201VI. An Examination of the Claim of New York, May 1774 (Adams Papers)
1753. In the year 1753 a Committee of the Council of N York in a Report upon the Petition of Mr. Levingston and others Stated the Facts and arguments in support of the Claim of that Province relative to its Eastern Boundary. 1763. In the year 1763 The General Court of the Massachusetts Bay ordered a very particular State of the Controversy between this Government and the Government of New York...
202March 3d. 1761. (Adams Papers)
Mem. To enquire of Tufts, Gould, Whitmarsh, Hunts, Whites, &c. about their Method of mending High Ways by a Rate. And to enquire at Worcester, whenever I shall get there of Chanlers, Putnam, Willard, Paine, Swan &c. about their Method. They mended their Ways by a Rate, I am sure. Saml. Clark, Jo. Field, Eb. Newcomb Danl. Nash, the Mirmidons of Thayer. Luke Lambard, Ben Hayden, Saml. Clark &c....
203[December 1758] (Adams Papers)
Bob Paine is conceited and pretends to more Knowledge and Genius than he has. I have heard him say that he took more Pleasure in solving a Problem in Algebra than in a frolick. He told me the other day, that he was as curious after a minute and particular Knowledge of Mathematicks and Phylosophy, as I could be about the Laws of Antiquity. By his Boldness in Company, he makes himself a great...
20415 [i.e. 16] Fryday. (Adams Papers)
A Stormy Day.
20530 Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
A fair day. Drank Tea and spent the Evening at Mr. Putnams, with Mr. Maccarty, very Sociably.
2066 Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
A cold day. Spent the Evening and supped at Mr. Putnams.
207July 2. 1770. (Adams Papers)
Monday morning, in my Sulky before 5 o clock, Mr. Winthrop, Farnum and D. Sewall, with me on Horse back. Rode thro the Woods the Tide being too high to go over the Beach and to cross Cape Nittick Neddick River. Came to Littlefields in Wells 1/4 before 8 o clock. Stopped there and breakfasted. Afterwards Sewall and I stopped at the Door of our Classmate Hemenway, whom we found well, and very...
20819 [i.e. 20] Tuesday. (Adams Papers)
A lovely Day after the Storm. Drank Tea at Major Chandlers. Walked with the Coll. to his Saw-mill Farm.
209Adams’ Minutes of the Argument: Court of Vice Admiralty, Boston, June or July 1774 (Adams Papers)
Leonard. Port Bill, Lex Talionis. Punishment of Boston the main Object. There is an Exception where by the Act of God, there is an Impossibility of getting out. A Necessity. She had no Right to Stay to repair and refit for a Voyage. She might have gone out, if not in 6 Hours, yet in two or three days. She was not in a worse situation than she had been. She might have hired assistance. The Part...
210John Adams to Abigail Smith, 7 May 1764 (Adams Papers)
I promised you, Sometime agone, a Catalogue of your Faults, Imperfections, Defects, or whatever you please to call them. I feel at present, pretty much at Leisure, and in a very suitable Frame of Mind to perform my Promise. But I must caution you, before I proceed to recollect yourself, and instead of being vexed or fretted or thrown into a Passion, to resolve upon a Reformation—for this is my...
21110 Monday. (Adams Papers)
A pleasant Day.
212Saturday Decr. 21st. 1765. (Adams Papers)
Spent the Morning in sauntering about, and chatting with one and another—The Sherriff, Mr. Goldthw ai t, Brother Sewal &c—upon the Times. Dined with Brother Kent; after Dinner received a Hint from the Committee that as I was of Council for the Town I not only had a Right, but it was expected I should attend the Meeting. I went accordingly. The Committee reported the Answer of the Board to...
213Monday May 26th 1760. (Adams Papers)
Spent the Evening at Mr. Edd. Quincy’s, with Mr. Wibird, and my Cozen Zab. Mr. Quincy told a remarkable Instance of Mr. Ben. Franklin’s Activity, and Resolution, to improve the Productions of his own Country, for from that source it must have sprang, or else from an unheard of Stretch of Benevolence to a stranger. Mr. Franklin, happening upon a Visit to his Germantown Friends, to be at Mr....
2141760. Novr. 21st. Friday. (Adams Papers)
This day has been spent to little Purpose. I must confine my Body, or I never shall confine my Tho’ts. Running to Drs., cutting Wood, blowing fires, cutting Tobacco, waste my Time, scatter my Thoughts, and divert my Ambition. A Train of Thought, is hard to procure. Trifles light as Air, break the Chain, interrupt the series.
21525. Monday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a very rainy, morning, at 11 o’Clock Disputed from the question assigned us last tuesday But on which we Did not then Dispute By reason of Mr. Mayhews Being employed in taking an account of the Books and other things, Contained in the Library in order to the Printing a new Catalogue thereof. Joseph Mayhew (1710–1782) , Harvard 1730, tutor to the Class of 1755, had served as tutor...
216Sept. 3d. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Heard Dr. Cooper in the forenoon, Mr. Champion of Connecticutt in the Afternoon and Mr. Pemberton in the Evening at the Charity Lecture. Spent the Remainder of the Evening and supped with Mr. Otis, in Company with Mr. Adams, Mr. Wm. Davis, and Mr. Jno. Gill. The Evening spent in preparing for the Next Days Newspaper—a curious Employment. Cooking up Paragraphs, Articles, Occurences, &c.—working...
217From John Adams to Jonathan Sewall, 10 September 1760 (Adams Papers)
You have perhaps expected from me (according to the Custom of the World) some Expressions of my Condolance, in your unfortunate loss of Judge Sewal. —To be plain, I always feel extreamly awkward, whenever I attempt, by Writing or in Person, to console the sorrowful, or to rejoice with those that do rejoice. I had rather conceal my own Sympathy fellow feeling in their Joys or Griefs, at the...
218Tuesday Aug. [5 or 12] 1766. (Adams Papers)
Satt out with my Wife for Salem—dined at Boston—drank Tea at Dr. Simons Tufts’s at Medford —lodg’d at Mr. Bishops. Simon Tufts (1727–1786), Harvard 1744 , an older brother of AA ’s uncle by marriage, Dr. Cotton Tufts ( Charles Brooks, History of the Town of Medford , Boston, 1855 , p. 305–306).
2191760. Novr. 26th. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Ten days are now elapsed, since I began Hale the 2d time, and all the Law I have read, for 10 days, is that Book once thro. I read Woods Institute thro the first Time with Mr. Put. in twice that time i.e. in 3 Weeks, and kept a school every day. My present Inattention to Law is intolerable and ruinous. This entry and those that follow, through 1 Dec. 1760 , are again from D/JA/4, JA ’s record...
22029 Fryday. (Adams Papers)
At Colledge, a Clear morning. Heard the valedictory oration, pronounced, By Oliver. 2 o Clock set out for Boston, Designing to go from thence home. Attendance at exercises being required of all students other than those in the graduating class until 1 July, and senior sophisters not being allowed, while preparing for their “sitting solstices” or oral examinations, to leave Cambridge between 21...
In the Case of Jane Dotey vs. Manuel Essane heard and adjudged at the Court of General Sessions of the Peace held at Plymouth within and for the County of Plymouth on the first second Tuesday of December being the Eighth day of said Month in the Year of our Lord 1767, the Errors assigned by said Manual, on the Certiorari are as follow viz. 1st. It does not appear by the Record of the Judgment...
222Decr. 6th. 1760. (Adams Papers)
Talked with Zab about Newton, Bacon, Lock, Martin, Chambers, Rowning, Desaguliers, S’Gravesende &c. I told him I had a low Opinion of the Compilers, Abridgers, and Abstract makers. We had better draw science from its fountain in original Authors. These Writers, the Hirelings of the Booksellers, only vend us the Discoveries of other Philosophers, in another form, and under another Title, in...
223From John Adams to the Reverend Caleb Gannett, 1 April 1775 (Adams Papers)
It is not easy for me to determine whether it be best, to carry the Cause before the Governor and Council as a Court of Chancery or before the King and Council—because, I dont know enough of the Character and Sentiments of the Governor and Council. They may be all Episcopalians, and so much prejudiced, as to render an Application to them, fruitless. Nor am I able to say, whether, the Cause can...
224[Report on Boundaries, 1773–1774] (Adams Papers)
In the Fall of the Year 1773, The General Court appointed Mr. Bowdoin and me to draw a State of the Claim of this Province to the Lands to the Westward of New York. Mr. Bowdoin left it wholly to me: and I spent all my Leisure time in the Fall, Winter and Spring in Collecting all the Evidence and Documents: I went to Mr. John Moffat, who had made a large Collection of Records, Pamphlets and...
225Fryday [15 February]. Evening. (Adams Papers)
Going to Mr. Pitts’s, to meet the Kennebeck Company—Bowdoin, Gardiner, Hallowell, and Pitts. There I shall hear Philosophy, and Politicks, in Perfection from H.—high flying, high Church, high state from G.—sedate, cool, Moderation from B.—and warm, honest, frank Whiggism from P. I never spent an Evening at Pitts’s. What can I learn tonight. Came home and can now answer the Question. I learned...
226From John Adams to James Warren, 9 April 1774 (Adams Papers)
It is a great Mortification to me, to be obliged to deny my self the Pleasure of a Visit to my Friends at Plymouth next Week. But so Fate has ordained it. I am a little Apprehensive too for the State upon this Occasion, for it has heretofore received no small Advantage from our Sage Deliberations, at your Fire side. I hope Mrs Warren is in fine Health, and Spirits—and that I have not incurred...
227[June 1771] (Adams Papers)
Spent the Day at Worcester in Riding about with Mr. Putnam to see his Farm. He does what he pleases with Meadows and Rivers of Water. He carries round the Streams wherever he pleases. Took one Ride up to Baggachoag Hill, one Way, and another up the Lane by Doolittles shop, and I found that great Alterations have been made, and many Improvements, in 13 Years, for it is so long since I was in...
228John Adams to Abigail Adams, 20 September 1774 (Adams Papers)
I am very well yet:—write to me as often as you can, and send your Letters to the Office in Boston or to Mr. Cranches, whence they will be sent by the first Conveyance. I am anxious to know how you can live without Government. But the Experiment must be tryed. The Evils will not be found so dreadfull as you a ppreh end them. Frugality, my Dear, Frugality, OEconomy, Parcimony must be our...
229John Adams to Abigail Adams, 7 October 1774 (Adams Papers)
I thank you for all your kind favours. I wish I could write to you, much oftener than I do. I wish I could write to you, a Dozen Letters every day. But the Business before me, is so arduous and takes up my Time so entirely, that I cannot write often. I had the Characters and Tempers, the Principles and Views of fifty Gentlemen total Strangers to me to study, and the Trade, Policy, and whole...
By the Stat ute of Wm. Prisoner intituled to a Copy of the Indictment 5 days and of the Panel 2 days before the Tryal. And extended by Equity or by Favour, to Cases of Felony, tho the statute relates only to Treason. Vid. Foster and Hawkins. Foster 228. 229. Foster 299. §2. bottom, different Indictments to the same Jury. 272. Adams Massacre Minutes, MHi MS 1. See Descriptive List of Sources...