Diary of Ebenezer Parkman, 1753

1753 January 1 (Monday). I desire humbly to wait upon God for the Great Grace necessary to make a right use and improvement of the Swift Flight of Time—Time which is So exceeding precious! How prone am I to depend on what I am my Self doing when nothing is or can be vainer! How prone I am also to depend upon having another Year to Spend as I have had the former, whereas infinite Wisdom has advis’d that I boast not of So much as tomorrow, because I know not what a Day will bring forth. As I would heartily praise God for this Day, So would devoutly resign to Him, whether I shall enjoy any more, or how many; and what shall befall both me and mine. Mr. Daniel Hardy brought me a Load of Wood.

1753 January 2 (Tuesday). Mr. Daniel Adams and my son Thomas are at Work upon a Floor in my Barn for my Cattle. Mr. Jonathan Forbush brought a Load of Wood.

1753 January 3 (Wednesday). Mr. Adams and my son Thomas again. N.B. 4 more Cattle brought from my other place to keep at this new Barn. Weather very Cold. Simon Tainter tertius and his Brother (2 Boys) brought a Load of Walnut Wood with their Steers and little Sled.

1753 January 4 (Thursday). A Storm of Snow. Mr. Adams and Thomas Still. All the Plank laid but the floor not finish’d. We put up 7 Cattle. My wife and I to the private Meeting at Lieutenant Tainters. Preach’d on Ps. 23.4. Storm increas’d at Eve.

1753 January 5 (Friday). One Mrs. Goold, a Widow, at Mr. Clafflands, Sent for me, She being in a very low Condition in great Distress. Mr. Joseph Manning din’d with us. Mr. Jeduthan Baldwin from Brookfield at Eve, and brought us comfortable News of the Welfare of my Children there. D.G. He Lodg’d with us.

1753 January 6 (Saturday). Baldwin left us—wrote by him to Mr. Martyn about the Contributions for Mr. Goodenow.

1753 January 7 (Sunday). Cold Day. I read publickly Deut. 18. Preach’d on Deut. 32.29. Deacon Forbush and Mrs. Mary Green (wife of Joseph junior) din’d here. P.M. read 2 Cor. 13, and preach’d on number 5 of the Same, making use of Sermon on 1 Cor. 11.28. O that God would please to grant an abiding Impression!

1753 January 8 (Monday). The Weather Cold and Raw. Visited Mrs. Grant, who is ill, and din’d there. P.M. was at Mr. Ebenezer Millers on occasion of the Funeral of his Infant.

1753 January 9 (Tuesday). My son Thomas went to Sutton for shirting. Mrs. Parkman to Esquire Bakers preparing for a Journey. I din’d at Lieutenant Forbush’s being on a visit to his aged Mother. Rode his Horse to Lieutenant Bruce’s. Deliver’d him an order to Mr. Grow for 60£ old Tenor. At Eve Mr. Jedediah Fay from Ashford with the Flax. I bought 11£ weight of him. Mr. Ephraim Bruce, Collector, here, and pays me (for the first time), 19.5.10 old Tenor. N.B. heard that the Reverend Mr. Goddard’s Wife1 is bury’d this Day. May God be with him in drinking the Wormwood and Gall!

1753 January 10 (Wednesday). Mr. Eleazer Whitney a Load of Wood. My Wife to Boston with Lieutenant Tainter in his Whirry. Mr. Grow brought a Guinea Cock to supply the Place of That which (as we suppose) a Fox killed, a while agoe.

1753 January 11 (Thursday). Sarah has worried through the Night with the Child (though he has not been well for Some Time). Alexander is at t’other House, and the rest I took into my own Chamber last night in their Mothers Absence.

1753 January 12 (Friday). Exceeding pleasant Day. Fear ‘tis a weather breeder. William and many more go afishing at the great Pond—they catch a great Number of Pickerell. Sarah is my House keeper and manages very agreeably—But am oblig’d myself to attend more peculiarly to the Family Circumstances. Mr. Grow and his son Whitney here, and bring me another Load of Wood.

1753 January 13 (Saturday). A Thaw: Southerly Wind and Rain. The Snow goes off apace—fear my Wife with her Fellow-Traveller, has an heavy Journey. About Sun setting Lieutenant Tainter and my Wife arriv’d in Safety. D.G. They lodg’d at Captain Tainters at Watertown the first Night—she lodg’d at Brother Samuels at Boston the Second, and at Brother Harringtons at Watertown the last—they din’d at Colonel Buckminsters to Day, and in general have had prosperous Journey. The Child, Samuel, has also done pritty well with us. N.B. Sorrowful News of the Sudden Death of the Reverend Mr. Ellis Gray2 of Boston, being Suddenly Seiz’d with a Numb Palsie last Lords Day morning and dy’d the Same Day, to the inexpressible Surprize and Grief of the whole Town.

1753 January 14 (Sunday). Exceeding Cold. The Wind very cutting. Read Deut. 19, preach’d on Ps. 78.36. P.M. read Gal. 1, and preach’d again on 2 Cor. 13.5, making use of the latter part of Sermon on 1 Cor. 11.28, with omissions, alterations and additions.

1753 January 15 (Monday). Jacob Garfield here; and though he pretends he has come with great earnestness about the Affair that has lain so long between Mr. Parkman and him and wants to have it issued and done with, yet can’t stay to be examin’d, but must attend upon other Business;—but he thought he would call and see whether it would be now, or no.

1753 January 16 (Tuesday). Billy goes to School to learn to write, the School being kept at Captain Maynards. The Precinct meet to Day to enquire into their Debts and grant money instead of Mr. James Maynards Rates to make up my Sallery for last Year. Mr. Martyn and his Wife came p.m. and tarry over night. At Eve Mr. Stephen White of Waltham and Mr. Walker of Brookfield.

1753 January 17 (Wednesday). Mr. Martyn and his wife din’d here. P.M. I visited at Mr. Daniel Garfields, Noah Hows and Captain Maynards. Was at t’other House—am deeply concern’d about my son and what will become of him—but desire to committ him and his, to the God who careth for us!

1753 January 18 (Thursday). I visited Mr. Martyn Pratt, who is Sick. In returning I din’d at Mr. Bond’s.

1753 January 19 (Friday). Difficult Stirring with a Team yet our Wood draws near to an End.

1753 January 20 (Saturday). Mr. Claffland brought us a Load of Wood, when I began to determine to Speak to the Congregation about it.

1753 January 21 (Sunday). Read Deut. 20. Preach’d on Tit. 3.2. P.M. read Gal. 2.

1753 January 22 (Monday). Mr. Bond brought Plank for my Thrashing Floor and to fill out what is wanting in the Stable. N.B. Mr. Elijah Rice gave the Timber. Messrs. Moses Brigham and Daniel Forbush draw’d the Loggs to Mill; and Mr. Jonathan Forbush saw’d them. N.B. I sell my Turkeys to Mr. Bond for Rye. The Turkeys at 20/ apiece and Rye at 25 per Bushel. I have a more Strong and lively Sense of the Mortality of my Body etc. than usual (for me). O that it might be continued and improv’d! I visited at Neighbour Frosts3—there are 3 of them there—and their sister Ruth. I paid her what I have for some time ow’d her—was at Neighbour Barns’s etc. at Lieutenant Bruce’s and gave him a Note to Mr. Grow for 54£ old Tenor and to his son Ephraim for 26£ of like money. N.B. Mr. John Rogers at Thomas’s procuring, to assist him in providing for a Frame for a Shop. Part of p.m. Cutts Timbers.

1753 January 23 (Tuesday). Lieutenant Bruce4 Shewed me the Bounds of the last Survey of the Island. Mr. Stone5 came to See us and din’d here. At Eve Mr. Jonathan Ward our School-Master. N.B. I have kept my Mare at the New Barn for Some Time. The Earth Open and Roads heavy.

1753 January 24 (Wednesday). Am reading Martins Grammar Still. A usefull piece.

1753 January 25 (Thursday). Very rainy. Lieutenant Bruce here—calls in Quarter the Terms of our Bargain, but finds himself under a Mistake, yields, and goes away Easy.

1753 January 26 (Friday). Rainy Still. Mr. Hall6 of Sutton here, and informs that Brother Samuel Breck7 was lately at his House, came from Rhode Island through Upton—was going to Worcester—and from thence home.

1753 January 27 (Saturday). Our Wood very Short; but a Stick or two left at the Door, and yet a Stormy, raw Cold Day—p.m. Snowy. Lieutenant Tainter came to See how ‘twas with us as to wood, and went to Deacon Newtons and Esquire Bakers to See whether they would not bring some—but there came none. But I was oblig’d to make what we had in the House and the few Sticks at the Door, do over the Sabbath.

1753 January 28 (Sunday). Read Deut. 21. Preach’d on Tit. 3.2. P.M. read Gal. 3. Mrs. Hannah Pratt din’d here. The Weather is become comfortable. May God enable us to improve our advantages and Comforts to His Glory! Shunning carefully the Sins which his holy word has prohibited and humbling ourselves for what has been Chargeable upon us—as the Sin of Slandering and defaming has been very much So. I had (to God be Glory!) some peculiar Sense of the Vanity of Life, and the Greatness of Things Eternal. O that it might be preserv’d and increas’d!

1753 January 29 (Monday). A more than ordinary fine Day. Messrs. Jonah Warrin and Jonathan Bond and Joseph Grout, brought, each of them, a Load of Wood. The wood of the two first and partly the Cutting, am beholden to Lieutenant Tainter for. Mrs. Newton Sends Milk again; and from Esquire Bakers a Gallon ditto. I rode out to visit Mrs. Adams (Eliphalet’s Wife) and Mrs. Beeman (Abraham’s Wife) was also at Lieutenant Bruce’s who gave me up my Bond of 145.10/ old Tenor and I gave him a new one of 100£ old Tenor. He gave me also a new Deed including 9 Acres and 1 Rod of the Island. N.B. I owe him 1£ 11s., 8d, old Tenor, besides the Interest and besides the Remainder of our old Reckoning.

1753 January 30 (Tuesday). Another very fine Day. My Wife goes to t’other House, my sons Wife being much indispos’d. I reckon’d with Deacon Newton, and gave him a Note for the whole of my Book Debt.

1753 January 31 (Wednesday). After We din’d at home, my Wife and I rode to Mr. Clafflands and celebrated the Nuptials of Alpheus Newton8 and Elizabeth Clafflin, after which we had a plentifull Entertainment. The Weather fine and the Company pretty large—but we came away in the first of the Evening and Captain Benjamin Wood of Hopkinton waiting on the Bridegrooms Mother. Thus we finish this Month with much chearfullness and Joy but it becomes us to rejoice as though we rejoic’d not.9