481Wednesday Aug. [6 or 13] 1766. (Adams Papers)
Satt out from Mr. Bishops, oated, at Norwoods alias Martins, and reached Brother Cranches at 12 o Clock —dined and drank Tea, and then rode down to the Neck Gate, and then back thro the common and down to Beverly Ferry, then back thro the common and round the back Part of the Town Home. Then Walked round the other Side of the Town to Coll. Browns, who not being at Home, we returned. The Town...
482Thurdsday Aug. [7 or 14] 1766. (Adams Papers)
In the Morning rode a single Horse, in Company with Mrs. Cranch and Mrs. Adams in a Chaise, to Marblehead. The Road from Salem to Marblehead, 4 miles, is pleasant indeed. The Grass Plotts and Fields are delightfull. But Marblehead differs from Salem. The Streets are narrow, and rugged and dirty—but there are some very grand Buildings. Returned and din’d at Cranch’s—after dinner walked to...
483Monday Aug. 18th. (Adams Papers)
Went to Taunton. Lodged at McWhorters.
484Tuesday [19 August]. (Adams Papers)
Dined at Captn. Cobbs with Coll. G. Leonard, Paine, Leonard, young Cobb &C. John Rowe made a much fuller entry of the events of this day at Taunton court in his diary: “19 August Tuesday Rose Very Early this morng. Reachd Taunton at Noon dind there with the Judges. Colo. Geo Leonard, Colo. Ephraim Leonard, Mr. Justice Williams and Mr. Justice Elisha Toby who was this [day] Swore into his...
485Wednesday [20 August]. (Adams Papers)
Spent Evening at Lodgings with Charles Cushing, and Daniel Oliver of Middleborough, Paine and Leonard—socially. Not the young lawyer of the same name mentioned under 28 July , above, but his first cousin, son of Judge (later Chief Justice) Peter Oliver. This Daniel Oliver died in 1768 at the age of 30 ( NEHGR New England Historical and Genealogical Register. , 19 [1865]:104).
486Thurdsday Morning [21 August]. (Adams Papers)
Fine Weather—feel well.
487[November 1766] (Adams Papers)
Sett off, with my Wife for Salem. Stopped 1/2 Hour att Boston, cross’d the Ferry, and at 3 O Clock arrived at Hill’s the Tavern in Malden, the Sign of the rising Eagle, at the Brook, near Mr. Emmersons Emerson’s Meeting House, 5 Miles from Norwoods, where vizt. at Hills we dined. Here we fell in Company with Kent and Sewal. We all oated at Martins, where we found the new Sherriff of Essex...
4881766 Novr. 3d. Monday. (Adams Papers)
Sett off, with my Wife for Salem. Stopped 1/2 Hour att Boston, cross’d the Ferry, and at 3 O Clock arrived at Hill’s the Tavern in Malden, the Sign of the rising Eagle, at the Brook, near Mr. Emmersons Emerson’s Meeting House, 5 Miles from Norwoods, where vizt. at Hills we dined. Here we fell in Company with Kent and Sewal. We all oated at Martins, where we found the new Sherriff of Essex...
489Tuesday Novr. 4th. (Adams Papers)
A fine Morning. Attended Court all Day, heard the Charge to Grand Jury, and a Prayer by Mr. Barnard. Deacon Pickering was Foreman of one of the Juries. This Man, famous for his Writings in Newspapers concerning Church order and Government, they tell me is very rich. His Appearance is perfectly plain, and coarse, like a Farmer. His smooth combed Locks flow behind him, like Deacon Cushing, tho...
490Wednesday Novr. 5th. (Adams Papers)
Attended Court, heard the Tryal of an Action of Trespass brought by a Molatto Woman, for Damages, for restraining her of her Liberty. This is call’d suing for Liberty; the first Action that ever I knew, of the Sort, tho I have heard there have been many. Heard another Action for Assault and Battery, of a Mariner by the Master of a Vessell; a little Fellow was produced as a Witness who is a...
491Novr. 6th. Thurdsday. (Adams Papers)
A fine Morn. Oated at Martins where we saw 5 Boxes of Dollars containing as we were told about 18,000 of them, going in an Horse Cart from Salem Custom House to Boston, in Order to be shipp’d for England. A Guard of Armed Men, with swords, Hangers, Pistols and Musquets, attended it. We dined at Dr. Tufts’s, in Medford. There I first heard that the old Custom and Priviledge of Electing orators,...
492Novr. 7th. (Adams Papers)
Went up to my common Pasture, to give Directions about Trimming the Trees, i.e. lopping and Trimming the Walnuts and Oaks and felling the Pines and Savines and Hemlocks. An irregular, misshapen Pine will darken the whole scene in some Places. These I fell, without Mercy, to open the Prospect and let in the sun and air, that the other Wood may grow the faster and that Grass may get in for feed....
4931766. Novr. 8th. Saturday. (Adams Papers)
Fine Weather still.—Yesterday Clement Hayden came in to Major Crosbeys. He seem’d to hope, he said, that the Court would not vote to make up the Losses, but he heard to day that the King had requested it, and if that was true he knew not what to say. The K. had been so gracious, as to repeal the Stamp Act, and now to deny him such a Trifle would seem ungrateful and ungenerous. And it was our...
4941766. Novr. 9. Sunday. (Adams Papers)
Fine Weather Yet. Heard Mr. Penniman all Day. Spent Evening with Dr. Savil.
495Monday [10 November]. (Adams Papers)
Rain. Kill’d Cow. Read chiefly in the American Gazeteers, which are a very valuable Magazine of american Knowledge.
496Tuesday Novr. 11th. (Adams Papers)
Rain. Deacon Webb here at Tea, and put this strange Question to me, what do you think of the Lieutenant Governor, sir? I told him, what I once thought of him, and that I now hoped I was mistaken in my Judgment. I told him I once thought, that his Death in a natural Way would have been a Smile of Providence upon the Public, and would have been the most joyful News to me that I could have heard....
497[December 1766] (Adams Papers)
Dined at Dr. Tufts’s. Drank Tea at Dr. Halls Pembroke. Lodged at Captn. Littles Kingston.—I find a general Opposition in the County of Plymouth, to Compensation. Jacobs tells me, that Scituate voted vs. it with great Warmth. Judge Cushing Moderator did not think fit to say a Word, nor was there a Word said or an Hand up in favour of the Bill, tho they had voted for it in October. Keen of...
4981766 Decr. 8th. Monday. (Adams Papers)
Dined at Dr. Tufts’s. Drank Tea at Dr. Halls Pembroke. Lodged at Captn. Littles Kingston.—I find a general Opposition in the County of Plymouth, to Compensation. Jacobs tells me, that Scituate voted vs. it with great Warmth. Judge Cushing Moderator did not think fit to say a Word, nor was there a Word said or an Hand up in favour of the Bill, tho they had voted for it in October. Keen of...
499Tuesday Decr. 23d. 1766. (Adams Papers)
I heard Yesterday, for the first Time, that young Jonathan Hayward, the Son of Lt. Joseph Hayward of the South Precinct, had got a Deputation from the Sherriff. Captn. Thayer was the Person, who went to the Sherriff and procur’d it for him. Silas Wild, Tho’s Penniman, Stephen Penniman, Lt. Hayward and Zebulon Thayer were his Bondsmen—a goodly Class! a clever Groupe! a fine Company! a bright...
500Decr. 24th. (Adams Papers)
Who are to be understood by the better Sort of People? There is in the Sight of God and indeed in the Consideration of a sincere Xtian or even of a good Philosopher, no Difference between one Man and another, but what real Merit creates. And I mean, by real Merit, that I may be as well understood as my Adversary, nothing more nor less than the Compound Ratio of Virtue and Knowledge. Now if the...
501Decr. 31st. 1766. (Adams Papers)
“Whatever tends to create in the Minds of the People, a Contempt of the Persons of those who hold the highest Offices in the State, tends to a Belief that Subordination is not necessary, and is no essential Part of Government.”—Now I dont See the Truth of this. Should any one say that the Steeple of Dr. Sewals Meeting was old, and decay’d and rotten, and in danger of falling on the Heads of...
502[1766?] (Adams Papers)
Q uery . The Service done by Tommy Hutchinson, for the Province, for which he had a Grant of 40£. and his fathers application for Pay, for the same Service and saying, he never had any Pay for it. The Bill drawn by Mr. Hutchinson, and carried in Council and sent down to the House, to enlarge the Power of the Judges of Probate, and empower them to appoint a few freeholders to set off Widows...
503[March 1767] (Adams Papers)
Went with Captn. Thayer to visit Robert Peacock and his poor distressed Family. We found them, in one Chamber, which serves them for Kitchen, Cellar, dining Room, Parlour, and Bedchamber. Two Beds, in one of which lay Peacock, where he told us he had lain for 7 Weeks, without going out of it farther than the Fire. He had a little Child in his Arms. Another Bed stood on one side of the Chamber...
504Saturday March 1767. (Adams Papers)
Went with Captn. Thayer to visit Robert Peacock and his poor distressed Family. We found them, in one Chamber, which serves them for Kitchen, Cellar, dining Room, Parlour, and Bedchamber. Two Beds, in one of which lay Peacock, where he told us he had lain for 7 Weeks, without going out of it farther than the Fire. He had a little Child in his Arms. Another Bed stood on one side of the Chamber...
505[April 1767] (Adams Papers)
Suits generally Spring from Passion. Jones vs. Bigelow, Cotton and Nye arose from Ambition. Jones and Bigelow were Competitors for Elections in the Town of Weston, Cotton and Nye were Rivals at Sandwich. Such Rivals have no Friendship for each other. From such Rivalries originate Contentions, Quarrells and Suits. Actions of Defamation are the usual Fruits of such Competitions. What affection...
506April 4th. 1767. (Adams Papers)
Suits generally Spring from Passion. Jones vs. Bigelow, Cotton and Nye arose from Ambition. Jones and Bigelow were Competitors for Elections in the Town of Weston, Cotton and Nye were Rivals at Sandwich. Such Rivals have no Friendship for each other. From such Rivalries originate Contentions, Quarrells and Suits. Actions of Defamation are the usual Fruits of such Competitions. What affection...
5071767 April 8th. Wednesday. (Adams Papers)
Mounted my Horse in a very Rainy Morning for Barnstable leaving my Dear Brother Cranch and his family at my House where they arrived last Night, and my Wife, all designing for Weymouth this Afternoon to Keep the fast with my father Smith and my Friend Tufts.— Arrived at Dr. Tufts’s, where I found a fine Wild Goose on the Spit and Cramberries stewing in the Skillet for Dinner. Tufts as soon as...
508[May 1767] (Adams Papers)
At Howlands in Plymouth. Returned this day from Barnstable. The Case of Cotton and Nye at Sandwich is remarkable. Cotton has been driving his Interest. This driving of an Interest, seldom succeeds. Jones of Weston, by driving his, drove it all away.—Where two Persons in a Town get into such a Quarrell, both must be very unhappy—Reproaching each other to their faces, relating facts concerning...
509May [16], 1767. Saturday Night. (Adams Papers)
At Howlands in Plymouth. Returned this day from Barnstable. The Case of Cotton and Nye at Sandwich is remarkable. Cotton has been driving his Interest. This driving of an Interest, seldom succeeds. Jones of Weston, by driving his, drove it all away.—Where two Persons in a Town get into such a Quarrell, both must be very unhappy—Reproaching each other to their faces, relating facts concerning...
5101767 May [17] Sunday. (Adams Papers)
At Plymouth, went to Mr. Robbins’s Meeting in the Morning, and sat with Mr. Hovey. Dined with Coll. Warren. Went to Mr. Bacons Meeting in the Afternoon and satt with Coll. Warren. Drank Tea at my Lodgings. Robbins preached upon doing the Will of God, and Bacon on Peace, and Goodwill. Judge Cushing was also at the Upper Meeting in the Morning and at the lower, in the Afternoon. Cushing has the...