. -- EDS.
2 Louis XIV. died Sept. 1 (N. S.), 1715.
-- EDS.
1715.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 61
hurst of Augt.
3, says, the Kingdom is in perfect peace;
all the
Tumults Quell'd.1
8r. 5th. I give Col. Winthrop 40s as a
Gratuity for his
influence in
getting in Mr. Nelson's Debt, 2 Angels 4
Crowns. Din'd at Mr. Hirst's. Daughter Hirst, Madam
Colman, Mm.
Sewall, Mrs. Betty Hirst, Mrs. Lydia Walley,
Mr. Colman,
Jos. Sewall, Mr. Cooper, Sam and I; Mr.
Hirst sat at
Table.
Fifth-day, Octobr. 6th. Mr. Joseph Sewall preach'd the
Lecture from
2 Pet. 3. 14. -- Seeing ye look for such
Things. After Lecture the Govr call'd a
Council wherein
Mr. John
Denison had the Qaths given him as Sheriff of
Essex. And license was given to -- Hill, -- Adams
and others
to build a Meetinghouse with Timber, and cover
it with
Shingles on Church-Green.2
8r. 7th. Din'd with the Court at Homes's. Visited
1 This refers to certain local
disturbances growing out of party zeal. In
some places,
Dissenters' meeting-houses were attacked.
The disorders were
deemed
serious enough to call for the revival of the old Riot Act, which was
now made
perpetual, with increased powers conferred on the Government.
In about a
month after Ashurst's report of "perfect peace," the Jacobite
rebellion
broke out in
2 Snow (p. 213) copies the petition to
erect the meeting-house on Church
Green,
"by the situation and name thereof, intended no doubt by our fore-
fathers for
that purpose." It was somewhat
remarkable, however, that the
"forefathers"
should have so designated a site in Boston.
Among the
signers are
Samuel Adams, father of the revolutionary patriot, and Henry
Hill,
doubtless the persons named in the text.
The house was dedicated
Jan. 8,
1717, and Rev. Samuel Checkley was ordained April 15, 1719. Mr.
Samuel
Glover had previously offered a donation towards the building of a
meeting-house,
made necessary by the overcrowding of the four edifices in
the town,
besides King's Chapel. Messrs. Adams and
Hill were among the
forty-four
signers to the petition for the land.
The house was to be sixty-
five feet
long and forty-five broad. We notice in
the demand for it the
movement of
the population to what was then called the South End. The
edifice
being known as the "New South," that which Sewall calls the South
Church began
to be called by the now familiar title of the "Old South."
The
beautiful stone structure, which in 1814 succeeded to the first edifice of
wood in
Summer Street, yielded to the demands of business and is now
represented
by a structure of brick a mile further to the "South End." --
EDS.
62 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1715.
utrumque
Doctorem [the
Mathers]; shewed them Sir
William's
Letter. Visited Madam Usher, sick of a
sore
Throat.
8r. 11th. Went with Mr. Daniel Oliver to
the Falls in
Company with the President and Tho. Oliver
esqr. and
Mr. John Cotton. At Natick the Indians
of the
Comittee
executed the Parchment Deed for the Land at
Magunkaquog:
and paid the Proprietors Three pounds
apiece. 'Twas so late, that when the Gentlemen return'd,
I went to
Sherbourn, lodg'd at Cousin Baker's.
8r. 12. Solomon Thomas acquaints me that Isaac Nehe-
miah [a
Natick Indian], one of the Comittee, had hang'd
himself. Ask'd what they should doe. I sent him to the
Crowner. A while after I went to Cous. Gookin's in
order
to go
home. When there, Solomon came to me
again,
and
earnestly desired me to go and help them.
Mr. Whit-
ney join'd
to solicit for him, by reason of the distance from
Cambridge. So I went, Mr. Baker accompanied me. The
Jury found
Isaac Nehemiah to be Felo de se.
Hang'd
himself with
his Girdle, 3 foot and 4 inches long buckle
and
all. 'Twas night before had done, so
went to Sher-
bourn again,
and lodg'd at Cousin Gookin's.
8r. 13. Went home, Cousin Richard Gookin accompa-
nying me.
Third-day, 8r. 18. The Govr prorogues the Genl
Court
to the 23d
Novr. I and Mr. Clark voted
against it. Govr
pretended
Deference to Govr Burgess in doing it, in ex-
pectance of
his Arrival; but in the Proclamation, never
read to the
Council, he said nothing of it, which was gra-
vaminous to
some. Went to the Funeral of Mr. White's
Sister Pain,
8 of the Council there. Now about Dr.
Mather
shews me a
Copy of Govr Dudley's Signing a Petition for
a Bishop as
the only means to promote Religion here.1
1 We must refer to the intended
publication of Judge Sewall's Letter-
Book for
information on this and many other matters mentioned in his
Journal. --
EDS.
1715.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 63
These papers
fell into Mr. Stephen Mason's Hand by the
death of Sir
Charles Hobby, and the said Mason sent Copies
of them to
Dr. Cotton Mather; and his Father show'd
them me.
8r. 19.
Went to Rumney Marsh in Compa of Dr. C.
Mather, Mr.
Stobo, Squire, Webb, Dr. Oakes, &c.
Mr.
Brown of
Reading pray'd, Mr. Tho. Chiever preach'd.
Neither he
that planteth. 1 Cor. 3. 7. Dr. C. Mather
gave 7. a
Covenant which they made. They chose Mr.
Chiever
their Pastor. Dr. Mr. gave him the
Charge, he,
Mr. Shepard
of Lin, Mr. Brown of
Hands, with
Mr. Webb, and praying. Mr. Shepard gave
the right
Hand of Fellowship. Sung the 3 last
Staves of
the 132d
Psalm, which Deacon Marion read and set the
Tune. Mr. Chiever gave the Blessing. I, Mr. Oakes,
Mr. Stobo,
my Son Sam, Mr. Wyllys the elder, Mr. Webb's
Unkle, and
one more, sat in my Pue; 'tis a good one,
which never
sat in before. After Refreshm't several
of
us came to
Winnisimet for fear of falling a-ground.
One
met me 1
1/4 mile and would needs have me ride,
which I
needed being
Weary. Got well home between 7 and 8.
Laus Deo.
In the Ferry-boat Mr. Parsons mentioned
the perishing
of all
mankind entirely, whereas some of the Angels fell;
not all, if
God had not provided Salvation. Spake as
if it
had been his
Notion: I said Dr. Ames 1 mentioned it;
which he
seemed backward to allow: said he had lost his
Books by
Sea.
Octobr. 31. Second-day.
I visit Mr. Cooke. Mr. Wads-
1 This is the famous Dr. William Ames, who
was born in 1576, and died
in
1634. He fled from England to Holland in
1610, became a minister at the
Hague, was
at the Synod of Dort, became a Professor at Franeker, and was a
learned
writer. His library was brought, after
his death, to New England.
Among his writings
were Notes on the First and Second Epistles of Peter, to
which Sewall
probably refers here. Dr. Ames's
intention to remove to New
England was
frustrated by his death, after which his family came here.
His son, of
the same name, graduated at Harvard in 1645. -- EDS.
64 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1715.
worth prays
with him. Mr. Flynt was there. About
Noon a great
Breach is made in the Mill-Dam1 of 60 or 70
foot
wide. About an hour after Sunset Mr.
Cooke dyes.
The same
night in the latter part of it Capt. Thomas
Oliver
dyes. 'Tis awfull that two Councillours
should dye
in one
night.2
This day I fetch'd Mrs. Mary Mighill's
Goods from
Mrs.
Tomson's at Roxbury. Met the Govr
in the New
Lane as I
came home. Visited Mrs. Mary Mighill
last
Satterday,
and pray'd with her. She declar'd before
Mrs.
Nash, that
her Estate should be equally divided between
her Brother
and Sister.
Novr. 1. Superr Court at
Mr. Sewall
prays at opening it.
9r. 3d. Govr
dines with the Court.
Novr. 5. Adjourn to Friday next. About an-hour. be-
fore Sunset
Mrs. Mary Mighill dies.
Novr 6. The day for reading the Order for the Thanks-
giving
according to the usual custom; Mr. Pemberton
told the
Congregation, There was an order to keep the
17th.
as a Thanksgiving; should read it the next Lords-day.
Novr. 7th. Goe to Salem, in Mr. Austin's Calash to Mis-
tick, from
thence with Col. Thomas in his; had a very
comfortable
Journey. Could not enter into Lewis's
be-
cause of the
Train. Soldiers filling the House. Henry
1 Between the present
2 Of Elisha Cooke, who died aged
seventy-eight years,
(Hist., II.
211). "He was esteemed as a physician, but most remarkable in
his
political character, having been more than forty years together employed
in places of
public trust, always firm and steady to his principles." He was
zealous for
the old charter, and a friend always to the side of the people.
His son,
Elisha, was in the council for several years.
The other councillor, who died on the same
day, at Newton, was Thomas
Oliver. He was the youngest son of John Oliver, of
Boston, and was born
Feb. 10,
1645-46. He was grand-uncle of
Lieutenant-Governor Andrew
Oliver. He was twice married, and had many children,
but the sons seem
to have died
without issue. Paige says (History of
Cambridge, p. 618) that
he was a
deacon of the church at Newton. -- EDS.
1715.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 65
Sewall
waited on me. Mr. Noyes came to see
me. I ran
out to meet
him; being joy'd at his Recovery.
Novr. 7th. Call'd on Mrs. Nash as I went to Charlestown.
Ask'd her if
things stood now as when Mrs. Mary declar'd
her Will,
whether any Alteration were made. She
said,
No; only
Mrs. Mary would have her well Rewarded for
what she had
done for her.1
9r 8th Mr. Noyes prays at opening the Court, et
sic
deinceps.
9r. 9th. Mr. Corwin makes a very good Discourse at
the
Lecture. Dines with us, and Mr. Rogers,
&c. Govr
Saltonstall,
Mr. Cotton, Rowland and Theoph. Govr
Saltonstall
sued for his Father's estate as eldest Son and
therefore
sole Heir. I said 'twas contrary to our
Law,2 the
Law of
Nature and the Law of GOD. It went
against
the Govr
in all the three Causes. Heard the
Rumors of
the Arrival
of Col. Byfield, and Exemplification of Govr
Burgess's
Comission.
Novr. 10. Adjourn'd sine die. Visited Major Brown in
the
even. When went home, Bror
shew'd me a Register
sign'd by
Lieut. Govr Tailer as Comander in Chief.
Novr. 11. Col. Thomas carrys Judith, I ride to Wini-
1 We do not find any will of Miss Mary
Mighill. By
seems that
administration was granted, Dec. 15. 1715, on estate of Mary
Mighill,
spinster, to David Hitchcock, of Enfield, Co. Hampshire, whose
late wife,
Elizabeth, was her sister. -- EDS.
2 "Our law," so far as we had
power to enforce it, and that of Connecti-
cut, as
regarded inheritance, differed from the law of England in reference
to the
rights of the eldest son. A serious
issue was opened in the latter
Colony. On the death of John Winthrop, the only son
of Wait Still Win-
throp, a
difficulty arose between his son, John Still Winthrop, and his sister,
Ann, the
wife of Thomas Lechmere, Esq., as to the son's claim to inherit
the entire
real estate without division; Mr. Lechmere sued for an equal
division of
the whole property between his wife and her brother. The Con-
necticut
court gave judgment for Mr. Lechmere; but the brother, by appeal
to the King
in Council, obtained a decision in his favor, "declaring him the
sole heir of
all the landed estate of his father and uncle." A compromise
was effected
in Connecticut, notwithstanding this decision.
See Trumbull's
VOL. III.
66 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1715.
simet with
Mr. Dudley. Have a very Comfortable
Journey.
Laus Deo.
After Diner open our Court, Novr.
12. ditto. Adjourn
to Novr.
23.
Novr. 13. Mr. Pemberton preaches at the old Church
p. m. Mr. Sewall reads the Order for the
Thanksgiving,
Begins and
ends with the Date. Baptiseth Mary
Stoddard,
in Mr.
Pemberton's Turn.
Novr. 14. 2d
Day. A Council is call'd,
And Mr. Thomas
Hutchinson,
Mr. Thomas Fitch and I have the Oaths ad-
ministered
to us! The Lord help us to be
Faithfull. In
the evening
had a Meeting of the Owners of the Salt Works
at the
Sun-Tavern. Col. Byfield inveighs
against our
Agent Dumer
for betraying him after Dumer had given
him his Word
and Hand that he had done with Dudley.
Novr. 15. Elisha Hutchinson esqr, Eliakim Hutchinson
esqr, Andrew
Belchar esqr. and S. S. visit Govr.
I drank
to him
presenting my humble Service. Mr.
Armstrong and
another came
in; express'd their sorrow for the Change;
Govr
said must acquiesce in what the King did, or to that
effect;
seeming to correct Armstrong's Speech.
But I
observ'd
when they went away, Govr Dudley said with a
good Grace,
I Thank your Visit! Came home just at
night.
Novr 16. I visit Mr. Stobo, Dr. C. Mather, Dr. Incr.
Mather, and
present each of them with an Angel regarding
the
Thanksgiving, which they Accept very Courteously.
Novr. 17. Very pleasant Wether upon the Thanks-
giving
day. Govr Saltonstall with
us. Majr Genl Win-
throp not
abroad.
Novr. 18. Pleasant Wether. Col. Byfield goes horne-
ward.
1 The Council Record says that Samuel
Sewall, Thomas Hutchinson, and
Thomas Fitch
on that day took the oaths appointed by Act of Parliament,
&c. Sewall wrote "Foster," and then,
without erasing it, wrote "Hutchin-
son "
over it. -- EDS.
1715.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 67
Novr. 19. All things are cover'd with Snow. The day
is stormy
with Wind, Snow, Hail, Rain. Gave my
Ham-
shire
Neighbours ½ Crown a piece; as Mr. Pemberton
yesterday 20s.
to buy each of his children a Book.
Novr. 20. Mr. Pemberton administers the Lord's Super.
Govr
Saltonstall with us. p. m. Mr. Sewall
baptiseth
Hanah Man,
and an Ethiopian Woman.
Novr. 21. I read to Mrs. Melyen, visit Govr
Saltonstall;
He was not
at home; I left for him Comemorations, with
Sermons on
Mr. Addington, and Mr. Earl bound up
together.
Novr. 23. Lt Govr makes a Cold
Treat to the Council-
lours and
Comission Officers. Was not a House in
the
Fore-noon. Mr. Speaker and many Deputies visited the
Lt
Govr a. m. A little after 3.
Lt Govr proceeded to
the Town
House. I went on his right Hand, Col.
Lynde
on his Left;
Capt. Dyer and two of his Officers went
before him;
before them, Mr. Winchcomb bare-headed,
Two
Trumpets, 4. Serjeants in red Cloaths
with Horl-
berts
[Halberts]. Major Genl, Col.
Hutchinson, Capt.
Hutchinson
met the Lt Govr at the Town-House. By
a Cushing,
Norden, Davenport, Lt G. sent Message to the
Deputies;
The Lieut. Govr is in the Chair, and expects your
Attendance. Seem'd to be out of Breath in Reading his
Speech. Higginson, Cushing, Norden, Brown, Appleton,
B. Lynde
Sworn. Mr. Geoffrie's daughter buried.1
Novr. 24. Dr. C. Mather Preaches from Rev. 3. 16.
Because thou
art Lukewarm. Lieut. Govr
Usher, Win-
throp,
Elisha Hutchinson, J. Lynde, Belchar in the Fore-
Seat. Col.
Pain Sworn.
Mr. Cooke and others come in with a
Message that
1 This was Frances, daughter of David
Jeffries and wife, Elizabeth
(Usher). She was nineteen years old.
2 The father was from Rhoad, in Wiltshire,
and became the founder of a
distinguished
family still represented here. (See N. E. H. G. Register,
XV. 14-16.)
-- EDS.
68 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1715.
desired to
fill up the vacancies in the Council to morrow
p. m. Afterwards Epes and Parsons bring in the
desire
of the
Deputies to have it defer'd till Tuesday, p. m.
25.
Letter to Govr Burgess.
Dr. C. Mather Prays.
26,
ditto. Lt Govr
present, mentions his Grandfather and
Unkle
Stoughton,1 prays that Lt Govr may do like
them.
Capt. Foy
buried in the South B. place; Bearers, Win-
throp, Sewall;
Bromfield, Stoddard; Checkly,
Lt
Govr and Secretary there.
Novr. 28. Last night and to day, a very great Snow
falls. By this means the Deputies made not a House.
Novr. 29. Are so thin, that they desire the Election
may be on
Thursday after Noon. I dine at Mr.
Hirst's.
Madame Jno
Brown buried at Salem.
Novr. 30. The Rev'd Mr. Joseph Green is buried at
Salem
Village, 40 years old, much Lamented.2 From the
first day he
preached there, to his last Sermon, just
Eighteen
years run out. Died Satterday Novr.
26. His
widow is
left with Seven Children, and big of the
Eighth.
Decr. 1. Fifth-day.
Mr. Wadsworth preaches from PS.
7. 12. Speaks against Health-drinking,
Illuminations,
Bonfires
&c. Dr. Mather, Col Pain, Quinsey,
dine with
us. Election.
Voted twice, and brought it to Nothing:
Voters,
76. Major Bond who was highest had
32. Depu-
ties voted
to chuse only one in the room of him Negativ'd:
1 See note on the Tailers and Stoughtons
in vol. i. p. 163. -- EDS.
2 He was the eleventh child of John and
Ruth (Mitchelson) Green, who
was the
oldest son of Percival and Ellen Green, of
born Nov.
24, 1675; H. C.1695; married Elizabeth Gerrish; and was ordained
at Salem
Village, now Danvers, Nov. 10, 1698.
Rev. John Barnard classes
him among
the "men of learning; pious, humble, prudent, faithful and use-
ful men in
their day." His last child was
Ruth, born April 23, 1716. One
son, Joseph,
Jr., was father of Joshua Green, of Boston, whose grandson
was Dr.
Joshua Green, or Groton, father of Dr. Samuel Abbott Green, now
City
Physician of Boston. (See account of Percival and Ellen Green,
Groton,
1876.) -- EDS.
171 5/6.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 69
Council came
not into it. I said, All or none. Adjourn'd
till the
morn. Mr. Wadsworth prays.
Decr. 2. Voters 79. Townsend chosen by 41. votes.
4th Stroke,
Voters 75. Thomas Noyes esqr. chosen by
53 Votes.
Province of Main, voters 71.
Adam Winthrop esqr. chosen by 52.
At Large, Voters, 69.
Nathanl Byfield esqr. chosen
by 60.
Decr. 3. Deputies send up the Election by a Message
of Three,
which the Lieut Govr Aproves in Writing. Lt
Govr
sends to the House for Mr. Winthrop, who is sent
up by two
Deputies. Col. Townsend is sent for, and
they
both take
the Oaths, and their places at the Board.
Tuesday Xr. 6. Col. Byfield comes to Town. p. m. is
sent for and
Sworn.
Xr. 13.
Now about Col. Noyes comes to Town and is
Sworn. About the 9th was the Apointment of Officers.
Xr. 21.
Now about the Govr disallows the Votes for
giving our
Agent, Mr. Dummer, £200. And for
Continu-
ing him
Agent. I voted to the first but
express'd my
Doubtfullness
as to the latter, when I heard what was
pleaded by
Col. Byfield as to his Unacceptableness to Govr
Burgess, and
the Ministers. I also Consider'd his
giving
up in print
the place of the Attorney General as Reserv'd
in the
Charter to the King -- and writ hardly to any of the
Council: but very largely to the Speaker, and to Mr.
White. Govr prorogues the Court to the 22d
of February.
Decr. 23. Now about Mr. Experience Mayhew goes
home. At the 2d Nomination of Officers, I went to
the
Lieut-Govr
to solicit him that Mr. Paul Dudley might be
Nominated,
but he declin'd it. He spake of Mr.
Anth.
Stoddard,
7th day Decr. 31. Mr Moodey of York goes home,
came in last
night at 10. Is to preach at Haverhill
to
morrow. My wife gave him Capt. Foy's Scarf.
70 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1715/6.
Jany 1.
News of Mr. Jonathan Belcher and his Sister
Noyes, their
Arrival.
Jany 2.
Capt. Holberton dy'd at Sea.
Jany. 3. Din'd with the Court, at Pattin's.
Jany. 4. Mr. Jno Menzeis, Judge of the
Admiralty,
with his Bror
1 the Register comes to Town, from, Rode-
Island. Meeting at Mrs. Dafforn's at night. Read Mr.
Caryl's
Sermon preach'd at Paul's Xr: 14. 1645.
Jany. 5. Mr. Menzies 2 exhibits his Comission
before the
Lt
Govr and Council, and takes the Oaths. Mr. Pember-
ton not
having been at Lecture, I visit him: He
is very
warm about
the Agent, say'd the Lt Govr is an Usurper;
not fit for
the Chair. I said to whom does the Chair
be-
long; To Govr Dudley, reply'd Madam
Pemberton. Mme.
P -- said
the Agent, they dealt Barbarously with him.
The people
made light of the errand of God's people
hither;
indifferent.
Jany. 6. Lt. Governour delivers the Chief
Justice, Mr.
periour
Court: Gave the Oaths: 3 The Lord help us, me
especially,
to keep them better than ever.
1 This brother of John Menzies does not
seem to be noticed by our
writers; see
under date of March 30, 1715-16.-- EDS.
2 The following extract from the Council
Records, of Sept. 19, 1717,
shows where
Mr. Menzies resided. "License to
Jobn Menzies to build a
barn 40 by
18 feet on his pasture in Summer Street, in Boston, 80 feet from
his house,
which house is 100 feet from any house on one band, and 200 feet
on the
other, and is bounded to the street by a little garden, and to the south-
ward by his
pasture." -- EDS.
3 Washburn (Judicial Hist., p. 138)
writes: "The tenure of the office of
Judge was
not fixed by the charter, but it practically became durante bene
placito, and upon the death, resignation, or
removal of a governor or of the
king, it
seems to have been thought necessary to continue the former officers
in
commission by proclamation until new appointments could be made."
Hutchinson
(Hist., 1st ed. vol. ii. p. 375, note) writes, under date of
1730, in
reference to renewals and changes by Governor Belcher: "The
commissions
to civil officers being in the king's name and tested by the
governor,
the renewal of such commissions upon the appointment of a gov-
ernor has
not been practised since Mr. Belcher's time.
It was proposed in
171 5/6]. DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 71
Mr.
Pemberton goes to Roxbury in the Governour's
Coach,
though the day be very Cold.
Friday, Jany. 13. I go to Charlestown Lecture. Bror
Hirst went
over in the same Boat. Mr. Bradstreet
preached
Excellently from Lam. 3. 25. Madam Brad-
street was
at Meeting. I din'd with Mr. Bradstreet
and
her: only us
three at Table. They treated me with
great
Curtesy. Mr. D. Oliver went over with me. I saw Dr.
Noyes
there. Am apt to think the Snowy morning
hin-
dred many.
Lord's Day, Jany 15. An Extraordinary Cold Storm
of Wind and
Snow. Blows much worse as coming home
at Noon, and
so holds on. Bread was frozen at the
Lord's
Table: Mr.
Pemberton administered. Came not out to
the
afternoon Exercise. Though twas so Cold,
yet John
Tuckerman
was baptised. At six a-clock my ink
freezes
so that I
can hardly write by a good fire in my Wive's
Chamber.1 Yet was very Comfortable at Meeting. Laus
Deo.
Second day, Jany. 16. About Noon my Wife is taken
Extream ill,
Overcome I supose with the Cold. Vomits,
shakes; so
that I fear'd a Fever. She was aprehensive
of Death;
had a very bad night. This was very
distress-
ing to me.
17. p. m.
Joseph prays with her Excellently.
Has
a much
better night. Though the Emetick Physick
was
very tedious
in the Operation; yet I hope it had a good
Effect. Laus Deo. Had both Mr. Oakes and Cutler with
council by
his successor, but Mr. Read, a very eminent lawyer, and, which
is more, a
person of great integrity and firmness of mind, being then a
member of
the council, brought such arguments against the practice that
the majority
of the board refused to consent to it." "The freedom and
independence
of the judges of
excellencies
of the constitution. The Massachusetts
judges are far from
independent."
-- EDS.
1
The Judge's manuscript here gives evidence of the fidelity of the record
to the fact
he mentions. -- EDS.
72 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1715/6.
her. David Sinclar's Wife Nurses her, Watches
[Watchers],
Lydia Avery,
Mrs. -- Kay.
19th. Mr. Pemberton Preaches the Lecture from
Philip.
4. I know how to abound. 62 Ps sung from the 8th to
the end, 2
1/2 staves. Very good Discourse. Very com-
fortable
day.
20.
Capt. Belchar informs the Council against AEneas
Salter of
bad words he should speak.
21.
Sewall, Townsend, Clark, bind him to his good
Behaviour. Daniel Ellen buried; Bearers, Sewall, Bel-
char;
Davenport, Cutler; Ellis, Gibbon. Scarfs
and
Gloves. 71.
years old.
Jany. 26. Vehement N. E. Storm of Snow; but about
16. Women at Lecture, it may be 200. men. Mr. Colman
preaches
from 1 Chron. 29. 15. Our days on earth
are as
a
Shadow. In the Gallery were Sewall,
Winthrop, Quin-
sey, Fitch,
4 of the Council. Below were Townsend,
3l.
Rode with the Chief Justice in a Slay, got over
Comfortably
to Court.
Febr. 1.
Lt Govr, Mr. Secretary, Mr. Comissary, and
Dr. Clark,
dine with us.
Febr. 2.
Vehement Storm at S. E., first Snow, then
Rain. Thomas, Lynde, and Davenport got over; Chief
Justice and
I came too late; the River was so fill'd with
Ice, Judges
were fain to lodge there all night.
Febr. 2.
Mr. Shortt in his Return from Attleborough,
lodges
here. He preach'd last Lord's Day at
Dedham.
Febr. 4.
Visit Mr. Pemberton pain'd with an Ague in
his Face.
Febr. 8. Writ a Letter to Mr.
John Leverett, Presi-
dent, to
acquaint him that Mr. Windsor is soliciting from
time to
time, that the charge of Mrs. Leverett's Funeral
might be
discharg'd.l Sickness and
Burial at Roxbury
1 This refers of course to the widow of
Hudson Leverett. The account
(Suff.
Wills, lib. 19, f. 100) amounts to £13 6s. 6d., including items paid
171 5/6.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 73
about 10 or
£12: probably if it had been at Boston,
twould have
risen to a greater Sum. Alleges that
you,
Mr. Cooke
and Mr. Addington encourag'd him to under-
take the
trouble of it. Mr. Davenport offers to
be his
Quota
towards this Disburse. For ought I know,
twould
be most
Convenient for the Relations to do it; all know it
must be
done! Sloop run away with by a Whale out
of
a good
Harbour at the
tain our
Enjoyments in this World are! May not
Mat.
6. 22. be
translated, The Lamp of the Body is the Eye?
Pardon this
Rapsody. Mr. Oliver and I think we have
a
good
Mortgage offer'd to Let out the Natick £400. should
be glad to
speak with you.
Febr. 9.
Mr. Webb preaches from Prov. 13.20.
He
that walketh
with the wise --
After Lecture Mr. Phillips buried his
Daughter Mrs.
Mary Butler,
from his own house; 1 Bearers, Major Fitch,
Judge Lyde [sic];
Mr. Jeffries, Col. Tho. Savage; Mr.
Jno
Cutler junr, Mr. -- Pemberton.
Lt. Govr had a
Scarf. Church Episcopal Ministers, I saw but two of
our
own, viz.
Mr. Wadsworth, Sewall. Great Funeral.
Febr. 13. Visited the Lt Govrs Lady, and her son Gil-
lam,2
gave the Nurse 5s. and little Shepard who had the
widow
Tompson, Dr. Philip Tompson, and Benjamin Tompson. It is ren-
dered by
Joshua Winsor, administrator. He was
either the father-in-law or
brother-in-law
of Thomas Leverett, son of Hudson, who married Rebecca
Winsor,
daughter of Joshua Winsor, Dec. 11, 1701; -- EDS.
1 Peter
Ann,
daughter of Samuel Phillips, bookseller, of
ter of
Benjamin and Hannah (Savage) Gillam.
Boston records say that
Peter Butler
and Mary Phillips were married May 9, 1706.
Phillips died
October,
1720, aged fifty-eight; of his children, Hannah married Habijah
Savage,
Faith married Arthur Savage, and Butler's mother married, secondly,
Ephraim
Savage. -- EDS.
2 The wife of Lieutenant-Governor Tailer
was a near relative to Mrs.
Phillips, as
the following will show. (See, also, N.E. H. G. Register, XIX.
254).
Benjamin Gillam, Sen., had three sons; of these, Benjamin, Jr., was
the father
of Mrs. Samuel Phillips; Zechariah Gillam, the second son, mar-
ried Phebe,
daughter of Lieutenant William Phillips, and had a son Benjamin
74 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [171 5/6.
daughter in
her arms, 5s. To Mrs. Plimly
still confin'd by
her Hip-bone
being out of joint.
Febr. 14.
Walk with Col. Townsend, Mr. Bromfield,
Capt. Clark,
and Constable Eady, to take account of Fam-
ilies and
what orders they keep.
Febr.15.
Visit daughter Hirst, tell her her Mother has
enter'd the
59th. year of her Age; gave
each of the chil-
dren 2s
each and to my daughter an Angel, her Salary as
Treasurer. Went thence to the Burying of David Sin-
clar's
daughter; Mr. Wadsworth and I went together.
To
the Meeting
at Thornton's.
Febr. 16.
Dr. C. Mather preaches Excellently from
James 2.
5. Poor of this world, rich in Faith. Doctrine,
Grace has a
Lustre as well in the meanest, as greatest.
Daughter Hirst and her Children visit us
in the Coach.
Gave Saml
Sewall, de Josepho, an English Half-Crown.
Febr. 23. 1715/16. The honble William Brown esqr.
died
in his house
at Salem.1
Febr. 28. (my Wedding-day 40. years
ago). I go to
Tailer
esqr. Lt. Govr,
John Hathorn esqr; Saml Sewall,
John
Appleton; John Higginson esqr., Andrew Belchar.
Was laid in
a Tomb just about Sunset, at the Burying
Point. Col. Lynde, Mr. Davenport, Major Fitch, Col.
Winthrop,
had Scars and Rings; Mr. Speaker Burril
had a
Scarf. A great many Men were at the
Funeral,
but few
Women; twas very cold. After the Funeral
I
went and wish'd
Capt. Price and his Bride Joy. Eat
Bride-Cake.
(3d). The last named married Abigail --, and had
Abigail, born Feb.
22, 1684,
who married, first, Thomas Dudley, and, secondly, Lieutenant-Gov-
ernor
William Tailer as his secoud wife. -- EDS.
1
This William Browne was son of William Browne, of Salem, a rep-
resentative
and assistant. The son was one of
Andros's Council and of
the Council
of Safety. He married Hannah Curwin, and
had four children.
See Heraldic
Journal, II. 24, 95, for an account of the descendants. Also,
N. E. H. G.
Register, XXX. 352. -- EDS.
1716.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 75
Febr. 29. In the morn visited Madam Kitchen. Went
by
Winisimet, came home by
Compa
with the Lt Govr Mr. Belcher, Mr. Davenport,
Major Fitch,
Col. Winthrop, Judge Palmer, Lyde, Mr.
Sheriff
Pain, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Barber, Mr. Tho. Smith.
Din'd at
Lewis's upon an excellent Turkey; Got home
so as to go
seasonably to our Meeting at Mr. Franklin's;
though the
way was very bad. Laus Deo.
Capt. Saml Ruggles was buried
with Arms the same
Third day of
the Week, at Roxbury. Was not full 58
years old.1 Has left 9.
Children, Four Sons and Five
daughters. Daughters all married, the Eldest but about
a Week
before her Father's death. He was before
me
with his
Sisters, Morris and Bayly, Widows, with their
Inventories:
and now, March the first, these Sisters are
here with
deacon Mayo to prove their Brother's Nuncupa-
tive
Will. He is much Lamented at Roxbury.
March 24.
I set out for Situate with Judge Lynde,
dine at
Capt. Mill's, bait at little Hingham.
Lodge at
Mr.
Jenkyns's by the Sea-side in Situate.
March, 25. 1716. Hear Mr. Pitcher, who dwells on
the Land
where Mr. Chauncy dwelt. Sup'd. at his
house.
He is much
Recovered of a dangerous Sickness. Gave
him a
Psalm-book, one of Dr. Cotton Mather's Sermons,
with a Crown
for contribution. Psalm-book cover'd
with
Turky-Leather.
Saw the Grave where 24. Men were buried together;
and 4. more
laid to them of the Packet.
March, 26. Mr. Turner and the Sheriff's Deputy,
Briant,
conducted us by the way of the new Ferry settled
at the Mouth
of the North-River, Bait at the Ferry-house
on
1 He was son of Samuel Ruggles, by his
second wife, Ann Bright. His
sister
Elizabeth married James Bailey. The
sister Morris was perhaps
named Anne.
-- EDS.
76 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1716.
I rode with
Mr. Justice Thomas in his Calash to Town
[Plymouth]. Gave the Sheriff and his Attendants a Duz.
of Dr. Incr.
Mather's Sermons concerning Christ the Great
Saviour.1
March, 27.
Court held by 4. Justices.
March, 31.
Great Storm of Snow on the Ground, and
falling: and
Jury not agreed; yet about Noon got away,
the Weather
clearing.
Note.
The Jury bringing in for Mr. Hugh Adams
against
Haws, in the Action of Defamation. I
said to
incline you
to Govern your Tongue, and govern your Pen.
And if I
were capable to advise you, I would counsel you
to pay a
great Deference to the Council of Churches held at
Chatham.
To Mr. Joseph Otis brought in, Not
guilty! I said, The
providence
of God in clearing you, will I hope melt your
heart: for
what you did, was notoriously Criminal.2
Din'd at Bairsto's; Mr. Davenport missing
his way,
came in
thither after us, though he set out an hour be-
fore
us. Mr. Lynde and I went no further than
Wey-
mouth. Lodg'd at Mr. Thacher's, where we were most
courteously
entertain'd.
Apr. 1.
Kept Sabbath there. In the
After-noon, One
baptis'd, a
Ninth daughter, and 3 taken into the Church;
Bate and his
wife and Lt. Nash's daughter.
Apr. 2.
Travel home-ward. As had heard of
cousin
Baker's
death at Weymouth, so we heard of Mr. Belknap's
at
Braintry. Din'd at Cousin Quinsey's,
whither we went
1 "Several Sermons Wherein is
shewed, I. That Jesus Christ is a mighty
Saviour. II. That God Converts His Elect some at one
Age, and some at
another,
Commonly before Old Age. III. That when Godly Men dye,
Angels carry
their souls to another and a better World.
With a Preface in
which there
is a brief and true Character of the Reverend Mr. Thomas
Bridge a
lately deceased Pastor in one of the Churches in Boston." Boston,
1715. By Dr. Increase Mather. --EDS.
2 See vol. ii. p. 218.
1716.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 77
to Condole
the Loss of's Sister. Found all well at
home.
Laus Deo.
It seems on Friday, March, 30. Mr. Menzies the Attor-
ney,
Travelling towards
port, died
on Horse-back, as is suposed, and fell down.
April, 3.
Went to the Funeral of my good Friend Mr.
Belknap.
April, 6.
The Rain hinders my going to Mr. Stephen's
Lecture, as
I intended. Capt. Arthur Savage arrives
this
day; come
from the
Scaffold,
and saw the Lords Derwenwater and Kenmure
beheaded.1
He and his wife came into the
Meeting.
April, 7.
Mr. Robinson the Lawyer dines with me.
April, 8.
My Son Administers the Lords Super.
Hear
of Clark's
being put ashoar at Situate. Goods much
damnified.
Febr. 12.
Mr. Pemberton preaches the Lecture. Sings
2 ½ staves
begining 38th Psalm. Text Ps. 73. 27. They
that are far
from Thee shall perish. Dr. C. Mather
goes
with the
Ministers after Lecture.
Febr.13.
Govr. Burgess's Letter of Febr. 27.
To the
Council, in
Answer to theirs of Novr. 25., is read. Pro-
mised to
defend our Charter if attack'd while he is in Lon-
don. Hopes to be here before May be out; proposing
to
Sail in
April.2 Went to Major Fitch,
where I was kindly
1 These lords, having been impeached of
high treason and condemned
for their
share in the late Jacobite rebellion, were, on the 24th of February,
1716,
beheaded on Tower Hill, in
"princely
domains " in Northumberland and Cumberland were forfeited and
settled upon
Greenwich Hospital. See Lord Mahon's
History of England,
vol. i., and
Burton's History of Scotland, vol. viii.
Sewall mentions, far-
ther on, the
fate of some of the inferior persons who engaged in this re-
bellion. --
EDS.
2 We may avail ourselves of this
opportunity to say that, though Burgess
never came
here, he seems to have received diplomatic advancement. Oct.
21, 1727,
Eliseus Burgess was made his Majesty's Resident at Venice.--
EDS.
78 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1716.
entertain'd. Sup'd with my daughter Hirst, who remains
very Weak
and low.
April, 14. A great Ship arrives for Timber in whom
comes Mr.
Smith.
April, 16. Is a Meeting of the Trustees, Overseers of
the College,
Council. Mr. [Rev. Joseph] Stephens1
of
Charlestown
being presented, is confirm'd Fellow of the
Corporation
of Harvard College: And Mr. -- [Nicholas]
Sever Fellow
of the House. These both succeed in the
room of Mr.
Edward Holyoke. Upon my Enquiry what
the vacancy
was, Mr. president said so: He only was
present
besides the Council. I agreed to it if
there were
a
vacancy. For I supos'd Mr. Roby had of
Course en-
tirely
Suply'd the Room of Mr. Holyoke.
is
Dissolv'd. Trustees did little but
adjourn to Thorsday
3 p. m. Went to my daughter Hirst, and stay'd with
her
till Mr.
Hirst came in from Salem, 9 a-clock.
Waited
on Madam
Usher to her Gate.
This day I first saw the Swallows; I think
I had heard
some Chiper
before. Much N. E. weather.
April, 17.
I see plenty of them. Hannah
visits her
Bror and
Sister Sewall. This is the furthest Walk
she has
taken since
her Lameness.
I warn my eldest Son against going to
Taverns.
April, 19.
The Lt. Govr comes to my House in the
morn, and
shows me the Accusation of Sir Alexander
Brand
against Mr. Agent Dumer, as if he had made the
Knight
drunk, and pick'd his pocket of 26. Guineas and
brought in
two Lewd Women into the Cross-Keys &c.2 I
1 Mr. Joseph Stevens was a Fellow of the
Corporation, first from 1712 to
1713, and
afterwards from 1716 to 1721. Mr. Edward
Holyoke was Tutor
from 1712 to
1716, and Fellow from 1713 to 1716, thus holding both places
simultaneously
for three years. Mr. Nicholas Sever was
Tutor from 1716
to
1728. Mr. Robie was Tutor from 1714 to
1723. The words, "Fellow of
the
House," signify residence. -- EDS.
2 Probably the Cross-Keys Inn, near the
-- EDS.
1716.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 79
presently
thought on the Soldiers set to guard our
Saviour's
Tomb, their Tale; and said, If Sir Alexander
were drunk,
how could he tell who pick'd his Pocket?
And as to
the Women, I said, My Kinsman might be seen
going in,
and vile Women might press in so close after
him, as to
make a semblance of his introducing them.
Seemed to
ask my advice Whether he ought not to acquaint
the Govr
of Cont [Connecticut?] that they might discard
him from
being their Agent. In the Letter Shewed,
Mr.
Agent
Driller is call'd this Fellow, Rascal. I
went to Mr.
Pemberton to
enquire into the matter, he refer'd me to
Mr. White; I
went thither, who shew'd me Mr. William
Willard's
Letter of March, 5th. much exploding the Story.
Prov'd Benja
Barns's Will, went to Lecture. Mr.
Colman
preaches
Excellently of the strong and The Stronger.
Sung 2 first
Staves of the 6th. Psalm G.
Mr. M. Short dines with us; says the
widow Mary God-
frey was
interr'd this week.1 She was
the first person
born in
Newbury, and is I suppose about 81. years old.
Lord's Day, Ap. 22. My Wife and daughter Hanah
goe to the
Solemn Assembly after long Restraint. I
put
up a Note
for them. Hanah fell down, but had no
great
hurt,
blessed be God.
April, 23.
Prov'd Mr. Joseph Belknap's Will.2
April, 24.
Visited Mrs. Betty Cooke now, Benning,
upon her
Marriage,3 last Thorsday.
They sent us Gloves
and
Bride-Cake.
1 Coffin says she was the widow of Peter
Godfrey, and that her maiden
name was
Mary Browne. She was perhaps the
daughter of Thomas Browne,
an early
settler, a weaver from Malford, in
2 Joseph Belknap's will is in the
Suffolk Registry, vol. xix. fol. 138.
It mentions
his now wife, Abigail, and his children.
His house was "at
the head of
Prison Lane, now called Queen Street," -- and he also had land
"on the
north-west side of Beacon Hill," and in Roxbury, besides a corn-
mill and a
fulling-mill. -- EDS.
3
John Binning and Elizabeth Cooke were married, April 19, 1716, by
Rev.
Benjamin Wadsworth, according to Boston Town Records. -- EDS.
80 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1716.
April, 25.
Mr. Holyoke is Ordain'd at Marble-head, a
Church being
Gather'd there. Mr. Noyes ordain'd. Mr.
Shepard gave
the Right Hand of Fellowship.
April, 26.
My Son preaches: They that honor me [1
Sam. ii. 30]
-- made a good Discourse. Sung 2 ½ Staves
of the 2
part of the 112 Psal. Dr. Cotton Mather,
Capt.
Phips, and
Mr. Thacher din'd with us. After Dinner
I
went with
Mr. Thacher to my Sick daughter Hirst.
April, 27.
Mr. Bromfield has Prayer at his house re-
specting his
son Edward, troubled in mind; and Henry,
student of
on his
back. Mr. Sewall began, Mr. Webb
followed, Mr.
Mather. Sung part of the 116th ps., which Mr. Sewall
read at Dr.
C. Mather's motion, and I set Litchfield Tune.
I desired
Prayers for my daughter Hirst, which was done.
Laus Deo.
April, 28. My wife and I Acknowledged Deeds before
Mr.
Bromfield; one to Thomas Jackson, one to Jno Jack-
son, and a
third to William Lee.1
May, 1.
Super. Court held at Boston by all the Five
Justices.
May, 2.
Mr. Nathan Howell dyes at Oldham's near
Oliver's
Spring.2
1 These deeds were for land on Hull
Street. The lot sold to William
Lea, or Lee,
is in Suffolk Deeds, vol. xxx. f. 157; the other in vol.
xxxii. f.
118. Mercy, wife of William Lee,
shipwright, was a daughter
of John
Jackson, housewright, and, with her sisters, Elizabeth and Abigail,
joined in a
sale to their brothers, John and Thomas Jackson, recorded in
the same
volume. -- EDS.
2 This reference calls to mind an affair
in which Sewall was connected
probably
with Cotton Mather. The facts are set
forth in detail in Mass.
Hist. Soc.
Collection, 4th ser. vol. ii. pp. 122-129.
It seems that Samuel
Sewall,
nephew of our diarist, named Katherine, the widow of this
Nathan
Howell, late in December, 1716. She was
the only child of John
George and
Mather. (See
vol. i. p. 148, note.)
Upon Mr. Howell's death, leaving two
sons, Cotton Mather was ap-
1716.] DIARY OF SAMUEL SEWALL.
81
Note.
at this Court, the Chief Justice being indispos'd
I was
obliged to Condemn the Negro.
May, 7.
Mr. Justice Thomas and I set out for
in his
Calash, lodge at
May, 8.
Call and refresh at Wenham. Dine
at Stani-
ford's in
Ipswich: go by the Ferry over Parker's.
Lodge
at Cous.
Woodbridge with Mr. Lynde.
May, 9.
Bait at Winget's: Dine at Greenland at Jen-
kyns's. From thence as from Winget's with Lt.
Col.
Smith. Very hot in going to Mr. Knight's at Bloody
Point. Ferry'd over pleasantly, and were met by the
Sheriff
Layson, our Host, with his Wand at the Bank.
Mr. Justice
Davenport was with him.
Got comfortably into our Lodging some
time before
Sun-set.
May, 10.
2 Refreshing Showers. Dispatch'd
the Court
this day:
yet adjourn'd to morning as last year.
May, 11.
Rainy morn. When abated, Ferry'd
over
to Mr.
Knight; set out from thence after Diner.
Got over
Merrimack
River by day-light.
May, 12.
Go to Ram-Island with Bror Tapan, and
Capt.
Greenlef. Dine at Bror
Tapan's. Visit my Re-
lations.
May, 13.
Lord's Super administered by Mr. Christo-
pher
Tapan. Din'd with Col. Noyes. In the evening I
had an
inkling that two Merchants came from Ipswich.l
pointed
administrator. Mather seems to have
neglected his trust, and prob-
ably got
into personal difficulties with young Sewall, his new son-in-law.
Hence, on
April 13, 1720, an anonymous letter was sent to Judge Sewall,
praying for
some favor to be shown the administrator, and especially bitter
against Mrs.
Katherine Sewall. Mr. Savage was
entirely of the opinion that
Mather wrote
the letter. At all events, it should be
studied as showing an
episode of
Sewall's life which he has not recorded in his diary. -- EDS.
1 A breach of the law for the Lord's Day,
as follows: "That no traveller,
drover,
horse-courser, waggoner, butcher, higler [pedler], or any of their
servants,
shall travel on that day, or any part thereof, except by some ad-
versity they
were belated and forced to lodge in the woods, wilderness or
highways the
night before; and in such case to travel no further than the
VOL. III.
82 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1716.
I said, How
shall I do to avoid Fining them? I
examined
Richard
Gerrish. As I understood him, they
lodg'd at
Major Epes's
on Satterday night, and went to the publick
Worship
there; and when the Afternoon Exercise was
over, came
to Newbury. They Travailed not in
Service
Time: and
had a Ship at
wanted their
Dispatch. Alleg'd that Mr. Peter La
Blond
was gone
sick to Bed. I took his word to speak
with me
in the
morning. I consulted with Col. Thomas,
who in-
clin'd to
admonish them as young, and strangers, and let
them go.
Newbury, May, 14. 1716. By long and by late I spake
with Mr.
Richard Gerrish junr, and Mr. Peter La Blond,1 by
whom I
understand they were at Mr. Wigglesworth in
the morning,
and at Ipswich Meeting in the Afternoon.
Being in a
strait, I had pray'd to God to direct. I
con-
sider'd Col.
Thomas was not a Justice there; that this
Profanation
of the Sabbath was very great; and the
Transgressors
fleeting from Town to Town and County
to County
could rarely be Censured. On the other
hand
they were
young, Mr. La Blond's Mother my Neighbour,
Mr. Gerrish
had a smell of Relation: both of them of
another
Province; and I fear'd lest my Cousin's Cus-
tom might be
lessn'd by it, because I had the Information
from her
Husband, whose wife, my Cousin, was a Gerrish,
and Cousin
to this Richd Gerrish, only Child of Capt.
Richd
Gerrish of the Bank.2 Mr. La
Blond apear'd brisk
next inn or
place of shelter, upon the penalty of twenty shillings." Province
Laws, vol.
i. p. .58. A single justice had jurisdiction in his own county. --
EDS.
1 Perhaps the son of James Leblond,
whose will of Oct. 17, 1700 (Suff.
Wills, lib.
18, f. 185), leaves his children to the care of his wife Anne. He
lived at the
upper end of
estate of
the widow was granted, Nov. 3, 1730, to son James. -- EDS.
2 What with the "smell of
relationship" about one of the culprits, busi-
ness
interests, and other considerations in the case, the scrupu1ous judge
seems to
have been driven to an exercise of his skill in casuistry. -- EDS.
1716.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 83
as if he
ail'd Nothing. I came to this
Resolution, that if
at they
would make such a submission as this I would let
them pass;
viz: We do acknowledge our Transgressions
as of the
Law in Travailing upon the Lord's Day, May, 13.
1716. And do promise not to offend in the like kind
hereafter,
as witness our Hands
RICHARD GERRISH,
PETER LA BLOND.
This Offer they rejected with some
Disdain, and Mr.
La Blond
paid me a 30s and 10s Bill of Credit for both
their
Fines. I imediately paid it to Samuel
Moodey, Se-
lectman of
Newbury (They have no Town-Treasurer).
Cousin Moses
Gerrish rode before and brought him to his
Mother's. And then conducted us to his house on the
North side
of the River. Parker, Whither Mr.
Sheriff
Denison came
to us with Mr. Appleton, Mr. Berry and
undersheriff
Gains. Din'd at Bror
Moodey's, Sister was
sick. Rid to Ipswich, got to my Lodgeing rather
before
Sunset. Met Mr. Dudley between the Bridge, and Mr.
not
worse. Laus Deo.
Superr Court at Ipswich, May
19. Here Mr. Hern
informs me
that Gerrish and La Blond went from Platt's
at Salem on
the Lord's Day morn; He spake to them
against it;
They said they could but pay 5s.
Ferryman
pt. told me,
Two were carried over about the time of going
to
Meeting. Crompton informs me that they
were at his
house, and
went not to Meeting at Ipswich: Went
away
late in the
Afternoon: So that they Travail'd
22. Miles or
more that
day. I hope God heard my Prayer, and di-
rected me to
do Right, and Accepted me.
May, 16. adjourn'd sine die. Din'd at Col. Francs
Wainwright's
House. Went to Salem; In the way met
people
coming from Beverly Lecture; would fain have
been there.
May, 17.
Rode to Meadforth with Col. Thomas in his
84 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1716.
Calash;
visited Cousin Porter after her Lyeing in; Din'd
with her
Husband and Mother. From thence went on
Horse-back. Got home early, and found all well. Laus
Deo.
May, 23.
Council dine in the Council Chamber:
Many
invited, so
that Three Tables were fill'd: Had no
Musick,
though the
Lieut Govr had promised it.
About the 21.
The Lieut
Govr asked the Council's Advice about a
graph taken
out of the Flying Post 1 printed by Fleet:
Lieut Govr
spake very Coursly of cousin Wm Dumer;
This fellow, and I think worse; I said He was a
Gentle-
man, and his
Father and Grandfather, which calm'd the
Lieut Govr,
and brought him to better Language. It
apear'd that
Wm Duller, with Wm Dudley and Francis
Wainwright,
spake to the Printer to do it; Capt Panton
came in but
said his being there was by accident, he knew
nothing of
it. I said at same time, "There are
some men
in the world
are so mortally sick of the Plague of Selfish-
ness, that
except they might be Charioteers they wish'd
the Chariot
burnt, or off the Wheels, I was for upholding
Government
whether in or out of it."
At, last the Council voted, it tended to
the disturbance
of the
Government. Lt. Govr and
Council order'd me to
Reprimand
Mr. Dummer. Having confronted the Lt
Govr
in his
Favour, I finally was forc'd to do it. I
told him
how
intolerable it was for privat persons to print Reflec-
1 We cannot explain satisfactorily this
reference. The only regular
newspaper in
Boston was the "Boston News-Letter," begun April 24, 1704,
and owned by
John Campbell, the post-master. The
second paper was the
"Boston
Gazette," founded Dec. 21, 1719, by William Brooker, the new
post-master. The third was James Franklin's
"New-England Courant,"
first issued
Aug. 17, 1721.
There was the "London Flying
Post," and it is probable that Thomas
Fleet, who
came to
where he
printed pamphlets, ballads, &c., may have occasionally reprinted
numbers of
an English paper. It may be that he
issued a " Flying Post "
as a
broadside. -- EDS.
1716.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 85
tions and
Censures on the highest Acts of Government;
To do it on
one part was to do it on all; for they must
be
Together. Twas ill done of them who
printed it in
London, and
twas ill done of them that carried it on here.
Mr.
Bromfield had inform'd that he treated him scurvily
by saying,
They did not treat him as a Gentleman to send
for him so
often. I took notice of that; said twas
easier
for men to
Comit a fault, than to bear to be told of it; he
had therein
forgot his Breeding. About 190. [copies]
were left
with Mr. Dumer's wife by Fleet. Dumer
said
he knew not
what was become of them, own'd he had
seen the
prints at his House. But it apear'd his
Bror
Wainwright
dispers'd them after the Lt Govr had vehe-
mently
forbid it. Wm Dudley, though
sumon'd, did not
apear. Was sumon'd again, excus'd himself by the
Foul-
ness of the
Wether, his Father's Sickness. It seem'd
to
be very ill
design'd to throw us into confusion just at the
Election.
June, 3.
Mr. Williams of Derefield preaches with us.
June, 4.
The News-Letter comes out with Col. Bur-
gess's
Health. Lt Govr's
Speech, &c.
Third day June 5. Certain News is brought that
Samuel Shute
is made our Govr, to our great Joy.
Mr.
Burgess goes
to
Lord is our
Judge. Isa. 33. 22. Order is taken to send
for the
Packet from the Ship; and the Letter to Col. Bur-
gess is now
to Col. Shute, which I could not vote to.
Lt
Govr
sat in his Chair, and Earnestly Call'd for it; had
procur'd the
Comittee to put it in as I aprehend: Col.
Byfield was
Chair-man. The new Clause is, that would
do what in
him lies for the Interest and Welfare of the
Province,
especially for the Continuance of the Lt Govr.
While Case
was hearing, I went to our privat Meeting,
where my Son
Mr. Joseph Sewall pray'd Excellently for
his Sister
Hirst, Tho. Sewall, Henry Bromfield.
Read 40 ,
odd pages of
Dr. Goodwin's Sermon on Things Not Seen.
86 DIARY OF SAMUEL SEWALL. [1716.
Mr. Tilly
concluded. Mr. Franklin was not present,
nor Cole. I think but one woman of the Meeting, Mrs.
Tilly. Madam Usher, and her daughter Clark there,
Tilly-Clark.1
The Lord be with us!
June, 8.
Treasurer, Attorney Gen1, Comissioner for
Impost
elected. The first and Last had in a
maner all
the
Votes. In the Attorney's Choice Voters
were about
95. and Mr.
Paul Dudley had 67. This day I received
a
Letter full
of Vile Reproaches, which I desire to spread
before the
Lord!
June, 15.
Cambridge Resolved by the Council to be
the
Shire-Town for Middlesex, after the Hearing.
This
was
Non-concur'd by the Deputies.
Visit Mr. Pemberton, who read me his
Letters about
Govr
Shute. Mrs. Margaret Leverett is taken
mortally
sick at Mrs.
Johnson's.2
June, 16.
Dy'd about 2 or 3 hours past Midnight.
Is carried
by Water in her Coffin to
June, 18.
Buried. My Son went thither in
Madam
Winthrop's
Coach. Poor Mary Hirst had Gloves and
went with
Mrs. Wendal. Bearers, Mr. Robie,
Denison;
Mr. Hall,
Foxcroft; Mr. Brattle went not out.
Thomas Sewall is very Sick still; my Son
thinks mor-
tally so.
June, 20.
I went over to Charlestown in the morn,
and drave a
Pin in Charlestown Meetinghouse, in the
Corner-post
next Mr. Bradstreet's; gave an Angel.3 I sat
1
Perhaps this relates to some church quarrel.
Among the admissions to
the Old
South we find William Tylley, March 29, 1691, and Abigail Tilley,
Sept. 3,
1704. -- EDS.
2 This was the seventh child of President
John Leverett, by his wife,
Margaret (
the title of
Mistress was often given to young ladies of a certain social posi-
tion,
without regard to age. -- EDS.
3 It appears from Budington's
"History of the First Church, in Charles-
town,"
p. 115, that this meeting-house was erected according to a vote of
the town, on
the site of the old building on the south side of the town hill.
1716.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 87
in the
nearest Shop, and saw them raise the 3d post to-
wards the
Ferry from the Corner-post. Gave me a
Cool
Tankard. Gave Mr. Graves one of my Son's Books. Got
to the
Council Chamber before Ten.
Meeting at Mr. Tilly's. I pray'd: Sung the 1, 2, 4, 7,
last half of
the 9, and the 14. verses, D. Mrs.
Deffores
sent her
Maid to invite the Meeting. Madam Usher
went
to Braintrey
Tuesday, June 19.
I essay'd June, 22, to prevent Indians and
Negros
being Rated
with Horses and Hogs; but could not pre-
vail.1 Col. Thaxter brought it back, and gave as a
reason
of the
Non-agreement, They were just going to make a
New
Valuation.
I had drawn up a Dissent in these Words,
"Whereas
Two and
Twenty Thousand pounds of the Bills of publick
Credit of
this Province were emitted by the General
Court in the
year 1711; And the Impost and Excise, and
a Tax of
£22,000. on Polls and Estates, to be Raised this
May
Sessions, 1716. were Granted as a Fund for drawing
them into
the Treasury again; We are humbly of Opinion
that the now
Resolving to Raise Eleven Thousand pounds
only, is an
unwarrantable diminution of the General
Court's
Grant; and tends greatly to weaken the publick
Credit; if
the Province should stand in need of the like
Anticipation
for the future: For which reason they
can-
not come
into it."
I show'd this to Col. Hutchinson; but did
not find that
I could get
him or any, to join with me. I was
hereby
confirm'd in
my Resolution to Sign no more Bills. And
when the
£5000 Emission came up, to be paid 1719, I
said to the
Council,
It cost
nearly £1,900. It stood until June 17,
1775, when it was burned
with so much
of the town by the British troops. -- EDS.
1 Coffm (" History of Newbury,"
p.188) notes this passage, and gives ex-
amples of
such ratings. Sewall's protest was the
outcome of his antislavery
feelings, so
far in advance of his times. -- EDS.
88 DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. [1716.
Gentlemen, I Thank you for the Employment
given me
thus long,
which has been very pleasant and profitable to
me. But I am sensible that it wears my Eyes much;
and
there are
many can do it better than I. And
therefore
I entreat
you to think of some other person: Foras-
much as I am
uncapable of engaging any further in that
Service.
Some desired me to serve longer. I offered to carry up
the privat
Bill with some minute amendment, respecting
Col. Phips,l
his Changing his Name from Benet to Phips;
and to carry
back the Emission of £5000. to have the
Plates
mentioned on which they were to be made.
And
by this
means took the advantage of saying the same to
the Deputies
I had said to the Council.
June, 23.
An order comes up for the Plates; and
Adam
Winthrop esqr. is put in my place.
June, 25.
Wm Penn's Will is declared Null and Void.2
1 Spencer Bennet, son of Dr. David Bennet, by his wife, Rebecca
Spen-
cer, was
thus nephew of Dame Mary (Spencer) Phips, wife of Governor Sir
William
Phips. Spencer was adopted by his uncle,
to the exclusion of the
nephews of
the Phips blood and inherited his large property. As Spencer
Phips, he
was lieutenant-governor from 1733 till his death, April 4, 1757,
aged
seventy-one years. -- EDS.
2
William Penn's will was long in litigation. The first record is in Suff.
Wills, vol.
x. f. 459, and is dated Dec. 18, 1688.
Penn signs with a mark,
which on the
book is copied as an X. The witnesses
are John Tucker,
Thomas Lea,
and Mary Marsh. It leaves most of his
property to his
cousin,
Edward Hill, whose wife, Deborah, he had called from Old England
to be his
heir, leaving £50 each to cousins Sarah, Hannah, and Edward
Hill, Jr.
But, in 1694, Joseph Hill and Richard
Draper, of
Anthony
Penn, of Birmingham, Co. Warwick, nephew
and heir-apparent of
the late
William Penn, petitioned to have the will cancelled as a forgery.
They claimed
that one John Potwine, then or thenafter a son-in-law of
Edward Hill,
was the originator of the plot. That he
and Deborah Hill
went to Dr.
John Lee, who wrote the will according to their instructions,
and that the
signature was forged. Lee, however, was
not accused of any
guilty
knowledge of the forgery. Further, it
was said that Mary Marsh was
in Concord
at the time and never witnessed the signing.
The witnesses were John Chadwick, aged
twenty-nine; Joseph Hill, aged
forty-seven,
the varnisher; one Mallestone, the fencing-master, and especially
1716.] DIARY OF
SAMUEL SEWALL. 89
26.
I told Col. Winthrop, I rejoice in the Justice the
Court have
done themselves, and the Honour they have
done me, in
putting you in my place. He return'd the
Compliment. Lieut. Jnoson buried.
June, 27.
The Court is prorogued to the first of
August. Mr. Newman dines with us. Bror Moodey and
Northend go
home.
June, 28.
Mr. Thacher, of Milton and Mr. Stone dine
with us.
June, 29.
Daughter Hirst had a very bad night last
night. Prayer at Madam Willard's. Mr. Jn° Danforth be-
gins, Mr.
Henry Bromfield's Case chiefly Spread, Daugh-
ter Hirst,
Thomas Sewall; Mr. W ebb prays, Mr. Sewall
preaches
Excellently from Psal. 22. 24. Mr.
Pemberton
prays
Nobly. Mr Expo Mayhew comes to
Town. Osburn
arrives. Judge Woodbridges Son to Mr. Hirst from
June, 30. 1716. I visit Thomas Sewall at
Gave him 40s.,
read Psal 27, John 17th. to
him: pray'd with
him at his
desire. Visited the President, Condoled
Madam
Leverett. Visited my Daughter Hirst when I came home;
Samuel
Thompson, of Braintree. This last was an
old friend of Penn's,
and had
charge of a former will. This he says he
gave up to Mr. Hill, Dr.
Bullivant,
and Dr. Lee, when they came for it. But
he says' that Penn
always
signed "with a Roman doblew with the heels upward," thus, M.
Lieutenant-Governor Stoughton, however,
dismissed the appeal then, for
lack of
evidence to prove a fraud.
The final decision is given in the
following extract from the Council
Records,
June 25,1716: "A full hearing
having been had before this
Board, the
twenty first current, upon the Petition of Joseph Hill and
Richard
Draper, Attorneys of Anthony Penn of Birmingham and Mary
Ensor of
Dennington in Great Britain, setting forth that the Instrument