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ANNA GREEN WINSLOW 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN 
 WINSLOW 
 
 A BOSTON SCHOOL GIRL OF Iff! 
 
 EDITED BY 
 
 ALICE MORSE EARLE 
 
 
 BOSTON AND NEW YORK 
 HOUGHTON, MIFFLIN AND COMPANY 
 
 oartie Cttoerjst&e $re£& CamfcriDge 
 
 1894 
 
F 
 73,4 
 
 .W73 
 
 Coypyright, 1894, 
 By ALICE MORSE EARLE. 
 
 All rights reserved. 
 
 The Riverside Press, Cambridge, Mass., U. S.A. 
 Electrotyped and Printed by H. O. Houghton & Co. 
 
 O'NaL LIBRARY 
 
 J 
 
 BOSTON C0LLE3I m , sm 
 
IS DEDICATED 
 
 TO 
 
 THE KINSFOLK OF 
 
 ANNA GREEN WINS LOW 
 
FOREWORD. 
 
 TN the year 1770, a bright little girl ten 
 years of age, Anna Green Wins low, was 
 sent from her far away home in Nova Scotia 
 to Boston, the birthplace of her paretits, to 
 be "finished" at Boston schools by Boston 
 teachers. She wrote, with evident eagerness 
 and loving care, for the edification of her par- 
 ents and her own practice in penmanship, this 
 interesting and quaint diary, which forms 
 a most sprightly record, not only of the life 
 of a young girl at that time, but of the prim 
 and narrow round of daily occurrences in pro- 
 vincial Boston. It thus assumes a positive 
 value as an historical picttcre of the domestic 
 life of that day ; a value of which the little 
 girl who wrote it, or her kinsfolk who affec- 
 tionately preserved it to our own day, never 
 coidd have dreamed. To many New Eng- 
 land families it is specially interesting as a 
 complete rendering, a perfect presentment, of 
 the childish life of their great grandmothers, 
 her companions. 
 
 It is an even chance which ruling thought 
 
 in 
 
IV FORE WORD. 
 
 in the clever little writer, a love of religion 
 or a love of dress, shows most plainly its in- 
 fluence on this diary. On the whole, I think 
 that youthful vanity, albeit of a very natural 
 and innocent sort, is more pervasive of the 
 pages. And it is fortunate that this is the 
 case ; for, from the frankly frivolous though 
 far from self-conscious entries we gain a very 
 exact notion, a very valuable picture, of the 
 dress of a young girl at that day. We know 
 all the details of her toilet, from the "pompe- 
 dore " shoes and the shifts {which she had 
 never worn till she lived in Boston), to the 
 absurd and top-heavy head-decoration of 
 " black feathers, my past comb & all my 
 past garnet marquasett and jet pins, together 
 with my silver plume. " If this fantastic as- 
 semblage of ornament were set upon the "H r ed- 
 dies roll," so grapliically described, it is easy 
 to understa7id the denunciations of the time 
 upon women s headgear. In no contempo- 
 rajy record or account, no matter who the 
 writer, can be found such a vivacious and witty 
 description of the modish hairdressing of that 
 day as in the pages of this diary. 
 
 But there are many entries in the journal 
 of this vain little Puritan devotee to show an 
 almost equal atte7ition to religion ; records of 
 sermons which she had heard, and of reli- 
 gious 
 
FORE WORD. v 
 
 gzous conversations in which she had taken a 
 self-possessed part ; and her frequent use of 
 Biblical expressions and comparisons shows 
 that she also remembered fully what she 
 read. Her ambitious theological sermon-notes 
 were evidently somewhat curtailed by the sensi- 
 ble advice of the aunt with whom she resided, 
 who thereby checked also the consequent inju- 
 dicious praise of her pastor, the Old South 
 minister. For Anna and her kinsfolk were 
 of the congregation of the Old South church ; 
 and this diary is in effect a record of the life 
 of Old South church attendants. Many were 
 what Anna terms "sisters of the Old South" 
 and nine tenths of the names of her compan- 
 ions and friends may be found on the baptis- 
 mal and membership records of that church. 
 
 Anna was an industrious little wight, active 
 in all housewifely labors and domestic accom- 
 plishments, and attentive to her lessons. She 
 could make "pyes," and fine network ; she 
 could knit lace, and spin linen thread and 
 woolen yarn ; she could make purses, and em- 
 broider pocket-books, and weave watch strings, 
 and piece patchwork. She learned" dansing, 
 or danceing I should say," from one Master 
 Turner ; she attended a sewing school, to be- 
 come a neat and deft little sempstress, and 
 above all, she attended a writing school to 
 
 learn 
 
VI FOREWORD. 
 
 learn that most indispensable and most appre- 
 ciated of eighteenth century accomplishments 
 — fine writing. Her handwriting, of which 
 a facsimile is here shown, was far better 
 than that of most girls of twelve to-day ; with 
 truth and justice could Anna say , " Aunt says 
 lean write pretily." Her orthography was 
 quite equal to that of grown persons of her 
 time, and her English as good as that of 
 Mercy Warren, her older contemporary writer. 
 
 And let me speak also of the condition of 
 her diary. It covers seventy-two pages of 
 paper about eight inches long by six and a 
 half inches wide. The writing is uniform in 
 size, every letter is perfectly formed ; it is as 
 legible as print, and in the entire diary but 
 three blots can be seen, and these are very 
 small. A few pages were ruled by the writer, 
 the others are unruled. The old paper, though 
 heavy and good, is yellow with age, and the 
 water marks C. J. R. and the crown stand 
 out distinctly. The sheets are sewed in a 
 little book, on which a marbled paper cover 
 has been placed, probably by a later hand than 
 Anna's. Altogether it is a remarkably ci'ed- 
 itable production for a girl of twelve. 
 
 It is well also to compare her constant 
 diligence and industry displayed to us through 
 her records of a days work — and at another 
 
 time, 
 
FOREWORD. VU 
 
 time, of a week's work — with that of any 
 girl of her age in a corresponding station of 
 life nowadays. We learn that physical pain 
 or disability were no excuse for slothfulness ; 
 Anna was not always well — had heavy colds, 
 and was feverish ; but well or ill was ahvays 
 employed. Even with painful local afflictio?is 
 such as a "whitloe" she still was industrious, 
 "improving it to perfect myself in learning to 
 spin flax!'' She read much — the Bible con- 
 stantly — and also found amusement in read- 
 ing "a variety of composures." 
 
 She was a friendly little soul, eager to be 
 loved ; resenting deeply that her Aunt Storer 
 let " either one of her chaises, her chariot or 
 babyhutt," pass the door every day, without 
 sending for her ; going cheerfully tea-dri7iking 
 from house to house of her friends ; delight- 
 ing even in the catechising and the sober Thurs- 
 day Lecture. She had few amusements and 
 holidays compared with the manifold pleas- 
 ures that children have nozvadays, though she 
 had one holiday which the Revolution struck 
 from our calendar — the King's Coronation 
 Day. She saw the Artillery Company drill, 
 and she visited brides and babies and old 
 folks, and attended some funerals. When 
 she was twelve years old she "came out" — 
 became a " miss in her teens " — and went to a 
 
 succession 
 
Vlll FOREWORD. 
 
 succession of prim little routs or parties, 
 which she called "constitutions." To these 
 decorous assemblies girls only were invited, 
 — no rough Boston boys. She has left to us 
 more than one clear, perfect picture of these 
 formal little routs in the great low-raftered 
 chamber, softly alight with candles on mantel- 
 tree and in sconces ; with Lucinda, the black 
 maid, " shrilly piping ; " and rows of demure 
 little girls of Boston Brahmin blood, in high 
 rolls and feathers, discreetly partaking of hot 
 and cold punch, and soberly walking and curtsy- 
 ing through the minuet ; fantastic in costume, 
 but proper and seemly in demeanor, models of 
 correct deportment as were their elegant mam- 
 mas. 
 
 But Anna was not solemn ; she was always 
 happy, and often merry — full of life and 
 wit. She jested about getting a "fresh sea- 
 soning with Globe salt, " and wrote some 
 labored jokes and some unconscious ones home 
 to her mother. She was subject to " egregious 
 fits of laughterre," and fully proved the state- 
 ment, " Aunt says I am a whimsical child" 
 She was not beautiful. Her miniature is 
 now owned by Miss Elizabeth C. Trott of 
 Niagara Falls, the great grand-daughter of 
 General John Winslow, and a copy is shown 
 in the frontispiece. It displays a gentle, win- 
 ning 
 
FORE WORD. ix 
 
 ning little face, delicate in otttline, as is also 
 the figure, and showing some hint also of de- 
 licacy of constitution. It may be imagination 
 to think that it is plainly the face of one who 
 could never live to be old — a face typical of 
 youth. 
 
 T ET us glance at the stock from whence 
 -*— ' sprung this tender and engaging little 
 blossom. When the weary Pilgrims landed 
 at Cape Cod before they made their memorable 
 landing at Plymouth, a sprightly young girl 
 jumped on shore, and was the first English 
 woman to set foot on the soil of New England. 
 Her name was Mary Chilton. She married 
 John Winslow, the brother of Governor Ed- 
 ward Wins low. Anna Green Winslow was 
 Mary Chilton s direct descendant in the sixth 
 generation. 
 
 Annas grandfather, John Winslow the 
 fourth, was bom in Boston. His son Joshua 
 wrote thus in the Winslow Family Bible: 
 " Jno Winslow my Honor d Father was born 
 ye JI Dec. at 6 o'c. in the morning on the 
 Lords Day, l6gj, and was baptized by Mr. 
 
 Willard the next day & dyed att sea Octo. I J, 
 1731 aged 38 years " A curious attitude was 
 assumed by certain Piirita7i ministers, of re- 
 luctance 
 
X FORE WORD. 
 
 luctance and even decided objection and re- 
 fusal to baptize children who were unlucky 
 enoitgh to be bom on the Lord's Day ; but 
 Samuel Willard, the pastor of the " South 
 Church" evidently did not concur in that ex- 
 traordinary notion, for on the day follozving 
 "Jno's " birth — on New Year's Day — he was 
 baptized. He was married on September 21, 
 1 7 21, to Sarah Pierce, and in their ten years 
 of married life they had three children. 
 
 Joshtca Wins low, Annas father, was the 
 second child. He was born January 2J, IJ2J, 
 and was baptized at the Old South. He was 
 "pziblished" with his cousin Anna Green on 
 December f, I/S^> an d married to her four 
 weeks later, January J, I J 5$. An old piece 
 of embroidered tapestry herein shown gives a 
 good portrayal of a Boston wedding-party at 
 that date ; the costumes, coach, and cut of the 
 horses' mane and tail are very curious and 
 interesting to note. Mrs. Winslows mother 
 was Anna Pierce {sister of Sarah), and her 
 father was Joseph Green, the fourth genera- 
 tion from Per civ al Green, whose descendants 
 have been enumerated by Dr. Samuel Abbott 
 Green, the president of the Massachusetts His- 
 torical Society, in his book entitled " Account 
 of Pe? r cival and Ellen Green and some of their 
 descendants." 
 
 Mrs. 
 
FORE WORD. XI 
 
 Mrs. Joshua Winslow was the oldest of 
 twelve Green children, hence the vast array of 
 itncles and aunts and cousins in little Anna s 
 
 Joseph Green, Annas maternal grandfather, 
 was born December 12 , IJOJ, and was bap- 
 tized on the same day. He died July II, 
 1765. He was a wealthy man for his time, be- 
 ing able to pay Governor Belcher £ J,6oo for 
 a tract of land on Hanover Street. His firm 
 name was Green & Walker. A fine portrait 
 of him by Copley still exists. 
 
 Thus Anna came of good stock in all lines 
 of descent. The Pierces were of the New 
 Hampshire provincial geittry, to which the 
 Wentworths and Langdons also belonged. 
 
 Before Joshua Winslow was married, when 
 he was but eighteen years of age, he began his 
 soldierly career. He was a Lieutenant in 
 Captain Light's company in the regiment of 
 Colonel Moore at the taking of Louisburg in 
 1745. He was then appointed Commissary- 
 General of the British forces in Nova Scotia, 
 and an account-book of his daily movements 
 there still exists. Upon his return to New 
 England he went' to live at Mars'hfield, Mas- 
 sachusetts, in the house afterwards occupied 
 by Daniel Webster. But troublous times were 
 now approaching for the faithful servants of 
 
 the 
 
Xll FOREWORD. 
 
 the King. Strange notions of liberty filled 
 the heads of many Massachusetts men and 
 women; and soon the Revolution became more 
 than a dream. Joshua Wins low in that cri- 
 sis, with many of his Mars hfie Id friends and 
 neighbors, sided with his King. 
 
 He was in Marshfield certainly in June, 
 1775, for I have a letter before me written 
 to him there by Mrs. Deming at that date. 
 One clause of this letter is so amusing that I 
 cannot resist quoting it. We must remember 
 that it was written in Connecticut, whence 
 Mrs. Deming had fled in fright a7id dismay 
 at the siege of Boston ; and that she had lost 
 her home and all her possessions. She writes 
 in answer to her brother s urgent invitation to 
 return to Marshfield. 
 
 " We have no household stuff. Neither 
 could I live in the terror of constant alarms 
 and the din of war. Besides I know not how 
 to look you in the face, unless I could restore 
 to you your family Expo sit er, which together 
 with my Henry on the Bible & Harveys 
 Meditations which are your daughters (the 
 gift of her grandmother) I pack' d in a Trunk 
 that exactly held them, some days before I 
 made my escape, and did my utmost to git 
 to you, but which I am told are still i7i Bos- 
 ton. It is not, nor ever will be in my power 
 
 to 
 
FOREWORD. Xili 
 
 to make you Satisfaction for this Error — / 
 should not have coveted to keep 'em so long — 
 I am heartily sorry now that I had more than 
 one book at a time ; in that case I might have 
 thot to have bmt it away with me, thd I for- 
 got my own Bible & almost every other neces- 
 sary. But who can tell whether you may not 
 git your Valuable Books. I should feel com- 
 paratively easy if you had these your Valu- 
 able property!' 
 
 Her painful solicitude over the loss of a 
 borrowed book is indeed refreshing, as well 
 as her surprising covetotcsness of the Family 
 Expositor and Harvey s Meditations. And I 
 wish to add to the posthumous rehabilitation 
 of the damaged credit of this conscientious 
 aunty that Annas book — Harvey s Medita- 
 tions — was recovered and restored to the 
 owner, and was lost at sea in 184.O by another 
 Winslow. 
 
 Joshua Winslow, when exiled, went to Eng- 
 land, and thence to Quebec, where he retained 
 throughout his life his office as Royal Pay- 
 master. He was separated many years from 
 his wife and daughter, and doubtless Anna 
 died while her father was far from her ; for 
 in a letter dated Quebec, December 26, 1783, 
 and written to his wife, he says, 
 
 " The 
 
Xiv FOREWORD. 
 
 " The Visiting Season is come on, a great 
 practice here about Christmas and the New 
 Year ; on the return of which I congratulate 
 my Dearest Anna and Friends with you, it 
 being the fifth and I hope the last I shall be 
 obliged to see the return of in a Separation 
 from each other while we may continue upon 
 the same Globe." 
 
 She shortly after joined him in Quebec. 
 His letters show careful preparations for her 
 comfort on the voyage. They then were child- 
 less ; Anna s brothers, George Scott and John 
 Henry, died in early youth. It is interesting 
 to note that Joshua Wins low was the first of 
 the Winslows to give his children more than 
 one baptismal name. 
 
 Joshua Wins low was a man of much dig- 
 nity and of handsome person, if we can trust 
 the Copley portrait and miniature of him 
 which still exist. The portrait is owned by 
 Mr. James F. Trott of Niagara Falls, New 
 York, the miniature by Mrs. J. F. Lindsey of 
 Yorkville, South Carolina, both grandchil- 
 dren of General John Winslow, His letters 
 display much intelligence. His spelling is 
 unusually correct ; his penmanship elegant — 
 as was that of all the Winslows ; his forms 
 of expressiori scholarly and careful. He some- 
 times 
 
FOREWORD. XV 
 
 times could joke a little, as when he began his 
 letters to his wife Anna thus — 2. N. A. — ■ 
 though it is possible that the " Obstructions to 
 a free Correspondence, and the Circumspection 
 we are obliged to practice in oitr Converse 
 with each other" arising from his exiled con- 
 dition, may have made him thus use a rebus 
 in the address of his letter. 
 
 He died in Quebec in l8oi. His wife re- 
 turned to New England and died in Medford 
 in 1 8 16. Her funeral was at General fohn 
 Winslows house on Purchase Street, Fort 
 Hill, Boston ; she was buried in the Winslow 
 tomb in Kings Chapel burial ground. 
 
 JJZE know little of the last years of Anna 
 *" Green Winslows life. A journal 
 written by Jier mother in IJJ3 during their 
 life in Marshfield is now ozvned by Miss Sa- 
 rah Thomas of Marshfield, Mass. It is filled 
 chiefly with pious sermo7t notes and religious 
 thoughts, and sad and anxious reflections over 
 absent loved ones, 07ie of whom (in the senti- 
 me?ital fashion of the times) she calls "my 
 Myron " — her husband. 
 
 Through this journal we see " Nanny 
 Green's" simple and monotonous daily life ; 
 her little tea-drinkings ; her spinning and 
 
 reeling 
 
xvi FOREWORD. 
 
 reeling and k?iitting ; her frequent catechis- 
 ings, her country walks. We find her mother s 
 testimony to the " appearance of reason that is 
 in my childre7i and for the readiness with 
 which they seem to learn what is taught 
 them''' And though she repeatedly thanks 
 God for living in a warm house, she notes 
 that " my bason of water froze on the hearth 
 with as good a fire as we could make in the 
 chimney" This rigor of climate and discom- 
 fort of residence, and A7inds evident delicacy 
 shown through the records of her fainting, ac- 
 count for her failing health. The last defi- 
 nite glimpse which we have of our gentle lit- 
 tle Nanny is in the shape of a letter written 
 to her by "Aunt Deming" It is dated Bos- 
 ton, April 21, 1770, and is so characteristic of 
 the day and so amusing also that I quote it in 
 full. 
 
 Dear Neice, 
 
 I receivd your favor of 6 th 
 instant by nephew Jack, who with the Col. 
 his trav ling companion, perform } d an easy 
 journey from you to us, and arrivd before 
 sunset. I thank you for the beads, the wire, 
 and the beugles, I fancy I shall never execute 
 the plan of the head dress to which you al- 
 lude — if I shoidd, some of your largest corn 
 
 stalks, 
 
FOREWORD. XV11 
 
 stalks ; driV d of the pith and painted might be 
 more proportionable. I rejoice that your cloths 
 came off so much better than my fears — a 
 troublesome journey, I expected you would 
 have; and very much did I fear for your 
 bones. I was always unhappy in anticipating 
 trouble — it is my constitution, I believe — 
 and when matters have been better than my 
 fears — / Jiave never been so dutif icily thank- 
 ful as my bountiful Benefactor had a right to 
 expect. This, also, I believe, is the constitu- 
 tion of all my fellow race. 
 
 Mr. Denting had a Letter from your Papa 
 yesterday ; he mention d your Mama & you 
 as indisposed & Flavia as sick in bed. I 'm 
 at too great a distance to render you the least 
 service, and were I near, too much out of 
 health to — some part of the time — even 
 speak to you. I am seiz d with exceeding 
 weakness at the very seat of life, and to a 
 greater degree than I ever before knew. 
 Could I ride, it might help me, but that is an 
 exercise my income will not permit. I walk 
 out whenever I can. The day will surely 
 come, when I must quit this frail tabernacle, 
 and it may be soon — I certainly know, I am 
 not of importance end in this world, for any 
 one to wish my stay — rather am I, and so I 
 consider myself as a cumberground. However 
 
 I 
 
XVlll FOREWORD. 
 
 I shall abide my appointed time & I desire to 
 be found waiting for my change. 
 
 Our family are well — had I time and 
 spirits I could acquaint you of an expedition 
 two sisters made to Dorchester, a walk begun 
 at sunrise last thursday morning — dressed in 
 their dammasks, padusoy, gauze, ribbins, fiap- 
 ets, flowers, new white hats, white shades, 
 and black leather shoes, (Pudingtons make) and 
 finished journey, & garments, orniments, and 
 all quite finisJid on Saturday, before noon, 
 (mud over shoes) never did I behold such de- 
 struction in so short a space — bottom of pa- 
 dusoy coat firing d quite round, besides places 
 worn entire to floss, & besides frays, dam- 
 mask, from shoulders to bottom, not lightly 
 soil ' d, but as if every part had rub ' d tables 
 and chairs that had long been us V to wax 
 mingV d with grease. I could have cry d, for 
 I really pitied 'em — nothing left fit to be seen 
 — They had leave to go, but it never entered 
 any ones tho'ts but their own to be dressd in 
 all (even to loading) of their best — their all, 
 as you know. What signifies it to worry ones 
 selves about beings that are, and will be, just 
 so ? I can, and do pity and advise, but I 
 shall git no credit by such like. The eldest 
 talks much of learning da?tcing, music k (the 
 spinet & guitar), embroidry, dresden, the 
 
 French 
 
FOREWORD. XIX 
 
 French tongue &c &c. The younger with an 
 air of her own, advised the elder when she 
 first mention d French, to learn first to read 
 English, and was answered " law, so I can 
 well end a ready" You *ve heard her do 
 what she calls reading, I believe. Poor crea- 
 ture ! Well ! we have a time of it ! 
 
 If any one at Marshfield speaks of me re- 
 member me to them. Nobody knows Vm 
 writing, each being gone their different ways, 
 & all from home except the little one who is 
 above stairs. Farewell my dear, I y ve wrote 
 end I find for this siting. 
 
 Yr affect 
 
 Sarah Deming. 
 
 It does not need great acuteness to read 
 between the lines of this letter an affectioriate 
 desire to amuse a delicate girl whom the 
 writer loved. The tradition in the Wins low 
 family is that Anna Green Wins low died of 
 consumption at Marshfield in the fall of I J J 9. 
 There is no town or church record of her 
 death, no known grave or headstone to mark 
 her last resting-place. And to us she is not 
 dead, but lives and speaks — always a loving, 
 endearing little child ; not so passionate and 
 gifted and rare a creature as that star among 
 children — Marjorie Fleming — but a natural 
 
 and 
 
XX FOREWORD. 
 
 and homely little flower of New England life ; 
 fated never to grow old or feeble or dull or 
 sad, but to live forever and laugh in the gla- 
 mour of eternal happy youth through the few 
 pages of her time-stained diary. 
 
 Alice Morse Earle. 
 
 Brooklyn Heights, September, i8g^. 
 
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Anna Green Winslow. From miniature now owned 
 by Miss Elizabeth C. Trott, Niagara Falls, N. Y. 
 
 Frontispiece. 
 
 Facsimile of Writing of Anna Green Winslow. 
 From original diary I 
 
 Wedding Party in Boston in 1756. From tapestry 
 now owned by American Antiquarian Society ... 20 
 
 General Joshua Winslow. From miniature painted 
 by Copley, 1755, and now owned by Mrs. John F. 
 Lindsey, Yorkville, S. C. 34 
 
 Ebenezer Storer. From portrait painted by Copley, 
 now owned by Mrs. Lewis C. Popham, Scarsdale, 
 N. Y 45 
 
 Hannah Green Storer. From portrait painted by 
 Copley, now owned by Mrs. Lewis C. Popham, Scars- 
 dale, N. Y 65 
 
 Cut-Paper Picture. Cut by Mrs. Sarah Winslow 
 Deming, now owned by James F. Trott, Esq., Ni- 
 agara Falls, N. Y 74 
 
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DIARY OF ANNA GREEN 
 WINSLOW. 
 
 Lady, by which means I had a bit of the 
 wedding cake. I guess I shall have but 
 little time for journalising till after thanks- 
 giving. My aunt Deming 1 says I shall 
 make one pye myself at least. I hope some- 
 body beside myself will like to eat a bit of 
 my Boston pye thou' my papa and you did 
 not (I remember) chuse to partake of my 
 Cumberland 2 performance. I think I have 
 been writing my own Praises this morning. 
 Poor Job was forced to praise himself when 
 no man would do him that justice. I am not 
 as he was. I have made two shirts for unkle 
 since I finish'd mamma's shifts. 
 
 Nov r 18th, 1771. — Mr. Beacons 3 text 
 yesterday was Psalm cxlix. 4. For the 
 
 Lord 
 
2 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 Lord taketh pleasure in his people ; he 
 will beautify the meek with salvation. His 
 Doctrine was something like this, viz : That 
 the Salvation of Gods people mainly con- 
 sists in Holiness. The name Jesus signifies 
 a Savior. Jesus saves his people from their 
 Sins. He renews them in the spirit of their 
 minds — writes his Law in their hearts. 
 Mr. Beacon ask'd a question. What is 
 beauty — or, wherein does true beauty con- 
 sist ? He answer'd, in holiness — and said a 
 great deal about it that I can't remember, & 
 as aunt says she hant leisure now to help me 
 any further — so I may just tell you a little 
 that I remember without her assistance, and 
 that I repeated to her yesterday at Tea — 
 He said he would lastly address himself to 
 the young people : My dear young friends, 
 you are pleased with beauty, & like to be 
 tho't beautifull — but let me tell ye, you 1 
 never be truly beautifull till you are like the 
 King's daughter, all glorious within, all the 
 orniments you can put on while your souls 
 are unholy make you the more like white 
 sepulchres garnish' d without, but full of de- 
 formyty within. You think me very unpo- 
 
 lite 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 3 
 
 lite no doubt to address you in this manner, 
 but I must go a little further and tell you, 
 how cource soever it may sound to your 
 delicacy, that while you are without holiness, 
 your beauty is deformity — you are all over 
 black & defil'd, ugly and loathsome to all 
 holy beings, the wrath of th' great God lie's 
 upon you, & if you die in this condition, you 
 will be turn'd into hell, with ugly devils, to 
 eternity. 
 
 Nov. 27th. — We are very glad to see Mr. 
 Gannett, because of him "we hear of your 
 affairs & how you do " — as the apostle Paul 
 once wrote. My unkle & aunt however, say 
 they are sorry he is to be absent, so long as 
 this whole winter, I think. I long now to 
 have you come up — I want to see papa, 
 mama, & brother, all most, for I cannot make 
 any distinction which most — I should like 
 to see Harry too. Mr. Gannett tells me he 
 keeps a journal — I do want to see that — 
 especially as Mr. Gannett has given me some 
 specimens, as I may say of his " I and Aunt 
 &c." I am glad Miss Jane is with you, I 
 will write to her soon — Last monday I went 
 with my aunt to visit Mrs. Beacon. I was 
 
 exceedingly 
 
4 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 exceedingly pleased with the visit, & so I 
 ought to be, my aunt says, for there was 
 much notice taken of me, particylarly by Mr. 
 Beacon. I think I like him better every 
 time I see him. I suppose he takes the 
 kinder notice of me, because last thursday 
 evening he was here, & when I was out of 
 the room, aunt told him that I minded his 
 preaching & could repeat what he said — 
 I might have told you that notwithstand- 
 ing the stir about the Proclamatien, we had 
 an agreable Thanksgiven. Mr. Hunt's 4 text 
 was Psa. xcvii. i. The Lord reigneth, — let 
 the earth rejoice. Mr. Beacon's text P M 
 Psa. xxiv. i. The earth is the Lord's & the 
 fulness thereof. My unkle & aunt Winslow 5 
 of Boston, their son & daughter, Master 
 Daniel Mason (Aunt Winslows nephew from 
 Newport, Rhode Island) & Miss Soley 6 spent 
 the evening with us. We young folk had 
 a room with a fire in it to ourselves. Mr 
 Beacon gave us his company for one hour. 
 I spent Fryday with my friends in Sudbury 
 Street. I saw Mrs. Whitwell 7 very well 
 yesterday, she was very glad of your Letter. 
 Nov. 28th. — I have your favor Hon d 
 
 Mamma, 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 5 
 
 Mamma, by Mr. Gannett, & heartily thank 
 you for the broad cloath, bags, ribbin & hat. 
 The cloath & bags are both at work upon, & 
 my aunt has bought a beautifull ermin trim- 
 ming for my cloak. A C stands for Abigail 
 Church. P F for Polly Frazior. I have 
 presented one piece of ribbin to my aunt as 
 you directed. She gives her love to you, & 
 thanks you for it. I intend to send Nancy 
 Mackky a pair of lace mittens, & the fag 
 end of Harry's watch string. I hope Carolus 
 (as. papa us'd to call him) will think his 
 daughter very smart with them. I am glad 
 Hon d madam, that you think my writing is 
 better than it us'd to be — you see it is 
 mended just here. I dont know what you 
 mean by terrible margins vaze. I will en- 
 deavor to make my letters even for the 
 future. Has Mary brought me any Lozong 
 Mamma ? I want to know whether I may 
 give my old black quilt to Mrs Kuhn, for 
 aunt sais, it is never worth while to take the 
 pains to mend it again. Papa has wrote me 
 a longer letter this time than you have 
 Mad m . 
 
 November the 29th. — -My aunt Deming 
 
 gives 
 
6 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 gives her love to you and says it is this 
 morning 12 years since she had the pleasure 
 of congratulating papa and you on the birth 
 of your scribling daughter. She hopes if I 
 live 12 years longer that I shall write and 
 do everything better than can be expected 
 in the past 12. I should be obliged to you, 
 you will dismiss me for company. 
 
 30th Nov. — My company yesterday were 
 
 Miss Polly Deming, 8 
 Miss Polly Glover, 9 
 Miss Peggy Draper, 
 Miss Bessy Winslow, 10 
 Miss Nancy Glover, 11 
 Miss Sally Winslow 12 
 Miss Polly Atwood, 
 Miss Han h Soley. 
 
 Miss Attwood as well as Miss Winslow are 
 of this family. And Miss N. Glover did 
 me honor by her presence, for she is older 
 than cousin Sally and of her acquaintance. 
 We made four couple at country dansing ; 
 danceing I mean. In the evening young 
 Mr. Waters 13 hearing of my assembly, put 
 
 his 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. J 
 
 his flute in his pocket and played several 
 minuets and other tunes, to which we danced 
 mighty cleverly. But Lucinda 14 was our 
 principal piper. Miss Church and Miss 
 Chaloner would have been here if sickness, 
 
 — and the Miss Sheafs, 15 if the death of 
 their father had not prevented. The black 
 Hatt I gratefully receive as your present, 
 but if Captain Jarvise had arrived here with 
 it about the time he sail'd from this place 
 for Cumberland it would have been of more 
 service to me, for I have been oblig'd to 
 borrow. I wore Miss Griswold's 16 Bonnet 
 on my journey to Portsmouth, & my cousin 
 Sallys Hatt ever since I came home, & now 
 I am to leave off my black ribbins tomorrow, 
 & am to put on my red cloak & black hatt 
 
 — I hope aunt wont let me wear the black 
 hatt with the red Dominie — for the people 
 will ask me what I have got to sell as I go 
 along street if I do, or, how the folk at New 
 guinie do ? Dear mamma, you dont know 
 the fation here — I beg to look like other 
 folk. You dont know what a stir would be 
 made in sudbury street, were I to make my 
 appearance there in my red Dominie & black 
 
 Hatt. 
 
8 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 Hatt. But the old cloak & bonnett together 
 will make me a decent bonnett for common 
 ocation (I like that) aunt says, its a pitty 
 some of the ribbins you sent wont do for the 
 Bonnet. — I must now close up this Journal 
 With Duty, Love, & Compliments as due, 
 perticularly to my Dear little brother (I long 
 to see him) & Mrs. Law, I will write to her 
 soon. 
 
 I am Hon d Papa & mama, 
 
 Yr ever Dutiful Daughter 
 
 Anne Green Winslow. 
 
 N. B. My aunt Deming dont approve of 
 my English & has not the fear that you will 
 think her concernd in the Diction. 
 
 Dec br . 6th. — Yesterday I was prevented 
 dining at unkle Joshua's 17 by a snow storm 
 which lasted till 12 o'clock today, I spent 
 some part of yesterday afternoon and even- 
 ing at Mr. Glovers. When I came home, 
 the snow being so deep I was bro't home in 
 arms. My aunt got Mr. Soley's Charlstown 
 to fetch me. The snow is up to the peoples 
 wast in some places in the street. 
 
 Dec 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 9 
 
 Dec 14th. — The weather and walking 
 have been very winter like since the above 
 hotch-potch, pothooks & trammels. I went 
 to Mrs. Whitwell's last wednessday — you 
 taught me to spell the 4 day of the week, 
 but my aunt says that it should be spelt 
 Wednesday. My aunt also says, that till I 
 come out of an egregious fit of laughterre 
 that is apt to sieze me & the violence of 
 which I am at this present under, neither 
 English sense, nor anything rational may be 
 expected of me. I ment to say, that, I went 
 to Mrs. Whitwell's to see Mad m Store rs 18 fu- 
 neral, the walking was very bad except on 
 the sides of the street which was the reason 
 I did not make a part of the procession. I 
 should have dined with Mrs. Whitwell on 
 thursday if a grand storm had not prevented, 
 As she invited me. I saw Miss Caty Vans 19 
 at lecture last evening. I had a visit this 
 morning from Mrs Dixon of Horton & Miss 
 Polly Huston. Mrs Dixon is dissipointed 
 at not finding her sister here. 
 
 Dec r 24th. — Elder Whitwell told my aunt, 
 that this winter began as did the Winter of 
 1740. How that was I dont remember but 
 
 this 
 
10 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 this I know, that to-day is by far the coldest 
 we have had since I have been in New Eng- 
 land. (N. B. All run that are abroad.) Last 
 sabbath being rainy I went to & from meet- 
 ing in Mr. Soley's chaise. I dined at un- 
 kle Winslow's, the walking being so bad I 
 rode there & back to meeting. Every drop 
 that fell froze, so that from yesterday morn- 
 ing to this time the appearance has been 
 similar to the discription I sent you last 
 winter. The walking is so slippery & the 
 air so cold, that aunt chuses to have me for 
 her scoller these two days. And as tomor- 
 row will be a holiday, so the pope and his 
 associates have ordained, 20 my aunt thinks 
 not to trouble Mrs Smith with me this week. 
 I began a shift at home yesterday for myself, 
 it is pretty forward. Last Saturday was 
 seven-night my aunt Suky 21 was delivered 
 of a pretty little son, who was baptiz'd by 
 Dr. Cooper 22 the next day by the name of 
 Charles. I knew nothing of it till noonday, 
 when I went there a visiting. Last Thurs- 
 day I din'd & spent the afternoon at unkle 
 Joshua's I should have gone to lecture with 
 my aunt & heard our Mr Hunt preach, but 
 
 she 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. II 
 
 she would not wait till I came from writing 
 school. Miss Atwood, the last of our board- 
 ers, went off* the same day. Miss Griswold 
 & Miss Meriam, having departed some time 
 agone, I forget whether I mention'd the 
 recept of Nancy's present. I am oblig'd to 
 her for it. The Dolphin is still whole. And 
 like to remain so. 
 
 Dec r ) This day, the extremity of the cold 
 27 th ) is somewhat abated. I keept Christ- 
 mas at home this year, & did a very good 
 day's work, aunt says so. How notable I 
 have been this week I shall tell you by & by. 
 I spent the most part of Tuesday evening 
 with my favorite, Miss Soley, & as she is 
 confined by a cold & the weather still so 
 severe that I cannot git farther, I am to visit 
 her again before I sleep, & consult with her 
 (or rather she with me) upon a perticular 
 matter, which you shall know in its place. 
 How strangely industrious I have been this 
 week, I will inform you with my own hand 
 — at present, I am so dilligent, that I am 
 oblig'd to use the hand & pen of my old 
 friend, who being near by is better than a 
 brother far off. I dont forgit dear little 
 
 John 
 
12 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 Dec r ) L 
 28 th ) I 
 
 John Henry so pray mamma, dont mistake 
 me. 
 
 Last evening a little after 5 o'clock 
 finished my shift. I spent the 
 evening at Mr. Soley's. I began my shift at 
 12 o'clock last monday, have read my bible 
 every day this week & wrote every day save 
 one. 
 
 Dec r ) I return' d to my sewing school 
 30 th ) after a weeks absence, I have also 
 paid my compliments to Master Holbrook. 23 
 Yesterday between meetings my aunt was 
 call'd to Mrs. Water's 13 & about 8 in the 
 evening Dr. Lloyd 24 brought little master to 
 town (N. B. As a memorandum for myself. 
 My aunt stuck a white sattan pincushin 25 
 for Mrs Waters. 13 On one side, is a plan- 
 thorn with flowers, on the reverse, just un- 
 der the border are, on one side stuck these 
 words, Josiah Waters, then follows on the 
 end, Dec r 1771, on the next side & end are 
 the words, Welcome little Stranger.) Unkle 
 has just come in & bro't one from me. I 
 mean, unkle is just come in with a letter 
 from Papa in his hand (& none for me) by 
 way of Newbury. I am glad to hear that all 
 
 was 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 1 3 
 
 was well the 26 Nov r ult. I am told my 
 Papa has not mention'd me in this Letter. 
 Out of sight, out of mind. My aunt gives 
 her love to papa, & says that she will make 
 the necessary enquieries for my brother and 
 send you via. Halifax what directions and 
 wormseed she can collect. 
 
 I st Jan?) I wish my Papa, Mama, brother 
 1772. ) John Henry, & cousin Avery & 
 all the rest of my acquaintance at Cumber- 
 land, Fortlaurence, Barronsfield, Greenland, 
 Amherst &c. a Happy New Year, I have be- 
 stow'd no new year's gift, 26 as yet. But have 
 received one very handsome one, viz. the 
 History of Joseph Andrews abreviated. In 
 nice Guilt and flowers covers. This after- 
 noon being a holiday I am going to pay my 
 compliments in Sudbury Street. 
 
 Jany 4th ) I was dress' d in my yellow coat, 
 1 772 ) my black bib & apron, my pom- 
 pedore 27 shoes, the cap my aunt Storer 28 
 sometime since presented me with (blue 
 ribbins on it) & a very handsome loket in 
 the shape of a hart she gave me — the past 
 pin my Hon d Papa presented me with in my 
 cap, My new cloak & bonnet on, my pompe- 
 
 dore 
 
14 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 
 
 dore gloves, &c, &c. And I would tell you, 
 that for the first time, they all lik'd my dress 
 very much. My cloak & bonnett are really 
 very handsome, & so they had need be. For 
 they cost an amasing sight of money, not 
 quite ^45 29 tho' Aunt Suky said, that she 
 suppos'd Aunt Deming would be frighted 
 out of her Wits at the money it cost. I have 
 got one covering, by the cost, that is genteel, 
 & I like it much myself. On thursday I 
 attended my aunt to Lecture & heard Dr 
 Chauncey 30 preach a third sermon from Acts 
 li. 42. They continued stedfastly — in break- 
 ing of bread. I din'd & spent the afternoon 
 at Mr. Whitwell's. Miss Caty Vans was one 
 of our company. Dr. Pemberton 31 & Dr 
 Cooper had on gowns, In the form of the 
 Episcopal cassock we hear, the Doct s design 
 to distinguish themselves from the inferior 
 clergy by these strange habits [at a time 
 too when the good people of N. E. are 
 threaten'd with & dreading the comeing of 
 an episcopal bishop] 32 N. B. I dont know 
 whether one sleeve would make a full trimm'd 
 negligee 33 as the fashion is at present, tho* 
 I cant say but it might make one of the fru- 
 gal 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 1 5 
 
 gal sort, with but scant triming. Unkle 
 says, they all have popes in their bellys. 
 Contrary to I. Peter v. 2. 3. Aunt says, 
 when she saw Dr P. roll up the pulpit stairs, 
 the figure of Parson Trul liber, recorded by 
 Mr Fielding occur' d to her mind & she was 
 really sorry a congregational divine, should, 
 by any instance whatever, give her so un- 
 pleasing an idea. 
 
 Jan? ) I have attended my schools every 
 11 th ) day this week except Wednesday 
 afternoon. When I made a setting up visit 
 to aunt Suky, & was dress'd just as I was 
 to go to the ball. It cost me a pistoreen 34 
 to nurse Eaton for tow cakes, which I took 
 care to eat before I paid for them. 35 I heard 
 Mr Thacher preach our Lecture last evening 
 Heb. 11. 3. I remember a great deal of the 
 sermon, but a'nt time to put it down. It is 
 one year last Sep r since he was ordain' d & 
 he will be 20 years of age next May if he 
 lives so long. I forgot that the weather 
 want fit for me to go to school last thursday. 
 I work'd at home. 
 
 Jany ) I told you the 27th Ult that I was 
 17 th ) going to a constitation with miss 
 
 Soley. 
 
1 6 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 Soley. I have now the pleasure to give you 
 the result, viz. a very genteel well regulated 
 assembly which we had at Mr Soley's last 
 evening, miss Soley being mistress of the 
 ceremony. Mrs Soley desired me to assist 
 Miss Hannah in making out a list of guests 
 which I did some time since, I wrote all the 
 invitation cards. There was a large company 
 assembled in a handsome, large, upper room 
 in the new end of the house. We had two 
 riddles, & I had the honor to open the diver- 
 sion of the evening in a minuet with miss 
 Soley. — Here follows a list of the company 
 as we form'd for country dancing. 
 Miss Soley & Miss Anna Greene 
 
 Winslow 
 Miss Calif Miss Scott 
 
 Miss Williams Miss McCarthy 
 
 Miss Codman Miss Winslow 
 
 Miss Ives Miss Coffin 
 
 Miss Scolley 36 Miss Bella Coffin 37 
 
 Miss Waldow Miss Quinsy ^ 
 
 Miss Glover Miss Draper 
 
 Miss Hubbard 
 
 Miss Cregur (usually pronounced Kicker) 
 & two Miss Sheafs were invited but were 
 
 sick 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. I J 
 
 sick or sorry & beg'd to be excus'd. There 
 was a little Miss Russell & the little ones of 
 the family present who could not dance. 
 As spectators, there were Mr & Mrs Dem- 
 ing, Mr. & Mrs Sweetser Mr & Mrs Soley, Mr 
 & Miss Cary, Mrs Draper, Miss Oriac, Miss 
 Hannah — our treat was nuts, rasins, Cakes, 
 Wine, punch, 39 hot & cold, all in great plenty. 
 We had a very agreeable evening from 5 to 
 10 o'clock. For variety we woo'd a widow, 
 hunted the whistle, threaded the needle, & 
 while the company was collecting, we di- 
 verted ourselves with playing of pawns, no 
 rudeness Mamma I assure you. Aunt Dem- 
 ing desires you would perticulary observe, 
 that the elderly part of the company were 
 spectators only, they mix'd not in either of 
 the above describ'd scenes. 
 
 I was dress'd in my yellow coat, black bib 
 & apron, black feathers on my head, my past 
 comb, & all my past 40 garnet marquesett 41 
 & jet pins, together with my silver plume 
 — my loket, rings, black collar round my 
 neck, black mitts & 2 or 3 yards of blue 
 ribbin, (black & blue is high tast) striped 
 tucker and ruff els (not my best) & my silk 
 shoes compleated my dress. Jan? 
 
1 8 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 Jan?) Yesterday I had an invitation to 
 18 th ) celebrate Miss Caty's birth-day with 
 her. She gave it me the night before. Miss 
 is 10 years old. The best dancer in Mr 
 Turners ^ school, she has been his scoller 
 these 3 years. My aunt thought it proper 
 (as our family had a invitation) that I should 
 attend a neighbor's funeral yesterday P. M. 
 I went directly from it to Miss Caty's Rout 
 & arriv'd ex . ... 
 
 Boston January 25 1772. 
 Hon' d Mamma, My Hon' d Papa has never 
 signified to me his approbation of my jour- 
 nals, from whence I infer, that he either 
 never reads them, or does not give himself 
 the trouble to remember any of their con- 
 tents, tho' some part has been address'd to 
 him, so, for the future, I shall trouble only 
 you with this part of my scribble — Last 
 thursday I din'd at Unkle Storer's & spent 
 the afternoon in that neighborhood. I met 
 with some adventures in my way viz. As I 
 was going, I was overtaken by a lady who 
 was quite a stranger to me. She accosted me 
 with "how do you do miss?" I answer'd 
 
 her, 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 1 9 
 
 her, but told her I had not the pleasure of 
 knowing her. She then ask'd " what is your 
 name miss ? I believe you think 't is a very 
 strange questian to ask, but have a mind to 
 know." Nanny Green — She interrupted me 
 with " not Mrs. Winslow of Cumberland's 
 daughter." Yes madam I am. When did 
 you hear from your Mamma ? how do's she 
 do ? When shall you write to her ? When 
 you do, tell her that you was overtaken in 
 the street by her old friend Mrs Login, give 
 my love to her & tell her she must come up 
 soon & live on Jamaca plain, we have got 
 a nice meeting-house, & a charming minis- 
 ter, & all so cleaver. She told me she had 
 ask'd Unkle Harry to bring me to see her, 
 & he said he would. Her minister is Mr 
 Gordon. I have heard him preach several 
 times at the O. South. In the course of my 
 peregrination, as aunt calls it, I happen'd in 
 
 to a house where D was attending the 
 
 Lady of the family. How long she was at 
 his opperation, I know not. I saw him twist 
 & tug & pick & cut off whole locks of grey 
 hair at a slice (the lady telling him she 
 would have no hair to dress next time) for 
 
 the 
 
20 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 
 
 the space of a hour & a half, when I left 
 them, he seeming not to be near done. This 
 lady is not a grandmother tho' she is both 
 old enough & grey enough to be one. 
 
 Jan? ) I spent yesterday with Aunt Storer, 
 3 1 ) except a little while I was at Aunt 
 Sukey's with Mrs Barrett dress'd in a white 
 brocade, & cousin Betsey dress'd in a red 
 lutestring, both adorn' d with past, perls mar- 
 quesett &c. They were= after tea escorted by 
 Mr. Newton & Mr Barrett to ye assembly at 
 Concert Hall. This is a snowy day, & I am 
 prevented going to school. 
 
 Feb. 9 th . — My honored Mamma will be so 
 good as to excuse my useing the pen of my 
 old friend just here, because I am disabled 
 by a whitloe on my fourth finger & something 
 like one on my middle finger, from using my 
 own pen ; but altho' my right hand is in 
 bondage, my left is free ; & my aunt says, it 
 will be a nice oppertunity if I do but im- 
 prove it, to perfect myself in learning to spin 
 flax. I am pleased with the proposal & am 
 at this present, exerting myself for this pur- 
 pose. I hope, when two, or at most three 
 months are past, to give you occular demon- 
 stration 
 
%Ju 
 
 WEDDING PARTY IN BOSTON IN 1756 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 21 
 
 stration of my proficiency in this art t as well 
 as several others. My fingers are not the 
 only part of me that has suffer'd with sores 
 within this fortnight, for I have had an ugly 
 great boil upon my right hip & about a dozen 
 small ones — I am at present swath'd hip & 
 thigh, as Samson smote the Philistines, but 
 my soreness is near over. My aunt thought 
 it highly proper to give me some cooling 
 physick, so last tuesday I took 1-2 oz Globe 
 Salt (a disagreeable potion) & kept chamber. 
 Since which, there has been no new errup- 
 tion, & a great alteration for the better in 
 those I had before. 
 
 I have read my bible to my aunt this 
 morning (as is the daily custom) & some- 
 times I read other books to her. So you 
 may perceive, I have the tise of my tongue 
 & I tell her it is a good thing to have the 
 use of my tongue. Unkle Ned 43 called here 
 just now — all well — by the way he is come 
 to live in Boston again, & till he can be bet- 
 ter accomodated, is at housekeeping where 
 Mad m Storer lately lived, he is looking for a 
 less house. I tell my Aunt I feel a disposi- 
 cian to be a good girl, & she pleases herself 
 
 that 
 
22 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 that she shall have much comfort of me 
 to-day, which as cousin Sally is ironing we 
 expect to have to ourselves. 
 
 Feb. 10 th . — This day I paid my respects to 
 Master Holbrook, after a week's absence, my 
 ringer is still in limbo as you may see by the 
 writeing. I have not paid my compliments 
 to Madam Smith, 44 for, altho' I can drive the 
 goos quill a bit, I cannot so well manage the 
 needle. So I will lay my hand to the distaff, 
 as the virtuous woman did of old — Yester- 
 day was very bad weather, neither aunt, nor 
 niece at publick worship. 
 
 Feb. 12 th . — Yesterday afternoon I spent 
 at unkle Joshuas. Aunt Green gave me a 
 plaister for my fingure that has near cur'd it, 
 but I have a new boil, which is under poul- 
 tice, & tomorrow I am to undergo another 
 seasoning with globe Salt. The following 
 lines Aunt Deming found in grandmama 
 Sargent's 45 pocket-book & gives me leave to 
 copy 'em here. — 
 
 Dim eyes, deaf ears, cold stomach shew, 
 
 My dissolution is in view 
 
 The shuttle 's thrown, my race is run, 
 
 My sun is set, my work is done ; 
 
 My span is out, my tale is told, 
 
 My 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 2$ 
 
 My flower 's decay'd, & stock grows old, 
 The dream is past, the shadows fled, 
 My soul now longs for Christ my head, 
 I 've lived to seventy six or nigh, 
 God calls at last, & now I '11 die. 46 
 
 My honor'd Grandma departed this *vale 
 of tears 1-4 before 4 o'clock Wednesday morn- 
 ing August 21, 1 77 1. Aged 74 years, 2 
 months & ten days. 
 
 Feb. 13 th . — Everybody says that this is a 
 bitter cold day, but I know nothing about it 
 but hearsay for I am in aunt's chamber (which 
 is very warm always) with a nice fire, a stove, 
 sitting in Aunt's easy chair, with a tall three 
 leav'd screen at my back, & I am very com- 
 fortable. I took my second (& I hope last) 
 potion of Globe salts this morning. I went 
 to see Aunt Storer yesterday afternoon, & 
 by the way Unkle Storer is so ill that he 
 keeps chamber. As I went down I call'd at 
 Mrs Whitwell's & must tell you Mr & Mrs 
 Whitwell are both ill. Mrs. Whitwell with 
 the rheumatism. I saw Mad m Harris, Mrs 
 Mason and Miss Polly Vans 47 there, they all 
 give their love to you — Last evening I went 
 to catechizing with Aunt. Our ministers 
 
 have 
 
24 D2ARY OF ANNA GREEN W1NSL0W. 
 
 have agreed during the long evenings to dis- 
 course upon the questions or some of 'em in 
 the assembly's shorter catechism, taking 'em 
 in their order at the house of Mrs Rogers 
 in School Street, every Wednesday evening. 
 Mr. Hunt began with the first question and 
 shew'd what it is to glorify God. Mr 
 Bacon then took the second, what rule &c. 
 which he has spent three evenings upon, & 
 now finished. Mr Hunt having taken his 
 turn to show what the Scriptures principly 
 teach, & what is God. I remember he said 
 that there was nothing properly done with- 
 out a rule, & he said that the rule God had 
 given us to glorify him by was the bible. 
 How miraculously (said he) has God pre- 
 serv'd this blessed book. It was once in the 
 reign of a heathen emperor condemn'd to be 
 burnt, at which time it was death to have a 
 bible & conceal it, but God's providence was 
 wonderful in preserving it when so much 
 human policy had been exerted to bury it in 
 Oblivion — but for all that, here we have it 
 as pure & uncorrupted as ever — many books 
 of human composure have had much pains 
 taken to preserve 'em, notwithstanding they 
 
 are 
 
' DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 25 
 
 are buried in Oblivion. He considered who 
 was the author of the bible, he prov'd that 
 God was the author, for no good man could 
 be the author, because such a one would not 
 be guilty of imposition, & an evil man could 
 not unless we suppose a house divided against 
 itself, he said a great deal more to prove 
 the bible is certainly the word of God from 
 the matter it contains &c, but the best evi- 
 dence of the truth of divine revelation, every 
 true believer has in his own heart. This he 
 said, the natural man had no idea of. I did 
 not understand all he said about the external 
 and internal evidence, but this I can say, that 
 I understand him better than any body else 
 that I hear preach. Aunt has been down 
 stairs all the time I have been recolecting & 
 writeing this. Therefore, all this of own 
 head, of consequence. 
 
 Valentine day. 48 — My cousin Sally reeled 
 off a 10 knot skane of yarn today. My 
 valentine was an old country plow-joger c 
 The yarn was of my spinning. Aunt says 
 it will do for filling. Aunt also says niece 
 is a whimsical child. 
 
 Feb. 17. — Since Wednesday evening, I 
 
 have 
 
26 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 have not been abroad since yesterday after- 
 noon. I went to meeting & back in Mr. 
 Soley's chaise. Mr. Hunt preached. He 
 said that human nature is as opposite to 
 God as darkness to light. That our sin is 
 only bounded by the narrowness of our 
 capacity. His text was Isa. xli. 14. 18. 
 The mountains &c. He said were unbe- 
 lief, pride, covetousness, enmity, &c. &c. &c. 
 This morning I took a walk for Aunt as 
 far as Mr. Soley's. I called at Mrs Whit- 
 well's & found the good man & lady both 
 better than when I saw them last. On my 
 return I found Mr. Hunt on a visit to aunt. 
 After the usual salutations & when did you 
 hear from your papa &c. I ask'd him if the 
 blessing pronounced by the minister before 
 the congregation is dismissed, is not a part 
 of the publick worship ? " Yes." 
 
 " Why then, do you Sir, say, let us con- 
 clude the publick worship by singing ? " 
 "Because singing is the last act in which 
 the whole congregation is unanimously to 
 join. The minister in Gods name blesses 
 his i. e. Gods people agreeable to the prac- 
 tice of the apostles, who generally close the 
 
 epistles 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 27 
 
 epistles with a benediction in the name of 
 the Trinity, to which, Amen is subjoined, 
 which, tho' pronounc'd by the minister, is, 
 or ought to be the sentiment & prayer of 
 the whole assembly, the meaning whereof 
 is, So be it." 
 
 Feb. 1 8 th - — Another ten knot skane of 
 my yarn was reel'd off today. Aunt says 
 it is very good. My boils & whitloes are 
 growing well apace, so that I can knit a 
 little in the evening. 
 
 Transcribed from the Boston Evening 
 Post : 
 
 Sep. 18, 1 77 1. Under the head of Lon- 
 don news, you may find that last Thursday 
 was married at Worcester the Widow Biddle 
 of Wellsburn in the county of Warwick, to 
 her grandson John Biddle of the same place, 
 aged twenty three years. It is very remark- 
 able, the widdow had one son & one daugh- 
 ter ; 18 grandchildren & 5 great grandchil- 
 dren ; her present husband has one daughter, 
 who was her great granddaughter but is now 
 become her daughter ; her other great grand- 
 children are become her cousins ; her grand- 
 children her brothers & sisters ; her son & 
 
 daughter 
 
28 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 
 
 daughter her father & mother. I think ! tis 
 the most extraordinary account I ever read 
 in a News-Paper. It will serve to puzzel 
 Harry Bering with. 
 
 Monday Feb. i8 th - — Bitter cold. I am just 
 come from writing school. Last Wednes- 
 day P. M. while I was at school Aunt Storer 
 called in to see Aunt Deming in her way to 
 Mr Inches's. She walk'd all that long way. 
 Thursday last I din'd & spent the after- 
 noon with Aunt Sukey. I attended both my 
 schools in the morning of that day. I cal'd 
 at unkle Joshua's as I went along, as I gen- 
 erally do, when I go in town, it being all in 
 my way. Saterday I din'd at Unkle Storer' s, 
 drank tea at Cousin Barrel's, was entertain' d 
 in the afternoon with seating. Unkle Henry 
 was tfeere. Yesterday by the help of neigh- 
 bor Soley's Chaise, I was at meeting all day, 
 tho' it snow'd in the afternoon. I might 
 have say'd I was at Unkle Winslow's last 
 Thursday Eves & when I inform you that 
 my needle work at school, & knitting at 
 home, went on as usual, I think I have laid 
 before you a pretty full account of the last 
 week. You see how I improve in my writing, 
 but I drive on as fast as I can. Feb. 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 20, 
 
 Feb. 21 i This day Jack Frost bites 
 Thursday. ) very hard, so hard aunt won't 
 let me go to any school. I have this morn- 
 ing made part of a coppy with the very pen 
 I have now in my hand, writting this with. 
 Yesterday was so cold there was a very 
 thick vapor upon the water, but I attended 
 my schools all day. My unkle says yester- 
 day was 10 degrees colder than any day we 
 have had before this winter. And my aunt 
 says she believes this day is 10 degrees 
 colder than it was yesterday ; & moreover, 
 that she would not put a dog out of doors. 
 The sun gives forth his rays through a 
 vapor like that which was upon the water 
 yesterday. But Aunt bids me give her love 
 to pappa & all the family & tell them that 
 she should be glad of their company in her 
 warm parlour, indeed there is not one room 
 in this house but is very warm when there 
 is a good fire in them. As there is in this 
 at present. Yesterday I got leave (by my 
 aunt's desire) to go from school at 4 o'clock 
 to see my unkle Ned who has had the mis- 
 fortune to break his leg. I call'd in to warm 
 myself at unkle Joshua's. Aur.t Hannah told 
 
 me 
 
30 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 me I had better not go any further for she 
 could tell me all about him, so I say'd as it 
 is so cold I believe aunt won't be angry so 
 I will stay, I therefore took off my things, 
 aunt gave me leave to call at Unkle Joshua's 
 & was very glad I went no further. Aunt 
 Hannah told me he was as well as could be 
 expected for one that has a broken bone. 
 He was coming from Watertown in a chaise 
 the horse fell down on the Hill, this side 
 Mr Brindley's. he was afraid if he fell out, 
 the wheel would run over him, he therefore 
 gave a start & fell out & broke his leg, the 
 horse strugled to get up, but could not. 
 unkle Ned was affraid if he did get up the 
 chaise wheels would run over him, so he 
 went on his two hands and his other foot 
 drawing his lame leg after him & got behind 
 the chaise, (so he was safe) & there lay in 
 the snow for some time, nobody being near, 
 at last 2 genteelmen came, they tho't the 
 horse was dead when they first saw him 
 at a distance, but hearing somebody hollow, 
 went up to it. By this time there was a 
 countraman come along, the person that hol- 
 low'd was unkle Ned. They got a slay and 
 
 put 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 3 1 
 
 put him in it with some hay and a blanket, 
 wrapt him up well as they could & brought 
 him to Deacon Smith's in town. Now Papa 
 & Mamma, this hill is in Brookline. And 
 now again, I have been better inform'd for 
 the hill is in Roxbury & poor Unkle Ned 
 was alone in the chaise. Both bones of his 
 leg are broke, but they did not come thro' the 
 skin, which is a happy circumstance. It is 
 his right leg that is broke. My Grandmamma 
 sent Miss Deming, Miss Winslow & I one 
 eight* of a Dollar a piece for a New Years 
 gift. My Aunt Deming & Miss Deming had 
 letters from Grandmamma. She was pretty 
 well, she wrote aunt that Mrs Marting was 
 brought to bed with a son Joshua about a 
 month since, & is with her son very well. 
 Grandmamma was very well last week. I 
 have made the purchase I told you of a few 
 pages agone, that is, last Thursday I pur- 
 chas'd with my aunt Deming's leave, a very 
 beautiful white feather hat, that is, the out 
 side, which is a bit of white hollond with the 
 feathers sew'd on in a most curious manner 
 white & unsullyed as the falling snow, this 
 hat I have long been saving my money to 
 
 procure 
 
32 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 
 
 procure for which I have let your kind allow- 
 ance, Papa, lay in my aunt's hands till this 
 hat which I spoke for was brought home. 
 As I am (as we say) a daughter of liberty 49 
 I chuse to wear as much of our own manu- 
 factory as pocible. But my aunt says, I 
 have wrote this account very badly. I will 
 go on to save my money for a chip & a 
 lineing &c. 
 
 Papa I rec'd your letter dated Jan. 1 1, for 
 which I thank you, Sir, & thank you greatly 
 for the money I received therewith. I am 
 very glad to hear that Brother John papa & 
 mamma & cousin are well. I '11 answer your 
 letter papa and yours mamma and cousin 
 Harry's too. I am very glad mamma your 
 eyes are better. I hope by the time I have 
 the pleasure of hearing from Cumberland 
 again your eyes will be so well that you will 
 favor me with one from you. 
 
 Feb. 22 d . — Since about the middle of De- 
 cember, ult. we have had till this week, a 
 series of cold and stormy weather — every 
 snow storm (of which we have had abun- 
 dance) except the first, ended with rain, by 
 which means the snow was so hardened that 
 
 strong 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 33 
 
 strong gales at N W soon turned it, & all 
 above ground to ice, which this day seven- 
 night was from one to three, four & they 
 say, in some places, five feet thick, in the 
 streets of this town. Last Saturday morn- 
 ing we had a snow storm come on, which 
 continued till four o'clock P. M. when it 
 turned to rain, since which we have had a 
 warm air, with many showers of rain, one 
 this morning a little before day attended 
 with thunder. The streets have been very 
 wet, the water running like rivers all this 
 week, so that I could not possibly go to 
 school, neither have I yet got the bandage 
 off my fingure. Since I have been writing 
 now, the wind suddenly sprung up at N W 
 and blew with violence so that we may get to 
 meeting to-morrow, perhaps on dry ground. 
 Unkle Ned was here just now & has fairly 
 or unfairly carried off aunt's cut paper pic- 
 tures, 50 tho' she told him she had given 
 them to papa some years ago. It has been 
 a very sickly time here, not one person that 
 I know of but has been under heavy colds 
 — (all laid up at unkle Storer's) in general 
 got abroad again. Aunt Suky had not been 
 
 down 
 
34 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN W2NSL0W. 
 
 down stairs since her lying in, when I last 
 saw her, but I hear she is got down. She 
 has had a broken breast. I have spun 30 
 knots of linning yarn, and (partly) new footed 
 a pair of stockings for Lucinda, read a part 
 of the pilgrim's progress, coppied part of my 
 text journal (that if I live a few years longer, 
 I may be able to understand it, for aunt sais, 
 that to her, the contents as I first mark'd 
 them, were an impenetrable secret) play'd 
 some, tuck'd a great deal (Aunt Deming 
 says it is very true) laugh'd enough, & I tell 
 aunt it is all human nature, if not human rea- 
 son. And now, I wish my honored mamma 
 a very good night. 
 
 Saturday ) Dear Pappa, do's the win- 
 
 noon Feb. 23 d ) ter continue as pleasant at 
 Cumberland as when you wrote to me last ? 
 We had but very little winter here, till Feb- 
 ruary came in, but we have little else since. 
 The cold still continues tho' not so extreme 
 as it was last Thursday. I have attended 
 my schools all this week except one day, and 
 am going as soon as I have din'd to see 
 how Unkle Ned does. I was thinking, Sir, 
 to lay up a piece of money you sent me, but 
 
 as 
 
GENERAL JOSHUA WINSLOW 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 35 
 
 as you sent it to me to lay out I have a mind 
 to buy a chip & linning for my feather hatt. 
 But my aunt says she will think of it. My 
 aunt says if I behave myself very well in- 
 deed, not else, she will give me a garland of 
 flowers to orniment it, tho' she has layd 
 aside the biziness of flower making. 51 
 
 Feb. 25 th . — This is a very stormy day of 
 snow, hail & rain, so that I cannot get to 
 Master Holbrook's, therefore I will here copy 
 something I lately transcribed on a loose 
 paper from Dr. Owen's sermon on Hab. iii, 
 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. "I have heard that 
 a full wind behind the ship drives her not 
 so fast forward, as a side wind, that seems 
 almost as much against her as with her ; & 
 the reason they say is, because a full wind 
 fills but some of her sails. 
 
 Wednesday. — Very cold, but this morning 
 I was at sewing and writing school, this after- 
 noon all sewing, for Master Holbrook does 
 not in the winter keep school of afternoons. 
 Unkle Henrys feet are so much better that 
 he wears shoos now. 
 
 Monday 
 
36 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 Monday "| I have been to writing school 
 noon I this morning and Sewing. The 
 
 Feb. 25 th . J day being very pleasant, very 
 little wind stirring. Jemima called to see 
 me last evening. She lives at Master Jimmy 
 Lovel's. 52 Dear mamma, I suppose that you 
 would be glad to hear that Betty Smith who 
 has given you so much trouble, is well & 
 behaves herself well & I should be glad if 
 I could write you so. But the truth is, no 
 sooner was the 29th Regiment encamp' d 
 upon the common but miss Betty took her- 
 self among them (as the Irish say) & there 
 she stay'd with Bill Pinchion & awhile. The 
 next news of her was, that she was got into 
 gaol for stealing : from whence she was 
 taken to the publick whipping post. 53 The 
 next adventure was to the Castle, after the 
 soldier's were remov'd there, for the murder 
 of the 5th March last. 54 When they turn'd 
 her away from there, she came up to town 
 again, and soon got into the workhouse for 
 new misdemeanours, she soon ran away from 
 there and sit up her old trade of pilfering 
 again, for which she was put a second time 
 into gaol, there she still remains. About 
 
 two 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 37 
 
 two months agone (as well as I can remem- 
 ber) she & a number of her wretched com- 
 panions set the gaol on fire, in order to get 
 out, but the fire was timely discovered & 
 extinguished, & there, as I said she still 
 remains till this day, in order to be tried 
 for her crimes. I heard somebody say that 
 as she has some connections with the army 
 no doubt but she would be cleared, and per- 
 haps, have a pension into the bargain. Mr. 
 Henry says the way of sin is down hill, when 
 persons get into that way they are not easily 
 stopped. 
 
 Feb. 27. — This day being too stormy for 
 me to go to any school, and nothing as yet 
 having happen'd that is worth your notice, my 
 aunt gives me leave to communicate to you 
 something that much pleas'd her when she 
 heard of it, & which I hope will please you 
 my Papa and Mamma. I believe I may 
 have inform'd you that since I have been in 
 Boston, Dr. Byles 55 has pretty frequently 
 preached & sometimes administer'd the sac- 
 rament, when our Candidates have preached 
 to the O. S. Church, because they are not 
 tho't qualified to administer Gospel Ordi- 
 nance, 
 
38 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 nance, till they be settled Pastours. About 
 two months ago a brother of the church sent 
 Dr Byles a Card which contain'd after the 
 usual introduction, the following words, Mr 
 
 W dont set up for an Expositor of 
 
 Scripture, yet ventures to send Dr. Byles a 
 short comment on I Cor. ix. n. which he 
 thinks agreeable to the genuine import of the 
 text, & hopes the Dr will not disapprove it. 
 The comment was a dozen pounds of Choco- 
 late &c. — To which the D r return'd the fol- 
 lowing very pretty answer. D r Byles returns 
 respects to Mr W & most heartily thanks 
 him for his judicious practical Familie Ex- 
 positer, which is in Tast. My aunt Deming 
 gives her love to you mamma, and bids me 
 tell you, as a matter you will be very glad to 
 know, that D r Byles & his lady & family, 
 have enjoy' d a good share of health & per- 
 fect harmony for several years past. 
 
 Mr Beacon is come home. My unkle 
 Neddy is very comfortable, has very little 
 pain, & know fever with his broken bone. 
 My Unkle Harry 56 was here yesterday & is 
 very well. Poor Mrs Inches is dangerously 
 ill of a fever. We have not heard how she 
 does today. March 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 39 
 
 March 4 th . — Poor Mrs Inches is dead. 
 Gone from a world of trouble, as she has 
 left this to her poor mother. Aunt says she 
 heartyly pities Mrs Jackson. Mr Nat. Be- 
 thune died this morning, Mrs Inches last 
 night. 
 
 We had the greatest fall of snow yester- 
 day we have had this winter. Yet cousin 
 Sally, miss Polly, & I rode to & from meet- 
 ing in Mr Soley's chaise both forenoon & 
 afternoon, & with a stove 57 was very com- 
 fortable there. If brother John is as well 
 and hearty as cousin Frank, he is a clever 
 boy. Unkle Neddy continues very comfort- 
 able. I saw him last Saturday. I have just 
 now been writing four lines in my Book al- 
 most as well as the copy. But all the in- 
 treaties in the world will not prevail upon 
 me to do always as well as I can, which is 
 not the least trouble to me, tho' its a great 
 grief to aunt Deming. And she says by 
 writing so frightfully above. 
 
 March 6. — I think the appearance this 
 morning is as winterish as any I can remem- 
 ber, earth, houses, trees, all covered with 
 snow, which began to fall yesterday morning 
 
 & 
 
40 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 
 
 & continued falling all last night. The Sun 
 now shines very bright, the N. W. wind 
 blows very fresh. Mr Gannett din'd here 
 yesterday, from him, my unkle, aunt & cousin 
 Sally, I had an account of yesterday's pub- 
 lick performances, 58 & exhibitions, but aunt 
 says I need not write about 'em because, 
 no doubt there will be printed accounts. 
 I should have been glad if I could have seen 
 & heard for myselfe. My face is better, but 
 I have got a heavy cold yet. 
 
 March 9 th . — After being confined a week, 
 I rode yesterday afternoon to & from meet- 
 ing in Mr Soley's chaise. I got no cold and 
 am pretty well today. This has been a very 
 snowy day today. Any body that sees this 
 may see that I have wrote nonsense but Aunt 
 says, I have been a very good girl to day 
 about my work however — I think this day's 
 work may be called a piece meal for in the 
 first place I sew'd on the bosom of unkle's 
 shirt, mended two pair of gloves, mended for 
 the wash two handkerchiefs, (one cambrick) 
 sewed on half a border of a lawn apron 
 of aunts, read part of the xxi st chapter of 
 Exodous, & a story in the Mother's gift. 
 
 Now, 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 4 1 
 
 Now, Hon d Mamma, I must tell you of some- 
 thing that happened to me to-day, that has 
 not happen' d before this great while, viz My 
 Unkle & Aunt both told me, I was a very 
 good girl. Mr Gannett gave us the favour 
 of his company a little while this morning 
 (our head). I have been writing all the 
 above gibberish while aunt has been looking 
 after her family — now she is out of the room 
 — now she is in — & takes up my pen in my 
 absence to observe, I am a little simpleton 
 for informing my mamma, that it is a great 
 while since I was prais'd because she will 
 conclude that it is a great while since I de- 
 serv'd to be prais'd. I will henceforth try 
 to observe their praise & yours too. I mean 
 deserve. It's now tea time — as soon as 
 • that is over, I shall spend the rest of the 
 evening in reading to my aunt. It is near 
 candle lighting. 
 
 March 10, 5 o'clock P. M. — I have fin- 
 ish'd my stent of sewing work for this day 
 & wrote a billet to Miss Caty Vans, a copy 
 of which I shall write on the next page. 
 To-morrow if the weather is fit I am to visit. 
 I have again been told I was a good girl. 
 
 My 
 
42 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 My Billet to Miss Vans was in the following 
 words. Miss Green gives her compliments 
 to Miss Vans, and informs her that her 
 aunt Deming quite misunderstood the mat- 
 ter about the queen's night-Cap. 59 Mrs. 
 Deming thou't that it was a black skull cap 
 linn'd with red that Miss Vans ment which 
 she thou't would not be becoming to Miss 
 Green's light complexion. Miss Green now 
 takes the liberty to send the materials for 
 the Cap Miss Vans was so kind as to say she 
 would make for her, which, when done, she 
 engages to take special care of for Miss Vans' 
 sake. Mrs. Deming joins her compliments 
 with Miss Green's — they both wish for the 
 pleasure of a visit from Miss Vans. Miss 
 Soley is just come in to visit me & 'tis near 
 dark. 
 
 March n. — Boast not thyself of tomor- 
 row ; for thou knowest not what a day may 
 bring forth. Thus king Solomon, inspired 
 by the Holy Ghost, cautions, Pro. xxvii. I. 
 My aunt says, this is a most necessary lesson 
 to be learn 'd & laid up in the heart. I am 
 quite of her mind. I have met with a dis- 
 appointment to day, & aunt says, I may look 
 
 for 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 43 
 
 for them every day — we live in a changing 
 world — in scripture call'd a vale of tears. 
 Uncle said yesterday that there had not been 
 so much snow on the ground this winter as 
 there was then — it has been vastly added 
 to since then, & is now 7 feet deep in some 
 places round this house ; it is above the fence 
 in the coart & thick snow began to fall and 
 condtinu'd till about 5 o'clock P. M. (it is 
 about 1-4 past 8 o'clock) since which there 
 has been a steady rain — so no visiting as I 
 hoped this day, & this is the disappointment 
 I mentioned on t'other page. Last Saturday 
 I sent my cousin Betsy Storer a Billet of 
 which the following is a copy. Miss Green 
 gives her love to Miss Storer & informs 
 her that she is very sensible of the effects 
 of a bad cold, not only in the pain she has 
 had in her throat, neck and face, which have 
 been much swell'd & which she is not quite 
 clear of, but that she has also been by the 
 same depriv'd of the pleasure of seeing 
 Miss Storer & her other friends in Sudbury 
 Street. She begs, her Duty, Love & Com- 
 pliments, may be presented as due & that 
 she may be inform'd if they be in health. 
 
 To 
 
44 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 To this I have receiv'd no answer. I sup- 
 pose she don't think I am worth an answer. 
 But I have finished my stent, and wrote all 
 under this date, & now I have just daylight 
 eno' to add, my love and duty to dear friends 
 at Cumberland. 
 
 March 14. — Mr. Stephen March, at whose 
 house I was treated so kindly last fall, de- 
 parted this life last week, after languishing 
 several months under a complication of dis- 
 orders — we have not had perticulars, there- 
 fore cannot inform you, whether he engag'd 
 the King of terrors with christian fortitude, 
 or otherwise. 
 
 " Stoop down my Thoughts, that use to rise, 
 Converse a while with Death ; 
 Think how a gasping Mortal lies, 
 And pants away his Breath." 
 
 Last Thursday I din'd with unkle Storer, 
 & family at aunt Sukey's — all well except 
 Charles Storer who was not so ill but what, 
 that I mean, he din'd with us. Aunt Suky's 
 Charles is a pretty little boy & grows nicely. 
 We were diverted in the afternoon with an 
 account of a queer Feast that had been made 
 that day in a certain Court of this town for 
 
 the 
 
EBENEZER STORER 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 45 
 
 the Entertainment of a number of Tories — 
 perhaps seventeen. One contain'd three 
 calves heads (skin off) with their appurti- 
 nencies anciently call'd pluck — Their other 
 dish (for they had but two) contain'd a num- 
 ber of roast fowls — half a dozen, we sup- 
 pose,* & all roosters at this season no doubt. 
 Yesterday, soon after I came from writing 
 school we had another snow storm begun, 
 which continued till after I went to bed. 
 This morning the sun shines clear (so it did 
 yesterday morning till 10 o'clock.) It is now 
 bitter cold, & such a quantity of snow upon 
 the ground, as the Old people don't remember 
 ever to have seen before at this time of the 
 year. My aunt Deming says, when she first 
 look'd abroad this morning she felt anxious 
 for her brother, & his family at Cumberland, 
 fearing lest they were covered up in snow. 
 It is now 1-2 after 12 o'clock noon. The 
 sun has been shineing in his full strength 
 for full 6 hours, & the snow not melted 
 enough anywhere in sight of this house, to 
 cause one drop of water. 
 
 March 17. — Yesterday, I went to see 
 
 aunt 
 
 * There was six as I have since heard. 
 
46 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 aunt Polly, & finding her going out, I spent 
 the afternoon with aunt Hannah. While I 
 was out, a snow storm overtook me. This 
 being a fine sun shine (tho' cold) day I have 
 been to writing school, & wrote two pieces, 
 one I presented to aunt Deming, and the 
 other I design for my Honor'd Papa, I hope 
 he will approve of it. I sent a piece of my 
 writing to you Hon'd Mamma last fall, which 
 I hope you receiv'd. When my aunt Deming 
 was a little girl my Grandmamma Sargent 
 told her the following story viz. One Mr. 
 Calf who had three times enjoy 'd the May- 
 oralty of the city of London, had after his 
 decease, a monoment erected to his memory 
 with the following inscription on it. 
 
 Here lies buried the body of 
 Sir Richard Calf, 1 
 
 Thrice Lord Mayor of London. 
 Honor, Honor, Honor. 
 
 A drol gentleman passing by with a bit of 
 chalk in his hand underwrote thus — 
 
 O cruel death ! more subtle than a Fox 
 That would not let this Calf become an Ox, 
 That he might browze among the briers & thorns 
 And with his brethren wear, 
 Horns. Horns. Horns. 
 
 My 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 47 
 
 My aunt told me the foregoing some time 
 since & today I ask'd her leave to insert it in 
 my journal. My aunt gives her love to you 
 & directs me to tell you that she tho't my 
 piece of linnin would have made me a dozen 
 of shifts but she could cut no more than ten 
 out of it. There is some left, but not enough 
 for another. Nine of them are finish'd 
 wash'd & iron'd ; & the other would have 
 been long since done if my fingers had not 
 been sore. My cousin Sally made three of 
 them for me, but then I made two shirts & 
 part of another for unkle to help her. I 
 believe unless something remarkable should 
 happen, such as a warm day, my mamma 
 will consent that I dedicate a few of my next 
 essays to papa. I think the second thing I 
 said to aunt this morning was, that I intended 
 to be very good all day. To make this out, 
 
 " Next unto God, dear Parents I address 
 Myself to you in humble Thankfulness, 
 " For all your Care & Charge on me bestow'd; 
 " The means of Learning unto me allow' d, 
 " Go on I pray, & let me still pursue 
 " Those Golden Arts the Vulgar never knew." 
 
 Yr Dutifull Daughter 
 
 Anna Green Winslow. 
 
 The 
 
48 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 The poetry I transcrib'd from my Copy 
 Book. 
 
 March 19. — Thursday last I spent at home, 
 except a quarter of an hour between sun- 
 set and dark, I stepped over the way to Mr. 
 Glover's with aunt. Yesterday I spent at 
 Unkle Neddy's & stitched wristbands for 
 aunt Polly. By the way, I must inform you, 
 (pray dont let papa see this) that yesterday 
 I put on No 1 of my new shifts, & indeed it 
 is very comfortable. It is long since I had 
 a shift to my back. I dont know if I ever 
 had till now — It seem'd so strange too, to 
 have any linen below my waist — I am going 
 to dine at Mrs. Whitwell's to day, by invita- 
 tion. I spent last evening at Mrs Rogers. 
 Mr Hunt discoursed upon the doctrine of 
 the Trinity — it was the second time that he 
 spoke upon the subject at that place. I did 
 not hear him the first time. His business 
 last eve? was to prove the divinity of the Son, 
 & holy Ghost, & their equality with the 
 Father. My aunt Deming says, it is a grief 
 to her, that I don't always write as well as I 
 can, I can zurite pretily. 
 
 March 21. — I din'd & spent the afternoon 
 
 of 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 49 
 
 of Thursday last, at Mrs Whit well's. Mrs 
 Lathrop, & Mrs Carpenter din'd there also. 
 The latter said she was formerly acquainted 
 with mamma, ask'd how she did, & when I 
 heard from her, — said, I look'd much like 
 her. Madam Harris & Miss P. Vans were 
 also of the company. While I was abroad 
 the snow melted to such a degree, that my 
 aunt was oblig'd to get Mr Soley's chaise to 
 bring me home. Yesterday, we had by far 
 the gratest storm of wind & snow that there 
 has been this winter. It began to fall yes- 
 terday morning & continued falling till after 
 our family were in bed. (P. M.) Mr. Hunt 
 call'd in to visit us just after we rose from 
 diner ; he ask'd me, whether I had heard 
 from my papa & mamma, since I wrote 'em. 
 He was answer'd, no sir, it would be strange 
 if I had, because I had been writing to 'em 
 today, & indeed so I did every day. Aunt 
 told him that his name went frequently into 
 my journals together with broken & some 
 times whole sentences of his sermons, con- 
 versations &c. He laugh'd & call'd me News- 
 monger, & said I was a daily advertiser. He 
 added, that he did not doubt but my journals 
 
 afforded 
 
50 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 
 
 afforded much entertainment & would be a 
 future benefit &c. Here is a fine compliment 
 for me mamma. 
 
 March 26. — Yesterday at 6 o'clock, I went 
 to Unkle Winslow's, their neighbor Green- 
 leaf was their. She said she knew Mamma, 
 & that I look like her. Speaking about papa 
 & you occation'd Unkle Winslow to tell me 
 - that he had kiss'd you long before papa 
 knew you. From thence we went to Miss 
 Rogers's where, to a full assembly Mr Bacon 
 read his 3 d sermon on R. iv. 6, I can re- 
 member he said, that, before we all sinned 
 in Adam our father, Christ loved us. He 
 said the Son of God always did as his father 
 gave him commandment, & to prove this, he 
 said, that above 17 hundred years ago he left 
 the bosom of the Father, & came & took up 
 his abode with men, & bore all the scourg- 
 ings & buffetings which the vile Jews in- 
 flicted on him, & then was hung upon the 
 accursed tree — he died, was buried, & in 
 three days rose again — ascended up to 
 heaven & there took his seat at the right 
 hand of the Majesty on high from whence 
 he will come to be the supream and impartial 
 
 judge 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 5 I 
 
 judge of quick & dead — and when his poor 
 Mother & her poor husband went to Jerusa- 
 lem to keep the passover & he went with 
 them, he disputed among the doctors, & 
 when his Mother ask'd him about it he 
 said " wist ye not that I must be about my 
 Father's business," — all this he said was a 
 part of that wrighteousness for the sake of 
 which a sinner is justafied — Aunt has been 
 up stairs all the time I have been writeing & 
 recollecting this — so no help from her. She 
 is come down now & I have been reading 
 this over to her. She sais, she is glad I re- 
 member so much, but I have not done the 
 subject justice. She sais I have blended 
 things somewhat improperly — an interup- 
 tion by company. 
 
 March 28. — Unkle Harry was here last 
 evening & inform'd us that by a vessel from 
 Halifax which arriv'd yesterday, Mr H New- 
 ton, inform'd his brother Mr J Newton of 
 the sudden death of their brother Hibbert 
 in your family 21 January ult. (Just five 
 months to a day since Grandmamma Sar- 
 gent's death.) With all the circumstances 
 relating to it. My aunt Deming gives her 
 
 love 
 
52 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 love to Mamma & wishes her a sanctified 
 improvement of all God's dealings with her, 
 & that it would please him to bring her & all 
 the family safe to Boston. Jarvis is put up 
 for Cumberland, we hope he will be there by 
 or before Mayday. This minute I have re- 
 ceiv'd my queen's night cap from Miss Caty 
 Vans — we like it. Aunt says, that if the 
 materials it is made of were more substantial 
 than gauze, it might serve occationally to 
 hold any thing mesur'd by an 1-2 peck, but it 
 is just as it should be, & very decent, & she 
 wishes my writing was as decent. But I got 
 into one of my frolicks, upon sight of the Cap. 
 April 1st. — Will you be offended mamma, 
 if I ask you, if you remember the flock of wild 
 Geese that papa call'd you to see flying over 
 the Blacksmith's shop this day three years ? 
 I hope not ; I only mean to divert you. The 
 snow is near gone in the street before us, 
 & mud supplys the place thereof ; After a 
 week's absence, I this day attended Master 
 Holbrook with some difficulty, what was last 
 week a pond is to-day a quag, thro' which I 
 got safe however, & if aunt * had known it 
 
 was 
 
 * Miss Green tells her aunt, that the word refer'd to be- 
 gins with a dipthong. 
 
D1AR V OF ANNA GREEN WINSL OW 53 
 
 was so bad, she sais she would not have sent 
 me, but I neither wet my feet, nor drabled 
 my clothes, indeed I have but one garment 
 that I could contrive to drabble. 
 
 N. B. It is 1 April. 
 
 April 3. — Yesterday was the annual Fast, 
 & I was at meeting all day. Mr Hunt 
 preach'd A. M. from Zac. vii. 4, 5, 6, 7. He 
 said, that if we did not mean as we said in 
 pray's it was only a compliment put upon 
 God, which was a high affront to his divine 
 Majesty. Mr Bacon, P. M. from James v. 
 17. He said, "pray's, effectual & fervent, 
 might be, where there were no words, but 
 there might be elegant words where there is 
 no prayr's. The essence of pray's consists in 
 offering up holy desires to God agreeable to 
 his will, — it is the flowing out of gracious 
 affections — what then are the pray'rs of an 
 unrenewed heart that is full of enmity to 
 God ? doubtless they are an abomination to 
 him. What then, must not unregenerate 
 men pray? I answer, it is their duty to 
 breathe out holy desires to God in pray's. 
 Prayer is a natural duty. Hannah pour'd 
 out her soul before the Lord, yet her voice 
 
 was 
 
54 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 
 
 was not heard, only her lips moved. Some 
 grieve and complain that their pray's are not 
 answered, but if thy will be done is, as it 
 ought to be, in every prayer ; their prayers 
 are answer' d." 
 
 The wind was high at N. E. all day yester- 
 day, but nothing fell from the dark clouds 
 that overspread the heavens, till 8 o'clock 
 last evening, when a snow began which has 
 continued falling ever since. The bell being 
 now ringing for I o'clock P. M. & no sign of 
 abatement. 
 
 My aunt Deming says, that if my memory 
 had been equal to the memory of some of my 
 ancestors, I might have done better justice 
 to Mr. Bacon's good sermon, & that if hers 
 had been better than mine she would have 
 helped me. Mr Bacon did say what is here 
 recorded, but in other method. 
 
 April 6. — I made a shift to walk to meet- 
 ing yesterday morning. But there was so 
 much water in the streets when I came home 
 from meeting that I got a seat in Mr Waleses 
 chaise. My aunt walk'd home & she sais 
 thro' more difaculty than ever she did in 
 her life before. Indeed had the stream get 
 
 up 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 55 
 
 up from our meeting house as it did down, 
 we might have taken boat as we have talk'd 
 some times of doing to cross the street to 
 our oposite neighbor Soleys chaise. I re- 
 member some of Mr Hunts sermon, how 
 much will appear in my text journal. 
 
 April 7. — I visited yesterday P. M. with 
 my aunt at Mr Waldron's. This afternoon I 
 am going with my aunt to visit Mrs Salis- 
 bury who is Dr Sewall's granddaughter, I 
 expect Miss Patty Waldow will meet me 
 there. It is but a little way & we can now 
 thro' favour cross the street without the 
 help of a boat. I saw Miss Polly Vans this 
 morning. She gives her love to you. As 
 she always does whenever I see her. Aunt 
 Deming is this minute come into the room, 
 & from what her niece has wrote last, takes 
 the liberty to remind you, that Miss Vans 
 is a sister of the Old South Church, a soci- 
 ety remarkable for Love. Aunt Deming is 
 sorry she has spoil'd the look of this page 
 by her carelessness & hopes her niece will 
 mend its appearance in what follows. She 
 wishes my English had been better, but has 
 not time to correct more than one word. 
 
 April 
 
$6 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 April 9. — We made the visit refer'd to 
 above. The company was old Mrs Salis- 
 bury, 60 Mrs Hill, (Mrs Salisbury's sister she 
 was Miss Hannah Sewall & is married to 
 young Mr James Hill that us'd to live in 
 this house) Miss Sally Hill, Miss Polly Bel- 
 cher Lyde, Miss Caty Sewall, My Aunt & 
 myself. Yesterday afternoon I visited Miss 
 Polly Deming & took her with me to Mr 
 Rogers' in the evening where Mr Hunt dis- 
 cours'd upon the 7 th question of the cate- 
 chism viz what are the decrees of God ? I 
 remember a good many of his observations, 
 which I have got set down on a loose paper. 
 But my aunt says that a Miss of 12 year's 
 old cant possibly do justice to the nicest 
 subject in Divinity, & therefore had better 
 not attempt a repetition of perticulars, that 
 she finds lie (as may be easily concluded) 
 somewhat confused in my young mind. She 
 also says, that in her poor judgment, Mr 
 Hunt discours'd soundly as well as ingen- 
 iously upon the subject, & very much to 
 her instruction & satisfaction. My Papa in- 
 form'd me in his last letter that he had done 
 me the honor to read my journals & that he 
 
 approv'd 
 
DIAR Y OF ANNA GREEN WINSL OW. 57 
 
 approv'd of some part of them, I suppose he 
 means that he likes some parts better than 
 other, indeed it would be wonderful, as aunt 
 says, if a gentleman of papa's understanding 
 & judgment cou'd be highly entertain'd with 
 every little saying or observation that came 
 from a girl of my years & that I ought to 
 esteem it a great favour that he notices any 
 of my simple matter with his approbation, 
 
 April 13 th - — Yesterday I walk'd to meet- 
 ing all day, the ground very dry, & when 
 I came home from meeting in the after- 
 noon the Dust blew so that it almost put my 
 eyes out. What a difference in the space 
 of a week. I was just going out to writing 
 school, but a slight rain prevented so aunt 
 says I must make up by writing well at 
 home. Since I have been writing the rain 
 is turn'd to snow, which is now falling in 
 a thick shower. I have now before me, 
 hon«? Mamma, your favor dated January 3. 
 I am glad you alter' d your mind when you 
 at first thought not to write to me. I am 
 glad my brother made an essay for a Post 
 Script to your Letter. I must get him to 
 read it to me, when he comes up, for two 
 
 reasons 
 
58 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 reasons, the one is because I may have the 
 pleasure of hearing his voice, the other be- 
 cause I don't understand his characters. I 
 observe that he is mamma's " Ducky Dar- 
 ling." I never again shall believe that Mrs 
 Huston will come up to Boston till I see 
 her here. I shall be very glad to see Mrs 
 Law here & I have some hopes of it. Mr 
 Gannett and the things you sent by him we 
 safely receiv'd before I got your Letter — 
 you say "you see I am still a great house- 
 keeper," I think more so than when I was 
 with you. Truly I answer'd Mr Law's let- 
 ter as soon as I found opportunity therefor. 
 I shall be very glad to see Miss Jenny here 
 & I wish she could live with me. I hope 
 you will answer this "viva vosa" as you 
 say you intend to. Pray mamma who larnt 
 you lattan ? It now rains fast, but the sun 
 shines, & I am glad to see it, because if it 
 continues I am going abroad with aunt this 
 afternoon. 
 
 April 14 th . — I went a visiting yesterday 
 to Col. Gridley's with my aunt. After tea 
 Miss Becky Gridley sung a minuet. Miss 
 Polly Deming & I danced to her musick, 
 
 which 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 59 
 
 which when perform'd was approv'd of by- 
 Mrs Gridley, Mrs Deming, Mrs Thompson, 
 Mrs Avery, 61 Miss Sally Hill, Miss Becky 
 Gridley, Miss Polly Gridley & Miss Sally 
 Winslow. Col n Gridley was out o' the room. 
 Col n brought in the talk of Whigs & Tories 
 & taught me the difference between them. 
 I spent last evening at home. I should have 
 gone a visiting to day in sudbury street, but 
 Unkle Harry told me last night that they 
 would be full of company. I had the plea- 
 sure of hearing by him, that they were all 
 well. I believe I shall go somewhere this 
 afternoon for I have acquaintances enough 
 that would be very glad to see me,, as well 
 as my sudbury street friends. 
 
 April 15 th . — Yesterday I din'd at Mrs. 
 Whitwell's & she being going abroad, I 
 spent the afternoon at Mad m Harris's & the 
 evening at home, Unkle Harry gave us his 
 company some part of it. I am going to 
 Aunt Storer's as soon as writing school is 
 done. I shall dine with her, if she is not 
 engaged. It is a long time since I was there, 
 & indeed it is a long time since I have been 
 able to get there. For tho' the walking has 
 
 been 
 
60 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 been pretty tolerable at the South End, it 
 has been intolerable down in town. And 
 indeed till yesterday, it has been such bad 
 walking, that I could not get there on my 
 feet. If she had wanted much to have seen 
 me, she might have sent either one of her 
 chaises, her chariot, or her babyhutt, 62 one 
 of which I see going by the door almost 
 every day. 
 
 April 1 6 th . — I dined with Aunt Storer 
 yesterday & spent the afternoon very agree- 
 ably at Aunt Suky's. Aunt Storer is not 
 very well, but she drank tea with us, & 
 went down to Mr Stillman's lecture in the 
 evening. I spent the evening with Unkle & 
 Aunt at Mrs Rogers's. Mr Bacon preach'd 
 his fourth sermon from Romans iv. 6. My 
 cousin Charles Storer lent me Gulliver's 
 Travels abreviated, which aunt says I may 
 read for the sake of perfecting myself in 
 reading a variety of composures, she sais 
 farther that the piece was desin'd as a bur- 
 lesque upon the times in which it was wrote, 
 — & Martimas Scriblensis & Pope Dunciad 
 were wrote with the same design & as parts 
 of the same work, tho' wrote by three sev- 
 eral hands. April 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 6 1 
 
 April 17 th . — You see, Mamma, I comply 
 with your orders (or at least have done fa- 
 ther's some time past) of writing in my jour- 
 nal every day tho' my matters are of little 
 importance & I have nothing at present to 
 communicate except that I spent yesterday 
 afternoon & evening at Mr Soley's. The 
 day was very rainy. I hope I shall at least 
 learn to spell the word yesterday, it having 
 occur'd so frequently in these pages ! (The 
 bell is ringing for good friday.) Last even- 
 ing aunt had a letter from Unkle Pierce, he 
 informs her, that last Lords day morning 
 Mrs Martin was deliver'd of a daughter. 
 She had been siezed the Monday before with 
 a violent pluritick fever, which continued 
 when my Unkle's letter was dated 13 th in- 
 stant. My Aunt Deming is affraid that poor 
 Mrs Martin is no more. She hopes she is 
 reconcil'd to her father — but is affraid 
 whether that was so — She had try'd what 
 was to be done that way on her late visits 
 to Portsmouth, & found my unkle was pla- 
 cably dispos'd, poor Mrs Martin, she could 
 not then be brought to make any acknowl- 
 edgements as she ought to have done. 
 
 April 
 
62 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 April 18 th . — Some time since I exchang'd 
 a piece of patchwork, which had been wrought 
 in my leisure intervals, with Miss Peggy 
 Phillips, 63 my schoolmate, for a pair of curi- 
 ous lace mitts with blue flaps which I shall 
 send, with a yard of white ribbin edg'd with 
 green to Miss Nancy Macky for a present. 
 I had intended that the patchwork should 
 have grown large enough to have cover' d 
 a bed when that same live stock which 
 you wrote me about some time since, 
 should be increas'd to that portion you in- 
 tend to bestow upon me, should a certain 
 event take place. I have just now finish'd 
 my Letter to Papa. I had wrote to my 
 other correspondents at Cumberland, some 
 time ago, all which with this I wish safe to 
 your & their hand. I have been carefull not 
 to repeat in my journal any thing that I had 
 wrote in a Letter either to papa, you, &c. 
 Else I should have inform'd you of some of 
 Bet Smith's abominations with the deserv'd 
 punishment she is soon to meet with. But 
 I have wrote it to papa, so need not repeat. 
 I guess when this reaches you, you will be 
 too much engag'd in preparing to quit your 
 
 present 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 6$ 
 
 present habitation, & will have too much 
 upon your head & hands, to pay much at- 
 tention to this scrowl. But it may be an 
 amusement to you on your voyage — there- 
 fore I send it. 
 
 Pray mamma, be so kind as to bring up 
 all my journal with you. My Papa has prom- 
 ised me, he will bring up my baby house with 
 him. I shall send you a droll figure of a 
 young lady, 64 in or under, which you please, 
 a tasty head Dress. It was taken from a 
 print that came over in one of the last ships 
 from London. After you have sufficiently 
 amused yourself with it I am willing . . . 
 
 Boston April 20, 1772. — Last Saterday I 
 seal'd up 45 pages of Journal for Cumber- 
 land. This is a very stormy day — no going 
 to school. I am learning to knit lace. 
 
 April 21. — Visited at uncle Joshua 
 Green's. I saw three funerals from their 
 window, poor Cap n Turner's was one. 
 
 April 22 d . — I spent this evening at Miss 
 Rogers as usual. Mr. Hunt continued his 
 discourse upon the 7 th question of the cate- 
 chism & flnish'd what he had to say upon it. 
 
 April 23 d . — This morns early our Mr Ba- 
 con 
 
64 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 con set out upon a tour to Maryland, he pro- 
 posed to be absent 8 weeks. He told the 
 Church that brother Hunt would supply the 
 pulpit till his return. I made a visit this 
 afternoon with cousin Sally at Dr. Phillip's. 
 
 April 24 th . — I drank tea at Aunt Suky's. 
 Aunt Storer was there, she seemed to be in 
 charming good health & spirits. My cousin 
 Charles Green seems to grow a little fat 
 pritty boy but he is very light. My aunt 
 Storer lent me 3 of cousin Charles' books to 
 read, viz. — The puzzeling cap, the female 
 Oraters & the history of Gaffer too-shoes. 65 
 
 April 25 th . — I learn' t three stitches upon 
 net work to-day. 
 
 April 27 th . — I din'd at Aunt Storer's & 
 spent the P. M. at aunt Suky's. 
 
 April 28 th . — This P. M. I am visited by 
 Miss Glover, Miss Draper & Miss Soley. 
 My aunt abroad. 
 
 April 29 th . — Tomorrow, if the weather be 
 good, I am to set out for Marshfield. 
 
 May 11. — The morning after I wrote 
 above, I sat out for Marshfield. I had the 
 pleasure of drinking tea with aunt Thomas 
 the same day, the family all well, but Mr G 
 
 who 
 
MRS. EBENEZER STORER 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 65 
 
 who seems to be near the end of the journey 
 of life. I visited General Win slow 66 & his 
 son, the Dr., spent 8 days very agreeably 
 with my friends at Marshfield, & returned 
 on saterday last in good health & gay spirits 
 which I still enjoy. The 2 first days I was 
 at Marshfield, the heat was extream & un- 
 common for the season. It ended on sater- 
 day evening with a great thunder storm. 
 The air has been very cool ever since. My 
 aunt Deming observ'd a great deal of light- 
 ning in the south, but there was neither 
 thunder, rain nor clouds in Boston. 
 
 May 16. — Last Wednesday Bet Smith 
 was set upon the gallows. She behav'd with 
 great impudence. Thursday I danc'd a min- 
 uet & country dances at school, after which 
 I drank tea with aunt Storer. To day I am 
 somewhat out of sorts, a little sick at my 
 stomach. 
 
 23 d . — I followed my schools every day this 
 week, thursday I din'd at aunt Storer's & 
 spent the P. M. there. 
 
 25. — I was not at meeting yesterday, 
 Unkle & Aunt say they had very good Fish 
 at the O. S. I have got very sore eyes. 
 
 June 
 
66 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 June I st . — All last week till saterday was 
 very cold & rainy. Aunt Deming kept me 
 within doors, there were no schools on ac- 
 count of the Election of Councellers, 67 & 
 other public doings ; with one eye (for t'other 
 was bound up) I saw the governer & his train 
 of life guard &c. ride by in state to Cam- 
 bridge. I form'd Letters last week to suit 
 cousin Sally & aunt Thomas, but my eyes 
 were so bad aunt would not let me coppy 
 but one of them. Monday being Artillery 
 Election 68 I went to see the hall, din'd at 
 aunt Storer's, took a walk in the P. M. 
 Unkle laid down the commission he took up 
 last year. Mr Handcock invited the whole 
 company into his house in the afternoon & 
 treated them very genteelly & generously, 
 with cake, wine, &c. There were 10 corn 
 baskets of the feast (at the Hall) sent to the 
 prison & almshouse. 
 
 4 th . — From June I when I wrote last there 
 has nothing extraordinary happen' d till today 
 the whole regiment muster'd upon the com- 
 mon. Mr Gannett, aunt & myself went up 
 into the common, & there saw Cap* Water's, 
 Cap 1 Paddock's, Cap* Peirce's, Cap 1 Eliot's, 
 
 Cap* 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 67 
 
 Cap* Barret's, Cap* Gay's, Cap* May's, Cap* 
 Borington's & Cap* Stimpson's company's 
 exercise. From there, we went into King 
 street to Col Marshal's 69 where we saw all 
 of them prettily exercise & fire. Mr. Gan- 
 nett din'd with us. On Sabbath-day evening 
 7 June My Hon d Papa, Mamma, little Brother, 
 cousin H. D. Thomas, Miss Jenny Allen, & 
 Mrs Huston arriv'd here from Cumberland, 
 all in good health, to the great joy of all their 
 friends, myself in particular — they sail'd 
 from Cumberland the I s * instant, in the even- 
 ing. 
 
 Aug. 18. — Many avocations have pre- 
 vented my keeping my journal so exactly as 
 heretofore, by which means a pleasant visit 
 to the peacock, my Papa's & mamma's jour- 
 ney to Marshfield &c. have been omitted. 
 The 6 instant Mr Sam 1 Jarvis was married 
 to Miss Suky Peirce, & on the 13th I made 
 her a visit in company with mamma & many 
 others. The bride was dress'd in a white 
 satin night gound. 70 
 
 27. — Yesterday I heard an account of a 
 cat of 17 years old, that has just recovered 
 of the meazels. This same cat it is said had 
 the small pox 8 years ago ! 28. 
 
68 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 28. — I spent the P. M. & eve at aunt 
 Suky's very agreeably with aunt Pierce's 
 young ladies viz. Miss Johnson, Miss Walker, 
 Miss Polly & Miss Betsey Warton, (of New- 
 port) Miss Betsey is just a fortnight wanting 
 1 day older than I am, who I became ac- 
 quainted with that P. M. Papa, Mamma, 
 Unkle & aunt Storer, Aunt Pierce & Mr & 
 Mrs Jarvis was there. There were 18 at 
 supper besides a great many did not eat any. 
 Mrs Jarvis sang after supper. My brother 
 Johny has got over the measels. 
 
 Sept. 1. — Last evening after meeting, 
 Mrs Bacon was brought to bed of a fine 
 daughter. But was very ill. She had fits. 
 
 September 7. — Yesterday afternoon Mr 
 Bacon baptiz'd his daughter by the name of 
 Elizabeth Lewis. It is a pretty looking 
 child. Mrs Whitwell is like to loose her 
 Henry Harris. He is very ill. 
 
 8. — I visited with mamma at cousin Rog- 
 ers'. There was a good many. 
 
 14. — Very busy all day, went into the 
 common in the afternoon to see training. It 
 was very prettyly perform' d. 
 
 18. — My Papa, aunt Deming, cousin Rogers, 
 
 & 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 69 
 
 & Miss Betsey Gould set out for Portsmouth. 
 I went over to Charlestown with them, after 
 they were gone, I came back, & rode up from 
 the ferry in Mrs Rogers' chaise ; it drop'd 
 me at Unkle Storer's gate, where I spent the 
 day. My brother was very sick. 
 
 Sep r 17. 18. — Spent the days at aunt 
 Storer's, the nights at home. 
 
 19. — Went down in the morns & spent 
 the day & night there. My brother better 
 than he was. 
 
 20. — Sabbath day. I went to hear Mr 
 Stilman 71 all day, I like him very much. I 
 don't wonder so many go to hear him. 
 
 21 st . — Mr. Sawyer, Mr Parks, & Mrs Chat- 
 bourn, din'd at aunt Storer's. I went to 
 dancing in the afternoon. Miss Winslow & 
 Miss Allen visited there. 
 
 22 d . — The king's coronation day. In the 
 evening I went with mamma to Col n Mar- 
 shal's in King Street to see the fireworks. 
 
 23 d . — I din'd at aunt Suky's with Mr & 
 Mrs Hooper 72 of Marblehead. In the after- 
 noon I went over to see Miss Betsy Winslow. 
 When I came back I had the pleasure to 
 meet papa. I came home in the evening to 
 
 see 
 
70 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINS LOW. 
 
 see aunt Deming. Unkle Winslow sup'd 
 here. 
 
 24. — Papa cal'd here in the morns. No- 
 thing else worth noticeing. 
 
 25. — Very pleasant. Unkle Ned cal'd 
 here. Little Henry Harris was buried this 
 afternoon. 
 
 26. 27. — Nothing extraordinary yesterday 
 & to day. 
 
 28. — My papa & unkle Winslow spent the 
 evening here. 
 
 29. 30. — Very stormy. Miss Winslow & 
 I read out the Generous Inconstant, & have 
 begun Sir Charles Grandison. . . . 
 
 May 25. — Nothing remarkable since the 
 preceding date. Whenever I have omited a 
 school my aunt has directed me to sit it down 
 here, so when you dont see a memorandum of 
 that kind, you may conclude that I have paid 
 my compliments to mess rs Holbrook & Tur- 
 ner (to the former you see to very little pur- 
 pose) & mrs Smith as usual. The Miss Wal- 
 dow's I mentioned in a former are Mr. Danl 
 Waldo's daughters (very pretty misses) their 
 mamma was Miss Becca Salisbury. 73 After 
 making a short visit with my Aunt at Mrs 
 
 Green's 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. Jl 
 
 Green's, over the way, yesterday towards 
 evening, I took a walk with cousin Sally to 
 see the good folks in Sudbury Street, & found 
 them all well. I had my HEDDUS roll on, 
 aunt Storer said it ought to be made less, 
 Aunt Deming said it ought not to be made 
 at all. It makes my head itch, & ach, & burn 
 like anything Mamma. This famous roll is 
 not made wholly of a red Cow Tail, but is a 
 mixture of that, & horsehair (very course) & 
 a little human hair of yellow hue, that I sup- 
 pose was taken out of the back part of an old 
 
 wig. But D made it (our head) all carded 
 
 together and twisted up. When it first came 
 home, aunt put it on, & my new cap on it, 
 she then took up her apron & mesur'd me, 
 & from the roots of my hair on my forehead 
 to the top of my notions, I mesur'd above an 
 inch longer than I did downwards from the 
 roots of my hair to the end of my chin. 
 Nothing renders a young person more ami- 
 able than virtue & modesty without the help 
 of fals hair, red Cow tail, or D (the bar- 
 ber). 74 Now all this mamma, I have just 
 been reading over to my aunt. She is pleas'd 
 with my whimsical description & grave (half 
 
 grave 
 
72 DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. 
 
 grave) improvement, & hopes a little fals 
 English will not spoil the whole with Mamma. 
 Rome was not built in a day. 
 
 31 st May. — Monday last I was at the fac- 
 tory to see a piece of cloth cousin Sally spun 
 for a summer coat for unkle. After viewing 
 the work we recollected the room we sat down 
 in was Libberty Assembly Hall, otherwise 
 called factory hall, so Miss Gridley & I did our- 
 selves the Honour of dancing a minuet in it. 
 On tuesday I made Mrs Smith my morning 
 & p. m. visits as usual, neither Mr. Holbrook 
 nor Turner have any school this week, nor 
 till tuesday next. I spent yesterday with my 
 friends in sudbury St. Cousin Frank has 
 got a fever, aunt Storer took an emmetick 
 while I was there, cousin Betsy had violent 
 pains almost all the forenoon. Last tuesday 
 Miss Ursula Griswold, daughter of the right 
 Hon. Matthew Griswold Esq governer of one 
 of his Majesty's provinces, was made one of 
 our family, & I have the honor of being her 
 chambermade. I have just been reading 
 over what I wrote to the company present, & 
 have got myself laughed at for my ignorance. 
 It seems I should have said the daughter of 
 
 the 
 
DIARY OF ANNA GREEN WINSLOW. J$ 
 
 the Hon Lieu 4 . Governor of Connecticut^. 
 Mrs Dixon lodg'd at Capn Mitchell's. She 
 is gone to Connecticutt long since. 
 
 31 May. — I spent the afternoon at unkle 
 Joshua's, yesterday, after tea I went to see 
 how aunt Storer did. I found her well at 
 Unkle Frank's. Mr Gerrish & wife of Hali- 
 fax I had the pleasure to meet there, the lat- 
 ter sends love to you. Indeed Mamma, till 
 I receiv'd your last favour, I never heard a 
 word about the little basket &c. which I sent 
 to brother Johny last fall. I suppose Harry 
 had so much to write about cotton, that he 
 forgot what was of more consequence. Dear 
 Mamma, what name has Mr Bent given his 
 Son ? something like Nehemiah, or Jehosha- 
 phat, I suppose, it must be an odd name (our 
 head indeed, Mamma.) Aunt says she hopes 
 it a'nt Baal Gad, & she also says that I am 
 a little simpleton for making my note within 
 the brackets above, because, when I omit to 
 do it, Mamma will think I have the help of 
 somebody else's head but, N. B. for herself 
 she utterly disclames having either her head 
 or hand concern'd in this curious journal, 
 except where the writing makes it manifest. 
 So much for this matter. 
 
CUT-PAPER PICTURE 
 
NOTES. 
 
 Note i. 
 Aunt Deming was Sarah, the oldest child of John 
 Winslow and Sarah Peirce, and therefore sister of 
 Joshua Winslow, Anna Green Winslow's father. 
 She was born August 2, 1722, died March 10, 1788. 
 She married John West, and after his death married, 
 on February 27, 1752, John Deming. He was a re- 
 spectable and intelligent Boston citizen, but not a 
 wealthy man. He was an ensign in the Ancient and 
 Honorable Artillery in 1771, and a deacon of the 
 Old South Church in 1769, both of which offices were 
 patents of nobility in provincial Boston. They lived 
 in Central Court, leading out of Washington Street, 
 just south of Summer Street. Aunt Deming eked 
 out a limited income in a manner dear to Boston gen- 
 tlewomen in those and in later days ; she took young 
 ladies to board while they attended Boston schools. 
 Advertisements in colonial newspapers of "Board 
 and half-board for young ladies " were not rare, and 
 many good old New England names are seen in 
 these advertisements. Aunt Deming was a woman 
 of much judgment, as is shown in the pages of this 
 diary ; of much power of graphic description, as is 
 
 proved 
 
?6 NOTES. 
 
 proved by a short journal written for her niece, Sally 
 Coverly, and letters of hers which are still preserved. 
 She died childless. 
 
 Note 2. 
 Cumberland was the home in Nova Scotia of Anna 
 Green Winslow's parents, where her father held the 
 position of commissary to the British regiments sta- 
 tioned there. George Green, Anna's uncle, writing 
 to Joseph Green, at Paramaribo, on July 23, 1770, 
 said : " Mr. Winslow & wife still remain at Cumber- 
 land, have one son & one daughter, the last now at 
 Boston for schooling, &c." So, at the date of the 
 first entry in the diary, Anna had been in Boston 
 probably about a year and a half. 
 
 Note 3. 
 
 Anna Green Winslow had doubtless heard much 
 talk about this Rev. John Bacon, the new minister 
 at the Old South Church, for much had been said 
 about him in the weekly press : whether he should 
 have an ordination dinner or not, and he did not; 
 accounts of his ordination ; and then notice of the sale 
 of his sermons in the Boston Gazette. 
 
 All Mr. Bacon's parishioners did not share Anna's 
 liking for him ; he found himself at the Old South in 
 sorely troubled waters. He made a most unpropi- 
 tious and trying entrance at best, through succeeding 
 the beloved Joseph Sewall, who had preached to Old 
 South listeners for fifty-six years. He came to town 
 a stranger. When, a month later, Governor Hutchin- 
 son 
 
NOTES. 77 
 
 son issued his annual Thanksgiving Proclamation, 
 there was placed therein an " exceptionable clause " 
 that was very offensive to Boston patriots, relating 
 to the continuance of civil and religious liberties. It 
 had always been the custom to have the Proclama- 
 tion read by the ministers in the Boston churches for 
 the two Sundays previous to Thanksgiving Day, but 
 the ruling governor very cannily managed to get two 
 Boston clergymen to read his proclamation the third 
 Sunday before the appointed day, when all the church 
 members, being unsuspectingly present, had to listen 
 to the unwelcome words. One of these clerical in- 
 struments of gubernatorial diplomacy and craft was 
 John Bacon. Samuel Adams wrote bitterly of him, 
 saying, " He performed this servile task a week be- 
 fore the time, when the people were not aware of it." 
 The Boston Gazette of November n commented 
 severely on Mr. Bacon's action, and many of his 
 congregation were disgusted with him, and remained 
 after the service to talk the Proclamation and their 
 unfortunate new minister over. 
 
 It might have been offered, one might think, as 
 some excuse, that he had so recently come from 
 Maryland, and was probably unacquainted with the 
 intenseness of Massachusetts politics ; and that he 
 had also been a somewhat busy and preoccupied man 
 during his six weeks' presence in Boston, for he had 
 been marrying a wife, — or rather a widow. In the 
 Boston Evening Post of November n, 1771, I read 
 this notice : " Married, the Rev'd John Bacon to Mrs. 
 Elizabeth Cummings, daughter of Ezekiel Goldthwait, 
 Esq." He 
 
78 NOTES. 
 
 He retained his pastorate, however, in spite of his 
 early mistake, through anxious tea-party excitement 
 and forlorn war-threatened days, till 1775, with but 
 scant popularity and slight happiness, with bitter 
 differences of opinion with his people over atonement 
 and imputation, and that ever-present stumbling-block 
 to New England divines, — baptism under the Half 
 Covenant, — till he was asked to resign. 
 
 Nor did he get on over smoothly with his fellow 
 minister, John Hunt. In a curious poem of the day, 
 called " Boston Ministers " (which is reprinted in the 
 New Eiigland Historical and Genealogical Register 
 of April, 1859), these verses appear: — 
 
 At Old South there 's a jarring pair, 
 
 If I am not mistaken, 
 One may descry with half an eye 
 
 That Hunt is far from Bacon. 
 Wise Hunt can trace out means of grace 
 
 As leading to conversion, 
 But Hopkins scheme is Bacons theme, 
 
 And strange is his assertion. 
 
 It mattered little, however, that Parson Bacon had to 
 leave the Old South, for that was soon no longer a 
 church, but a riding school for the British troops. 
 
 Mr. Bacon retired, after his dismissal, to Canter- 
 bury, Conn., his birthplace. His friendly intimacy 
 with Mrs. Deming proved of value to her, for when 
 she left Boston, in April, 1775, at the time of the 
 closing of the city gates, she met Mr. Bacon in Provi- 
 dence. She says in her journal : — 
 
 " Towards 
 
NOTES. 79 
 
 "Towards evening Mr & M rs Bacon, with their 
 daughter, came into town. M r Bacon came to see 
 me. Enquir'd into my designs, &c. I told him truely 
 I did not know what to do. That I had thot of 
 giting farther into the country. Of trying to place 
 Sally in some family where she might earn her board, 
 & to do something like it for Lucinda, or put her 
 out upon wages. That when I left the plain I had 
 some faint hope I might hear from Mr Deming while 
 I continued at Providence, but that I had little of 
 that hope remaining. Mr Bacon advised me to go 
 into Connecticutt, the very thing I was desirous of. 
 Mr Bacon sd that he would advise me for the present 
 to go to Canterbury, his native place. That he would 
 give me a Letter to his Sister, who would receive me 
 kindly & treat me tenderly, & that he would follow 
 me there in a few days." 
 
 This advice Mrs. Deming took, and made Canter- 
 bury her temporary home. 
 
 Mr. Bacon did not again take charge of a parish. 
 After the Revolution he became a magistrate, went 
 to the legislature, became judge of the court of com- 
 mon pleas, and a member of congress. He did not 
 wholly give up his disputatious ways, if we can judge 
 from the books written by and to him, one of the 
 latter being, " A Droll, a Deist, and a John Bacon, 
 Master of Arts, Gently Reprimanded." 
 
 His wife, who was born in 1733, and died in Stock- 
 bridge in 1 82 1, was the daughter of Ezekiel Gold- 
 thwait, a Tory citizen of Boston, a register of deeds, 
 and a wealthy merchant. A portrait of Mrs. Bacon, 
 
 painted 
 
80 NOTES. 
 
 painted by Copley, is remarkable for its brilliant eyes 
 and beautiful hands and arms. 
 
 Note 4. 
 Rev. John Hunt was born in Northampton, Novem- 
 ber 20, 1744. He was a Harvard graduate in the class 
 of 1764, a classmate of Caleb Strong and John Scol- 
 lay. He was installed colleague-pastor of the Old 
 South Church with John Bacon in 1771. He found 
 it a most trying position. He was of an amiable and 
 gentle disposition, and the poem on " Boston Minis- 
 ters " asserted that he "most friends with sisters 
 made." Another Boston rhymester called him "puny 
 John from Northampton, a meek-mouth moderate 
 man." When the gates of Boston were closed in 
 1775, after the battle of Lexington, he returned to 
 Northampton, and died there of consumption, Decem- 
 ber 20, 1 775. A full account of his life is given in 
 Spr ague's Annals of the American Pulpit. See also 
 Note 3. 
 
 Note 5. 
 " Unkle and Aunt Winslow " were Mr. and Mrs. 
 John Winslow. He was the brother of Joshua Wins- 
 low, was born March, 1725-26, died September 29, 
 1773, in Boston. He was married, on March 12, 1752, 
 to Elizabeth Mason (born September, 1723, died 
 January, 1780). They had five children: I. Gen. 
 John Winslow, born September 26, 1753, married 
 Ann Gardner, May 21, 1782, died November 29, 
 1819. II. Sarah, born April 12, 1755, married Dea- 
 
NOTES. Si 
 
 con Samuel Coverly, of Boston, on November 27, 
 1787, died April 3, 1804. See Note 13. III. Henry, 
 born January II, 1757, died October 13, 1766. IV. 
 Elizabeth, born November 28, 1759, died September 
 8, 1760. V. Elizabeth, born September 14, 1760, 
 married John Holland, died November 21, 1795. 
 
 Gen. John Winslow was the favorite nephew of 
 Joshua Winslow and of his wife, and largely inherited 
 their property. He remained in Boston through the 
 siege, and preserved the communion plate of the Old 
 South Church by burying it in his uncle Mason's 
 cellar. He was an ardent patriot, and it is said that 
 his uncle Joshua threatened to hang him if he caught 
 him during the Revolutionary War. The nephew 
 answered, "No catchee — no hangee, Uncle;" but 
 did have the contrary fortune of capturing the uncle, 
 whom he released on parole. He was the sixth 
 signer and first treasurer of the Society of the Cincin- 
 nati. General Winslow's daughter, Mary Ann Wins- 
 low, born in 1790, lived till 1882, and from her were 
 obtained many of the facts given in these notes. 
 
 Note 6. 
 Miss Soley was Hannah Soley, daughter of John 
 Soley and Hannah Carey, who were married October 
 11, 1759. Hannah Soley was born June 5, 1762, and 
 married W. G. McCarty. 
 
 Note 7. 
 William and Samuel Whitwell and their families 
 were members of the Old South Church, and all were 
 
 friends 
 
82 NOTES. 
 
 friends of the Winslows and Demings. William 
 Whitwell was born September 3, 1714, died April 10, 
 1795. He was a prosperous merchant, an estimable 
 and useful citizen, and church member. His first wife 
 was Rebecca Keayne, his second Elizabeth Scott (or 
 Swett), who died May 13, 1771 ; his third, the widow 
 of Royal Tyler. The Mrs. Whitwell here referred to 
 must have been Mrs. Samuel Whitwell, for William 
 Whitwell just at that interval was a widower. Sam- 
 uel Whitwell was born December 17, o. s. 171 7, died 
 June 8, 1 801. His first wife was Elizabeth Kelsey; 
 his second, Sarah Wood ; his third, Mary Smith. 
 
 Note 8. 
 Polly Deming was a niece of John Deming. 
 
 Note 9. 
 Miss Polly Glover was Mary Glover, born in Bos- 
 ton, October 12, 1758, baptized at the Old South 
 Church, married to Deacon James Morrell, of the 
 Old South, on April 23, 1778, and died April 3, 
 1842. She was the daughter of Nathaniel Glover 
 (who was born May 16, 1704, in Dorchester; died 
 December, 1773), and his wife, Anne Simpson. They 
 were married in 1750. Nathaniel Glover was a grad- 
 uate of Harvard, and a wealthy man ; partner first of 
 Thomas Hancock, and then of John Hancock. 
 
 Note 10. 
 Miss Bessy Winslowwas Elizabeth, Anna's cousin, 
 who was then about ten years old. See Note 5. 
 
 Note 
 
NOTES. 83 
 
 Note ii. 
 Miss Nancy or Anne Glover was Mary Glover's 
 sister. See Note 9. She was born in Boston, March 
 2 8> 1753, baptized in the Old South Church, died in 
 Roxbury, August, 1797. She married Samuel Whit- 
 well, Jr., son of Samuel Whitwell, a prominent Bos- 
 ton merchant. See Note 7. 
 
 Note 12. 
 Miss Sally Winslow was Sarah, daughter of John 
 Winslow (see Note 5), and was, therefore, Anna's 
 cousin. She was born April 12, 1755, died April 3, 
 1804. She married, November 27, 1787, Samuel 
 Coverly, deacon of the Old South Church. She was 
 the Sally Coverly for whom Mrs. Deming's journal 
 was written. Several of Sally Coverly 's letters still 
 exist, and are models of elegant penmanship and cor- 
 rect spelling, and redound to the credit of her writing 
 teacher, Master Holbrook. All the d's and y's and 
 t's end with elaborately twisted little curls. A care- 
 ful margin of an inch is left on every side. The let- 
 ters speak so plainly of the formal honor and respect 
 paid by all well-bred persons of the day to their 
 elders, even though familiar kinsfolk, that I quote 
 one, which contains much family news : — 
 
 Boston, Feb. 17th, 1780. 
 I thank you my dear Aunt for your kind Epistles 
 of April 9th & Nov'r 10th, the kind interestedness 
 you yet continue to take in my concerns merits the 
 warmest returns of Gratitude. 
 
 The 
 
84 NOTES. 
 
 The Particular circumstances you wish to know I 
 shall with pleasure inform you of — Mr. Coverly is the 
 youngest son of a Worthy Citizen late of this town 
 but his Parents are now no more. His age is thirty- 
 five. His Occupation a Shopkeeper who imports 
 his own goods. And if you should wish to know who 
 of your acquaintance he resembles, Madam, I would 
 answer He has been taken for our Minister Mr Eck- 
 ley, by whom we were married in my Aunt Demings 
 sick chamber the 27th of Nov'r last twelve months 
 since. He has two Brothers who both reside in town. 
 I have been remarkably favor'd the last year as to 
 my health & we are blest likewise with a fine little 
 Daughter between 4 & 5 months old, very healthy, 
 which we have named Elizabeth for its Grandmamas 
 and an Aunt of each side. My Brother call'd today 
 & inform'd me that Mr Powell intended setting out 
 tomorrow for Quebeck & left a Letter for you which 
 I shall send with this. He is almost if not quite as 
 big as my uncle was last time I saw him — he was well 
 & his family, he has three sons, the youngest about 
 eleven months old, he has buried one. 
 
 In your last you mention both my Uncle & your- 
 self as not enjoying so great a share of health. I 
 hope by this time you have each regain'd that bless- 
 ing more perfectly. Be pleased with him My Dear 
 Aunt to accept My Duty in which Mr Coverly joins 
 me. 
 
 My Sister was very well last week & her son John 
 who is a fine child about 3 months old. Capt. Hol- 
 land has purchas'd a house near fort hill which has 
 
 remov'd 
 
NOTES. 85 
 
 remov'd her to a greater distance from me. She is 
 now gone to the West-indies, she is connected in a 
 family that are all very fond of her. We expect soon 
 to remove. M r Coverly has taken a lease of a 
 house for some years belonging to Mr John Amory, 
 you will please to direct your next for us in Cornhill 
 No 10, I shall have the pleasure of your friend Mrs 
 Whitwell for my next neighbor there. I had not the 
 pleasure of seeing Mr Freeman whiles here altho' I 
 expected it, as his brother promis'd to wait on him 
 here. 
 
 In one of your kind Epistles, Madam, you men- 
 tion'd some of your Movables which you would wish 
 me to take possession of which were at my Uncle 
 Demings. The Memorandum you did not send me 
 & my Uncle Deming has none nor knows of any 
 thing but a great wheel. 
 
 He is now maried to the Widow Sebry who is very 
 much lik'd and appears to be a Gentlewoman, they 
 were very well today. My Aunt Mason was to see 
 me a few weeks since with Mrs Coburn Mrs S colly 
 & Miss Becky S colly from Middleborough. Mrs 
 S colly has since married her youngest daughter to 
 M r Prentice, Minister of Medfield. 
 
 Please to give my Love to Cousin Sally Deming if 
 she is yet with you I hope she has regain'd her usual 
 health. I should be very glad to be inform'd how 
 her Mamma is & where & her family. 
 
 Be pleased to continue your Indulgence, as your 
 
 Epistles 
 
86 NOTES. 
 
 Epistles My Dear Aunt will at all times be most 
 gratefully receiv'd by 
 
 Yr Oblidg'd Niece 
 
 Sarah Coverly. 
 
 Note 13. 
 Josiah Waters, Jr., was the son of Josiah and Abi- 
 gail Dawes Waters. The latter lived to be ninety- 
 five years old. Josiah Sr. was a captain in the Artil- 
 lery Company in 1 769, and Josiah Jr. in 1 791 . The 
 latter married, on March 14, 1771, Mary, daughter of 
 William and Elizabeth Whitwell. See Note 7. 
 Their child, Josiah Waters, tertius, born December 
 29, 1 77 1, lived till August 4, 1818. He was a Latin 
 School boy, and in the class with Josiah Quincy at 
 Harvard. 
 
 Note 14. 
 
 The life of this slave-girl Lucinda was a fair exam- 
 ple of the gentle form of slavery which existed till 
 this century in our New England States. From an 
 old paper written by a daughter of Gen. John Wins- 
 low, I quote her description of this girl : — 
 
 " Lucinda was born in Africa and purchased by 
 M re Deming when she was about seven years of 
 age. She was cherished with care and affection by 
 the family, and at Mrs. Demings death was 'given 
 her freedom.' From that time she chose to make 
 her home with ' Master John ' (the late Gen. John 
 Winslow, of Boston), a nephew of M rs Demings — 
 at his house she died after some years. The friends 
 
 of 
 
NOTES. 87 
 
 of the Winslow family attended her funeral ; her pas- 
 tor the Rev Dr Eckley of the Old South and Gen. 
 W. walking next the hearse as chief mourners. A 
 few articles belonging to her are preserved in the 
 family as memorials of one who was a beloved mem- 
 ber of the household in the olden time." 
 
 Lucinda figures in Mrs. Deming's account of her 
 escape from besieged Boston in 1775, and was treated 
 with as much consideration as was Sally, the niece ; 
 for her mistress remained behind for a time at 
 Wrentham, rather than to allow Lucinda to ride out- 
 side the coach in the rain. 
 
 In a letter written by Sally Coverly, August 6, 
 l 795> to Mrs. Joshua Winslow, at Quebec, she says : 
 " You enquire about Lucinda, she is very much grat- 
 ified by it. She has lived with my Brother this ten 
 years and is very good help in their family." 
 
 Note 15. 
 
 The " Miss Sheafs " were Nancy and Mary Sheaffe, 
 youngest daughters of William Sheaffe, who had re- 
 cently died, leaving a family of four sons and six 
 daughters. He had been deputy collector of customs 
 under Joseph Harrison, the last royal collector of the 
 port. He left his family penniless, and a small shop 
 was stocked by friends for Mrs Sheaffe. I have 
 often seen her advertisements in Boston newspapers. 
 
 Mrs. Sheaffe was Susanna Child, daughter of 
 Thomas Child, an Englishman, one of the founders 
 of Trinity Church. She lived till 181 1. The ten 
 children grew up to fill dignified positions in life. 
 
 One 
 
88 NOTES. 
 
 One son was Sir Roger Hale Sheaffe. Susanna, at 
 the age of fifteen, made a most romantic runaway- 
 match with an English officer, Capt. Ponsonby Moles- 
 worth. Margaret married John R. Livingstone ; she 
 was a great beauty. Lafayette, on his return to 
 France, sent her a satin cardinal lined with ermine, 
 and an elegant gown. Helen married James Lovell. 
 (See Note 52.) Nancy, or Anne Sheaffe, married, in 
 September, 1786, John Erving, Jr., a nephew of 
 Governor Shirley, and died young, leaving three chil- 
 dren, — Maria, Frances, and Major John Erving. 
 Mary married Benj. Cutler, high sheriff of Boston, 
 and died December 8, 1784, leaving no children. 
 These Sheaffes were nearly all buried in the Child 
 tomb in Trinity Church. 
 
 Note 16. 
 Governor Matthew Griswold was born March 25, 
 1 714, died April 28, 1799. He married, on Nov. 10, 
 1743, his second cousin, Ursula Wolcott, daughter of 
 Gov. Roger Wolcott. A very amusing story is told 
 of their courtship. Governor Griswold in early life 
 wished to marry a young lady in Durham, Conn. 
 She was in love with a physician, whom she hoped 
 would propose to her, and in the mean time was un- 
 willing to give up her hold upon her assured lover. 
 At last the governor, tired of being held in an uncer- 
 tainty, pressed her for a definite answer. She pleaded 
 that she wished for more time, when he rose with 
 dignity and answered her, " I will give you a life- 
 time." This experience made him extremely shy, 
 
 and 
 
notes. Sg 
 
 and when thrown with his cousin Ursula he made no 
 advance towards love-making. At last when she was 
 nineteen and he ten years older she began asking 
 him on every occasion, "What did you say, Cousin 
 Matthew ? " and he would answer her quietly, " No- 
 thing." At last she asked him impatiently, "What 
 did you say, Cousin Matthew ? " and when he answered 
 again "Nothing," she replied sharply, "Well, it's 
 time you did," — and he did. 
 
 Their daughter Ursula, the visitor at Mrs. Dem- 
 ing's, was born April 13, 1754, and was a great 
 beauty. She married, in November 22, 1777, her 
 third cousin, Lynde McCurdy, of Norwich, Conn. 
 
 Note 17. 
 " Unkle Joshua " was Joshua Green, born in Bos- 
 ton, May 17, 1 73 1, " Monday \ past 9 oclock in the 
 morns " and died in Wendell, Mass., on September 
 2, 181 1. He attended the Boston Latin School in 
 1738, and was in the class of 1749 at Harvard. He 
 married, as did his brother and sister, a Storer — ■ 
 Hannah, daughter of Ebenezer and Mary Edwards 
 Storer — on October 7, 1762. After his marriage he 
 lived in Court Street, the third house south of Han- 
 over Street. His wife Hannah was for many years 
 before and after her marriage — as was her mother — 
 the intimate friend and correspondent of Abigail 
 Adams, wife of John Adams. Some of their letters 
 may be found in the Account of Per rival and Ellen 
 Green and Some of their Descendants, written by Hon. 
 Samuel Abbott Green, who is a great-grandson of 
 Joshua and Hannah Green. Note 
 
90 NOTES. 
 
 Note 18. 
 Madam Storer was Mary Edwards Storer, the 
 widow of Ebenezer Storer, a Boston merchant. She 
 was the mother of Anna's uncle Ebenezer Storer, of 
 her aunt Hannah Storer Green, and of her aunt 
 Mary Storer Green. See Notes 19, 32, 59. 
 
 Note 19. 
 Miss Caty Vans was the granddaughter of Hugh 
 Vans, a merchant of Boston, who became a member 
 of the Old South Church in 1728. He was born in 
 Ayr, Scotland, in 1699. He married Mary Pember- 
 ton, daughter of Rev. Ebenezer Pemberton, and died 
 in Boston in 1763. They had four sons, John, Eben- 
 ezer, Samuel, and William. One of the first three 
 was the father of Caty Vans, who was born January 18, 
 1770. There are frequent references to her through- 
 out the diary, but I know nothing of her life. William 
 Vans married Mary Clarke, of Salem, and had one son, 
 William, and one daughter, Rebecca, who married 
 Captain Jonathan Carnes. The Vans family Bible is 
 in the library of the Essex Institute. 
 
 Note 20. 
 In the cordial hatred of the Puritans for Christmas 
 Anna heartily joined. It was not till this century 
 that in New England cheerful merriment and the 
 universal exchange of gifts marked the day as a real 
 holiday. 
 
 Note 
 
NOTES. 91 
 
 Note 21. 
 "Aunt Sukey" was Susanna Green, born July 26, 
 1744, died November 10, 1775. She married, on Oc- 
 tober 18, 1769, her cousin, Francis Green. The little 
 child Charles, of whom Anna writes, proved to be a 
 deaf-mute, and was drowned near Halifax in 1787. 
 Francis Green had two deaf-mute children by a second 
 wife, and became prominent afterwards in Massachu- 
 setts for his interest in and promotion of methods in 
 instructing the deaf. In a letter of George Green's, 
 dated Boston, July 23, 1770, we read: "Frank Green 
 was married to Sukey in October last and they live 
 next house to Mrs Storers." From another, dated 
 December 5, 1770: "Frank keeps a ship going be- 
 tween here & London, but I believe understands little 
 of the matter, having never been bred to business wch 
 was one great objection with my father to his court- 
 ing Sukey." I think he must have developed into a 
 capable business man, for I have frequently seen his 
 business advertisements in Boston newspapers of his 
 day. Anna's mother bequeathed seven hundred and 
 fifty dollars to Francis Green in her will. He was a 
 man universally esteemed in the community. 
 
 Note 22. 
 Dr. Samuel Cooper was born March 28, 1725 ; died 
 December 29, 1783. He graduated at Harvard in 
 1743, and became pastor of the Brattle Street Con- 
 gregational Church, of Boston. He was a brilliant 
 preacher, an ardent patriot, the intimate friend of 
 John Adams and Benjamin Franklin, and a very hand- 
 some man. Note 
 
92 NOTES. 
 
 Note 23. 
 
 was Samui 
 
 writing-master, one of a highly honored family of 
 Boston writing teachers. Perhaps the best known of 
 this family was Abiah Holbrook. In the Boston 
 Gazette of January 30, 1769, I find this notice : — 
 
 " Last Friday morning died Mr Abiah Holbrook in 
 the 51st year of his Age, Master of the South Writing 
 School in this Town. He was looked upon by the 
 Best Judges as the Greatest Master of the Pen we 
 have ever had among us, of which he has left a most 
 beautiful Demonstration. He was indefatigable in 
 his labours, successful in his Instructions, an Honour 
 to the Town and to crown all an Ornament to the 
 Religion of Jesus. His Funeral is to be Attended 
 Tomorrow Afternoon at Four Oclock." 
 
 The " beautiful Demonstration " of his penmanship 
 which he left behind him was a most intricate piece 
 of what was known as "fine knotting" or "knot 
 work." It was written in " all the known hands of 
 Great Britain." This work occupied every moment 
 of what Abiah Holbrook called his " spare time " for 
 seven years. It was valued at ^100. It was be- 
 queathed to Harvard College, unless his wife should 
 need the money which could be obtained from selling 
 it. If this were so, she was to offer it first for pur- 
 chase to John Hancock. Abiah was a stanch patriot. 
 
 Samuel Holbrook was a brother of Abiah. He 
 began teaching in 1 745, when about eighteen years 
 old. A petition of Abiah, dated March 10, 1745-46, 
 sets forth that his school had two hundred and twenty 
 
 scholars 
 
NOTES. 93 
 
 scholars (Well may his funeral notice say that he was 
 indefatigable in his labors !), that finding it impossible 
 to properly instruct such a great number, he had ap- 
 pointed his brother to teach part of them and had 
 paid his board for seven months, else some of the 
 scholars must have been turned off without any in- 
 struction. He therefore prayed the town to grant 
 him assistance. Think of one master for such a 
 great school! In 1750 Samuel Holbrook's salary as 
 usher of the South Writing School was fifty pounds 
 per annum. 
 
 After serving as writing-master of the school in 
 Queen Street, and also keeping a private school, he 
 was chosen master of the South Writing School in 
 March, 1769, to supply the place of his brother Abiah 
 deceased. His salary was one hundred pounds. In 
 1776, and again in 1777, he received eighty pounds in 
 addition to his salary. He also was a patriot. He 
 was one of the " Sons of Liberty " who dined at the 
 Liberty Tree, Dorchester, on August 14, 1769; and 
 he was a member of Captain John Haskin's company 
 in 1773. He was a member of the Old South Church, 
 and he died July 24, 1784. In his later years he kept 
 a school at West Street, where afterwards was Amos 
 Lawrence's garden. 
 
 Abiah and Samuel left behind them better dem- 
 onstrations of their capacity than pieces of "knot- 
 work" — in the handwriting of their scholars. They 
 taught what Jonathan Snelling described as " Boston 
 Style of Writing," and loudly do the elegant letters 
 and signatures of their scholars, Boston patriots, 
 
 clergy, 
 
94 NOTES. 
 
 clergy, and statesmen, redound to the credit of the 
 Masters Holbrook. 
 
 Other Holbrooks taught in Boston. From the 
 Selectmen's Minutes of that little town, we find that 
 on November 10, 1773, — 
 
 " Mr Holbrook, Master of the Writing School in 
 the Common, and Mr Carter the Master Elect of the 
 school in Queen St having recommended Mr Abiah 
 Holbrook, a young man near of age, as a suitable 
 person to be usher at Mr Carters school — the Select- 
 men sent for him, and upon discoursing with the 
 young man thought proper to appoint him usher of 
 said school." 
 
 And from the Boston Gazette, of April 17, 1769, we 
 learn that Mr. Joseph Ward " Opened an English 
 Grammar School in King St where Mr Joseph Hol- 
 brook hath for many years kept a Writing School." 
 
 These entries of Anna's relating to her attending 
 Master Holbrook's school have an additional value in 
 that they prove that both boys and girls attended 
 these public writing schools, — a fact which has been 
 disputed. 
 
 Note 24. 
 
 Dr. James Lloyd, born March 14, 1728, died 
 March 14, 18 10. He began his medical practice in 
 1752. He was appointed surgeon of the garrison at 
 Boston, and was a close friend of Sir William Howe 
 and Earl Percy, who for a time lived in his house. 
 He was an Episcopalian, and one of the indignant 
 protesters against the alteration of the liturgy at 
 King's Chapel. Though a warm Tory and Loyalist, 
 
 he 
 
NOTES. 95 
 
 he was never molested by the American government. 
 He was one of Boston's most skilful and popular 
 physicians for many years. While other city doctors 
 got but a shilling and sixpence for their regular fee, 
 he charged and received the exorbitant sum of half 
 a dollar a visit ; and for " bringing little master to 
 town," in which function he was a specialist, he 
 charged a guinea. 
 
 Note 25. 
 A pincushion was for many years, and indeed is 
 still, in some parts of New England, a highly conven- 
 tional gift to a mother with a young babe. Mrs. 
 Deming must have made many of these cushions. 
 One of her manufacture still exists. It is about five 
 inches long and three inches wide ; one side is of 
 white silk stuck around the edge with old-fashioned 
 clumsy pins, with the words, " John Winslow March 
 1783. Welcome Little Stranger." The other side is 
 of gray satin with green spots, with a cluster of pins 
 in the centre, and other pins winding around in a vine 
 and forming a row round the edge. 
 
 Note 26. 
 Though the exchange of Christmas gifts was rare 
 in New England, a certain observance of New Year's 
 Day by gifts seems to have obtained. And we find 
 in Judge Sewall's diary that he was greeted on New 
 Year's morn with a levet, or blast of trumpets, under 
 his window; and he celebrated the opening of the 
 eighteenth century with a very poor poem of his own 
 
 composition, 
 
g6 NOTES. 
 
 composition, which he caused to be recited through 
 Boston streets by the town-crier. 
 
 Note 27. 
 The word " pompedore " or Pompadour was in con- 
 stant use in that day. We read of pompedore shoes, 
 laces, capes, aprons, sacques, stockings, and head- 
 dresses. 
 
 Note 28. 
 
 Aunt Storer was Mrs. Ebenezer Storer. Her mai- 
 den name was Elizabeth Green. She was a sister of 
 Mrs. Joshua Winslow. She was born October 12, 
 1734, died December 8, 1774; was married July 17, 
 1 75 1, to Ebenezer Storer, who was born January 27, 
 1729-30, died January 6, 1807. He was a Harvard 
 graduate, and was for many years treasurer of that 
 college. He was one of Boston's most intellectual 
 and respected citizens. His library was large. His 
 name constantly appears on the lists of subscribers 
 to new books. After his death his astronomical in- 
 struments became the property of Harvard College, 
 and as late as 1843 his comet-finder was used there. 
 
 As Anna Green Winslow spent so much of her 
 time in her " Aunt Storers " home in Sudbury Street, 
 it is interesting to know that a very correct picture 
 of this elegant Boston home of colonial days has 
 been preserved through the account given in the 
 Memoir of Eliza Susan Morto7i Quincy, — though 
 many persons still living remember the house : — 
 
 "The mansion of Ebenezer Storer, an extensive 
 
 edifice 
 
NOTES. 97 
 
 edifice of wood three stories in height, was erected in 
 1700. It was situated on Sudbury Street between 
 two trees of great size and antiquity. An old English 
 elm of uncommon height and circumference grew in 
 the sidewalk of the street before the mansion, and 
 behind it was a sycamore tree of almost equal age 
 and dimensions. It fronted to the south with one 
 end toward the street. From the gate a broad walk 
 of red sandstone separated it from a grass-plot which 
 formed the courtyard, and passed the front door to 
 the office of Mr. Storer. The vestibule of the house, 
 from which a staircase ascended, opened on either 
 side into the dining and drawing rooms. Both had 
 windows towards the courtyard and also opened by 
 glazed doors into a garden behind the house. They 
 were long low apartments ; the walls wainscoted and 
 panelled ; the furniture of carved mahogany. The 
 ceilings were traversed through the length of the 
 rooms by a large beam cased and finished like the 
 walls ; and from the centre of each depended a glass 
 globe which reflected as in a convex mirror all sur- 
 rounding objects. There was a rich Persian carpet 
 in the drawing-room, the colors crimson and green. 
 The curtains and the cushions of the window-seat 
 were of green damask ; and oval mirrors and giran- 
 doles and a teaset of rich china completed the furni- 
 ture of that apartment. The wide chimney-place in 
 the dining room was lined and ornamented with 
 Dutch tiles ; and on each side stood capacious arm- 
 chairs cushioned and covered with green damask, for 
 the master and mistress of the family. On the walls 
 
 were 
 
98 NOTES. 
 
 were portraits in crayon by Copley, and valuable 
 engravings representing Franklin with his lightning 
 rod, Washington, and other eminent men of the last 
 century. Between the windows hung a long mirror 
 in a mahogany frame ; and opposite the fireplace was 
 a buffet ornamented with porcelain statuettes and a 
 set of rich china. A large apartment in the second 
 story was devoted to a valuable library, a philoso- 
 phical apparatus, a collection of engravings, a solar 
 microscope, a camera, etc." 
 
 As I read this description I seem to see the figure 
 of our happy little diary-writer reflected in the great 
 glass globes that hung from the summer-trees, while 
 she danced on the Persian carpet, or sat curled up 
 reading on the cushioned window-seat. 
 
 Note 29. 
 As this was in the time of depreciated currency, 
 ^"45 was not so large a sum to spend for a young 
 girl's outfit as would at first sight appear. 
 
 Note 30. 
 Dr. Charles Chauncey was born January 1, 1705; 
 died February 10, 1787. He graduated at Harvard in 
 1 721, and soon became pastor of the First Church in 
 Boston. He was an equally active opponent of White- 
 field and of Episcopacy. He was an ardent and ro- 
 mantic patriot, yet so plain in his ways and views that 
 he wished Paradise Lost might be turned into prose 
 that he might understand it. 
 
 Note 
 
NOTES. 99 
 
 Note 31. 
 Rev. Ebenezer Pemberton was pastor of the New- 
 Brick Church. He had a congregation of stanch 
 Whigs ; but unluckily, the Tory Governor Hutchin- 
 son also attended his church. Dr. Pemberton was 
 the other minister of the two who sprung the Govern- 
 or's hated Thanksgiving proclamation of 1771 on their 
 parishes a week ahead of time, as told in Note 3, 
 and the astounded and disgusted New Brick hearers, 
 more violent than the Old South attendants, walked 
 out of meeting while it was being read. Dr. Pem- 
 berton's troubled and unhappy pastorate came to an 
 end by the closing of his church in war times in 1775. 
 He was of the 1721 class of Harvard College. He 
 died September 9, 1777. 
 
 Note 32. 
 We find frequent references in the writings and 
 newspapers of the times to this truly Puritanical dread 
 of bishops. To the descendants of the Pilgrims the 
 very name smacked of incense, stole, and monkish 
 jargon. A writer, signing himself " America," gives 
 in the Boston Evening Post, of Octooer 14, 1771, a 
 communication thoroughly characteristic of the spirit 
 of the community against the establishment of bish- 
 ops, the persistent determination to " beate down 
 every sprout of episcopacie." 
 
 Note 33. 
 A negligee was a loose gown or sacque open in 
 front, to be worn over a handsome petticoat ; and in 
 
 spite 
 
IOO NOTES. 
 
 spite of its name, was not only in high fashion for 
 many years, but was worn for full dress. Abigail 
 Adams, writing to Mrs. Storer, on January 20, 1785, 
 says: "Trimming is reserved for full dress only, 
 when very large hoops and negligees with trains three 
 yards long are worn." I find advertised in the Boston 
 Evening Post, as early as November, 1755: "Horse- 
 hair Quilted Coats to wear with Negligees." A poem 
 printed in New York in 1 756 has these lines : — 
 
 " Put on her a Shepherdee 
 A Short Sack or Negligee 
 Ruffled high to keep her warm 
 Eight or ten about an arm." 
 
 Note 34. 
 A pistareen was a Spanish coin worth about seven- 
 teen cents. 
 
 Note $$. 
 There exists in New England a tradition of "groan- 
 ing cake," made and baked in honor of a mother 
 and babe. These cakes which Anna bought of the 
 nurse may have been "groaning cakes." It was al- 
 ways customary at that time to give " vails " to the 
 nurse when visiting a new-born child; sometimes 
 gifts of money, often of trinkets and articles of cloth- 
 ing- 
 
 Note 36. 
 Miss " Scolley " was Mary Scollay, youngest of the 
 thirteen children of John Scollay (who was born in 
 
 1712 
 
NOTES. 10 1 
 
 1 71 2, died October, 1799), and his wife Mary. Mary 
 was born in 1759. She married Rev. Thomas Pren- 
 tiss on February 9, 1 798, had nine children, and lived 
 to be eighty- two years old — dying in 1841. Her 
 sister Mercy was engaged to be married to General 
 Warren, but he fell at Bunker Hill : and his betrothed 
 devoted herself afterwards to the care and education 
 of his orphaned children whom he had by his first 
 wife. 
 
 Note 37. 
 Miss Bella Coffin was probably Isabella, daughter 
 of John Coffin and Isabella Child, who were married 
 in 1750. She married Major MacMurde, and their 
 sons were officers in India. 
 
 Note 38. 
 This Miss " Quinsey " was Ann Quincy, the daugh- 
 ter of Col. Josiah Quincy (who was born 1710, died 
 1784), and his third wife, Ann Marsh. Ann was born 
 December 8, 1763, and thus would have been in her 
 ninth year at the time of the little rout. She married 
 the Rev. Asa Packard, of Marlborough, Mass., in 
 1790. 
 
 Note 39. 
 In the universal use of wines and strong liquors in 
 New England at that date children took unrestrain- 
 edly their proportionate part. It seems strange to 
 think of this girl assembly of little Bostonians drink- 
 ing wine and hot or cold punch as part of their 
 
 " treat," 
 
102 NOTES. 
 
 " treat," yet no doubt they were well accustomed to 
 such fare. I know of a little girl of still tenderer 
 years who was sent at that same time from the Bar- 
 badoes to her grandmother's house in Boston to be 
 "finished" in Boston schools, as was Anna, and who 
 left her relative's abode in high dudgeon because she 
 was not permitted to have wine at her meals ; and her 
 parents upheld her, saying Missy must be treated 
 like a lady and have all the wine she wished. Cob- 
 bett, who thought liquor drinking the national disease 
 of America, said that " at all hours of the day little 
 boys at or under twelve years of age go into stores 
 and tip off their drams." Thus it does not seem 
 strange for little maids also to drink at a party. The 
 temperance awakening of this century came none too 
 
 Note 40. 
 Paste ornaments were universally worn by both 
 men and women, as well as by little girls, and formed 
 the decoration of much of the headgear of fashion- 
 able dames. Many advertisements appear in New 
 England newspapers, which show how large and 
 varied was the importation of hair ornaments at that 
 date. We find advertised in the Boston Evening 
 Post, of 1768: "Double and single row knotted 
 Paste Combs, Paste Hair Sprigs & Pins all prices. 
 Marcasite and Pearl Hair Sprigs, Garnet & Pearl 
 Hair Sprigs." In the Salem Gazette and various 
 Boston papers I read of " black & coloured plumes 
 & feathers." Other hair ornaments advertised in the 
 
 Boston 
 
NOTES. 103 
 
 Boston News Letter, of December, 1768, were " Long 
 and small Tail Garnets, Mock Garland of all sorts 
 and Ladies Poll Combs." Steel plumes, pompons, 
 aigrettes, and rosettes all were worn on the head, and 
 artificial flowers, wreaths of gauze, and silk ribbons. 
 
 Note 41. 
 Marcasite, spelled also marcassite, march asite, mar- 
 quesett, or marquaset, was a mineral, the crystallized 
 form of iron pyrites. It was largely used in the 
 eighteenth century for various ornamental purposes, 
 chiefly in the decoration of the person. It took a 
 good polish, and when cut in facets like a rose-dia- 
 mond, formed a pretty material for shoe and knee- 
 buckles, earrings, rings, pins, and hair ornaments. 
 Scarce a single advertisement of wares of milliner or 
 mantua maker can he found in eighteenth century 
 newspapers that does not contain in some form of 
 spelling the word marcasite, and scarce a rich gown 
 or headdress was seen without some ornament of 
 marcasite. 
 
 Note 42. 
 Master Turner was William Turner, a fashionable 
 dancing master of Boston, who afterward resided in 
 Salem, and married Judith, daughter of Dr. Edward 
 Augustus Holyoke, of Salem, who died in 1829, aged 
 one hundred and one years. It was recalled by an 
 old lady that the scholars in the school of her youth 
 marched through Boston streets, to the music of the 
 fiddle played by "Black Henry," to Concert Hall, 
 
 corner 
 
104 NOTES. 
 
 corner Tremont and Bromfield streets, to practice 
 dancing ; and that Mr. Turner walked at the head of 
 the school. His advertisements may be seen in Bos- 
 ton and Salem papers, thus : — 
 
 "Mr. Turner informs the Ladies and Gentlemen 
 in Town and Country that he has reduced his price 
 for teaching from Six Dollars Entrance to One Guinea, 
 and from Four Dollars per month to Three. Those 
 ladies and Gentlemen who propose sending their 
 children to be taught will notice no books will be 
 kept as Mr. T. has suffered much by Booking. The 
 pupils must pay monthly if they are desirous the 
 School should continue." 
 
 Note 43. 
 " Unkle Ned " was Edward Green, born September 
 18, 1733 ; died July 29, 1790. He married, on April 
 14, 1757, Mary Storer (sister of Ebenezer Storer and 
 of Hannah Storer Green). They had no children. 
 He was, in 1780, one of the enlisting officers for Suf- 
 folk County. In a letter of George Green's, written 
 July 25, 1770, we read: " Ned still lives gentleman- 
 like at Southwacks Court without doing any business 
 tho' obliged to haul in his horns ; " and from another 
 of December 5, 1770: "Ned after having shown off 
 as long as he cou'd with his yell° damask window 
 curtains &c is (the last month) retired into the coun- 
 try and lives wth his wife at Parson Storers at Water- 
 town. How long that will hold I cant say." 
 
 Note 
 
NOTES. 105 
 
 Note 44. 
 
 Madam Smith was evidently Anna's teacher in 
 sewing. The duties pertaining to a sewing school 
 were, in those days, no light matter. From an adver- 
 tisement of one I learn that there were taught at 
 these schools : — 
 
 "All kinds of Needleworks viz: point, Brussels, 
 Dresden Gold, Silver, and silk Embroidery of every 
 kind. Tambour Feather, India & Darning, Sprig- 
 gings with a Variety of Open-work to each. Tapes- 
 try plain, lined, and drawn. Catgut, black & white, 
 with a number of beautiful Stitches. Diaper and 
 Plain Darnings. French Quiltings, Knitting, Various 
 Sorts of marking with the Embellishments of Royal 
 cross, Plain cross, Queen, Irish, and Tent Stitches." 
 
 Can any nineteenth century woman read this list of 
 feminine accomplishments without looking abashed 
 upon her idle hands, and ceasing to wonder at the 
 delicate heirlooms of lace and embroidery that have 
 come down to us ! 
 
 Note 45. 
 Grandmamma Sargent was Joshua Winslow's mo- 
 ther. Her maiden name was Sarah Pierce. She 
 was born April 30, 1697, died August 2, 1771. She 
 married on September 21, 1721, John Winslow, who 
 lived to be thirty-eight years old. After his death 
 she married Dr. Nathaniel Sargent in 1749. 
 
 Note 
 
106 NOTES. 
 
 Note 46. 
 These lines were a part of the epitaph said to be 
 composed by Governor Thomas Dudley, who died at 
 Andover, Mass., in 1653. They were found after his 
 death and preserved in Morton's New England's 
 Memorial. They run thus : — 
 
 Dim eyes, deaf ears, cold stomach show 
 
 My dissolution is in view; 
 
 Eleven times seven near lived have I, 
 
 And now God calls, I willing die ; 
 
 My shuttle's shot, my race is run, 
 
 My sun is set, my deed is done ; 
 
 My span is measur'd, tale is told, 
 
 My flower is faded and grown old, 
 
 My dream is vanish 'd, shadow's fled, 
 
 My soul with Christ, my body dead; 
 
 Farewell dear wife, children and friends, 
 
 Hate heresy, make blessed ends ; 
 
 Bear poverty, live with good men, 
 
 So shall we meet with joy again. 
 
 Let men of God in courts and churches watch 
 
 O'er such as do a toleration hatch ; 
 
 Lest that ill egg bring forth a cockatrice, 
 
 To prison all with heresy and vice. 
 
 If men be left, and other wise combine 
 
 My epitaph's, I dy'd no libertine. 
 
 Note 47. 
 Miss Polly Vans was Mary Vans, daughter of 
 Hugh and Mary Pemberton Vans, and aunt of Caty 
 Vans. She was born in 1733. We have some scat- 
 tered glimpses of her life. She joined the Old South 
 
 in 
 
NOTES. 107 
 
 in 1755. In the Boston Gazette, of April 9, 1770, we 
 read, " Fan Mounts mounted by Mary Vans at the 
 house of Deacon Williams, in Cornhill." We hear 
 of her at Attleborough with Samuel Whitwell's wife 
 when the gates of Boston were closed, and we know 
 she married Deacon Jonathan Mason on Sunday 
 evening, December 20, 1778. She was his second 
 wife. His first wife was Miriam Clark, and was 
 probably the Mrs. Mason who was present at Mrs. 
 Whitwell's, and died June 5, 1774. Mary Vans 
 Mason lived till 1820, having witnessed the termina- 
 tion of eight of the pastorates of the Old South 
 Church. Well might Anna term her " a Sister of the 
 Old South." She was in 181 7 the President of the 
 Old South Charity School, and is described as a 
 "disinterested friend, a judicious adviser, an affec- 
 tionate counsellor, a mild but faithful reprover, a 
 humble, self-denying, fervent, active, cheerful Chris- 
 tian." Jonathan Mason was not only a deacon, but 
 a prosperous merchant and citizen. He helped to 
 found the first bank in New England. His son was 
 United States Senator. Two other daughters of 
 Hugh Vans were a Mrs. Langdon, of Wiscasset, 
 Maine, and Mrs. John Coburn. 
 
 Note 48. 
 St. Valentine's Day was one of the few English 
 holidays observed in New England. We find even 
 Governor Winthrop writing to his wife about " chal- 
 lenging a valentine." In England at that date, and 
 for a century previous, the first person of the oppo- 
 site 
 
108 NOTES. 
 
 site sex seen in the morning was the observer's valen- 
 tine. We find Madam Pepys lying in bed for a long 
 time one St. Valentine's morning with eyes tightly 
 closed, lest she see one of the painters who was gild- 
 ing her new mantelpiece, and be forced to have him 
 for her valentine. Anna means, doubtless, that the 
 first person she chanced to see that morning was " an 
 old country plow-joger." 
 
 Note 49. 
 Boston was at that date pervaded by the spirit of 
 Liberty. Sons of Liberty held meetings every day 
 and every night. Daughters of Liberty held spinning 
 and weaving bees, and gathered in bands pledging 
 themselves to drink no tea till the obnoxious revenue 
 act was repealed. Young unmarried girls joined in 
 an association with the proud declaration, " We, the 
 daughters of those Patriots who have appeared for 
 the public interest, do now with pleasure engage with 
 them in denying ourselves the drinking of foreign 
 tea." Even the children felt the thrill of revolt and 
 joined in patriotic demonstrations — and a year or 
 two later the entire graduating class at Harvard, to 
 encourage home manufactures, took their degrees in 
 homespun. 
 
 Note 50. 
 
 The cut-paper pictures referred to are the ones 
 
 which are reproduced in this book, and which are 
 
 still preserved. Anna's father finally received them. 
 
 Mrs. Deming and other members of the Winslow 
 
 family 
 
NOTES. IO9 
 
 family seem to have excelled in this art, and are 
 remembered as usually bringing paper and scissors 
 when at a tea-drinking, and assiduously cutting these 
 pictures with great skill and swiftness and with ap- 
 parently but slight attention to the work. This form 
 of decorative art was very fashionable in colonial 
 days, and was taught under the ambitious title of 
 Papyrotamia. 
 
 Note 51. 
 
 The " biziness of making flowers " was a thriving 
 one in Boston. We read frequently in newspapers 
 of the day such notices as that of Anne Dacray, of 
 Pudding Lane, in the Boston Evening Post, of 1769, 
 who advertises that she "makes and sells Head- 
 flowers : Ladies may be supplied with single buds for 
 trimming Stomachers or sticking in the Hair." Ad- 
 vertisements of teachers in the art of flower-making 
 also are frequent. I note one from the Boston Ga- 
 zette, of October 19, 1767 : — 
 
 " To the young Ladies of Boston. Elizabeth 
 Courtney as several Ladies has signified of having a 
 desire to learn that most ingenious art of Painting on 
 Gauze & Catgut, proposes to open a School, and 
 that her business may be a public good, designs to 
 teach the making of all sorts of French Trimmings, 
 Flowers, and Feather Muffs and Tippets. And as 
 these Arts above mentioned (the Flowers excepted) 
 are entirely unknown on the Continent, she flatters 
 herself to meet with all due encouragement ; and 
 more so, as every Lady may have a power of serving 
 
 herself 
 
IIO NOTES. 
 
 herself of what she is now obliged to send to England 
 for, as the whole process is attended with little or no 
 expence. The Conditions are Five Dollars at en- 
 trance ; to be confin'd to no particular hours or 
 time : And if they apply Constant may be Compleat 
 in six weeks. And when she has fifty subscribers 
 school will be opened, &c, &c." 
 
 Note 52. 
 This was James Lovell, the famous Boston school- 
 master, orator, and patriot. He was born in Boston 
 October 31, 1737. He graduated at Harvard in 1756, 
 then became a Latin School usher. He married Miss 
 Helen Sheaffe, older sister of the "two Miss Sheafs" 
 named herein; and their daughter married Henry 
 Loring, of Brookline. He was a famous patriot: he 
 delivered the oration in 1771 commemorative of the 
 Boston Massacre. He was imprisoned by the British 
 as a spy on the evidence of letters found on General 
 Warren's dead body after the battle of Bunker Hill. 
 He died in Windham, Maine, July 14, 1814. A full 
 account of his life and writings is given in Loring's 
 Hundred Boston Orators. 
 
 Note 53. 
 Nothing seems more revolting to our modern no- 
 tions of decency than the inhuman custom of punish- 
 ing criminals in the open streets. From the earliest 
 days of the colonies the greatest publicity was given 
 to the crime, to its punishment, and to the criminal. 
 Anna shows, in her acquaintance with the vices of 
 
 Bet 
 
NOTES. Ill 
 
 Bet Smith, a painful familiarity with evil unknown in 
 any well-bred child of to-day. Samuel Breck wrote 
 thus of the Boston of 1771 : — 
 
 "The large whipping-post painted red stood con- 
 spicuously and prominently in the most public street 
 in the town. It was placed in State Street directly 
 under the windows of a great writing school which I 
 frequented, and from them the scholars were indulged 
 in the spectacle of all kinds of punishment suited 
 to harden their hearts and brutalize their feelings. 
 Here women were taken in a huge cage, in which 
 they were dragged on wheels from prison, and tied 
 to the post with bare backs on which thirty or forty 
 lashes were bestowed among the screams of the cul- 
 prit and the uproar of the mob. A little further in 
 the street was to be seen the pillory with three or four 
 fellows fastened by the head and hands, and standing 
 for an hour in that helpless posture, exposed to gross 
 and cruel jeers from the multitude, who pelted them 
 incessantly with rotten eggs and every repulsive kind 
 of garbage that could be collected." 
 
 There was a pillory in State Street in Boston as 
 late as 1803, and men stood in it for the crime of sink- 
 ing a vessel at sea and defrauding the underwriters. 
 In 1 77 1 the pillory was in constant use in Newport. 
 
 Note 54. 
 In 1770 British troops were quartered in Boston, 
 to the intense annoyance and indignation of Boston 
 inhabitants. Disturbances between citizens and sol- 
 diers were frequent, and many quarrels arose. On 
 
 the 
 
112 NOTES. 
 
 the night of March 5 in that year the disturbance 
 became so great that the troops, at that time under 
 command of Captain Preston, fired upon the un- 
 armed citizens in King (now State) street, causing the 
 death of Crispus Attucks, a colored man, Samuel 
 Gray and James Caldwell, who died on the spot, and 
 mortally wounding Patrick Carr and Samuel Maver- 
 ick. At the burial of these slaughtered men the 
 greatest concourse ever known in the colonies flocked 
 to the grave in the Granary Burying Ground. All 
 traffic ceased. The stores and manufactories were 
 closed. The bells were tolled in all the neighboring 
 towns. 
 
 Daniel Webster said, that from the moment the 
 blood of these men stained the pavements of Boston 
 streets, we may date the severance of the colony from 
 the British empire. 
 
 The citizens demanded the removal of the troops, 
 and the request was complied with. For many years 
 the anniversary of this day was a solemn holiday in 
 Boston, and religious and patriotic services were 
 publicly held. 
 
 Note 55. 
 Mather Byles was born March 15, 1707; died 
 July 5, 1788. He was ordained pastor of the Hollis 
 Street Congregational Church, of Boston, in 1733. 
 He was a staunch Loyalist till the end of his days, as 
 were his daughters, who lived till 1837. His chief 
 fame does not rest on his name as a clergyman or an 
 author, but as an inveterate and unmerciful jester. 
 
 Note 
 
NOTES. 113 
 
 Note $6. 
 Henry Green, the brother of Anna's mother, was 
 born June 2, 1738. He was a Latin School boy, was 
 in business in Nova Scotia, and died in 1774. 
 
 Note 57. 
 
 This stove was a foot-stove, — a small metal box, 
 usually of sheet tin or iron, enclosed in a wooden 
 frame or standing on little legs, and with a handle or 
 bail for comfortable carriage. In it were placed hot 
 coals from a glowing wood fire, and from it came a 
 welcome warmth to make endurable the freezing floors 
 of the otherwise unwarmed meeting-house. Foot- 
 stoves were much used in the Old South. In the 
 records of the church, under date of January 16, 1771, 
 may be read : — 
 
 " Whereas, danger is apprehended from the stoves 
 that are frequently left in the meeting-house after the 
 publick worship is over; Voted that the Saxton make 
 diligent search on the Lords Day evening and in the 
 evening after a Lecture, to see if any stoves are left 
 in the house, and that if he find any there he take 
 them to his house ; and it is expected that the owners 
 of such stoves make reasonable satisfaction to the 
 Saxton for his trouble before they take them away." 
 
 The Old South did not have a stove set in the 
 church for heating till 1783. 
 
 Note 58. 
 The first anniversary of the Boston Massacre was 
 celebrated throughout the city, and a mass-meeting 
 
114 NOTES. 
 
 was held at the Old South Church, where James 
 Lovell made a stirring address. See Notes 52 and 
 54- 
 
 Note 59. 
 The Queen's night-cap was a very large full cap 
 with plaited ruffles, which is made familiar to us 
 through the portraits of Martha Washington. 
 
 Note 60. 
 "Old Mrs. Sallisbury" was Mrs. Nicholas Salis- 
 bury, who was married in 1729, and was mother of 
 Rebecca Salisbury, who became Mrs. Daniel Waldo, 
 and of Samuel Salisbury, who married Elizabeth 
 Sewall. See Note 73. 
 
 Note 61. 
 Mrs. John Avery. Her husband was Secretary of 
 the Commonwealth and nephew of John Deming, 
 who* in his will left his house to John Avery, Jr. 
 
 Note 62. 
 A baby hutt was a booby-hutch, a clumsy, ill-con- 
 trived covered carriage. The word is still used in 
 some parts of England, and a curious survival of it in 
 New England is the word booby-hut applied to a 
 hooded sleigh ; and booby to the body of a hackney 
 coach set on runners. Mr. Howells uses the word 
 booby in the latter signification, and it may be heard 
 frequently in eastern Massachusetts, particularly in 
 Boston. 
 
 Note 
 
NOTES. 115 
 
 Note 63. 
 Peggy Phillips was Margaret Phillips, daughter of 
 William and Margaret Wendell Phillips. She was 
 born May 26, 1762, married Judge Samuel Cooper, 
 and died February 19, 1844. She was aunt of Wen- 
 dell Phillips. 
 
 Note 64. 
 
 This " droll figure " may have been a drawing, or a 
 dressed doll, or " baby," as such were called — a doll 
 that displayed in careful miniature the reigning modes 
 of the English court. In the New England Weekly 
 Journal, of July 2, 1 733, appears this notice : — 
 
 " To be seen at Mrs. Hannah Teatts Mantua 
 Maker at the Head of Summer Street Boston a Baby 
 drest after the Newest Fashion of Mantuas and Night 
 Gowns & everything belonging to a dress. Latily 
 arrived on Capt. White from London, any Ladies that 
 desire it may either come or send, she will be ready 
 to wait on 'em if they come to the House it is Five 
 Shilling, & if she waits on 'em it is Seven Shilling." 
 
 These models of fashion were employed until this 
 century. 
 
 Note 65. 
 We can have a very exact notion of the books im- 
 ported and printed for and read by children at that 
 time, from the advertisements in the papers. In the 
 Boston Gazette and Cotmtry Journal, of January 20, 
 1772, the booksellers, Cox and Berry, have this 
 notice : — 
 
 The 
 
Il6 NOTES. 
 
 The following Little Books for the Instruction & Amuse- 
 ment of all good Boys and Girls. 
 
 The Brother Gift or the Naughty Girl Reformed. 
 The Sister Gift, or the Naughty Boy Reformed. 
 Hobby Horse or Christian Companion. 
 Robin Good-Fellow, A Fairy Tale. 
 Puzzling Cap, A Collection of Riddles. 
 The Cries of London as exhibited in the Streets. 
 Royal Guide or Early Introduction to Reading English. 
 Mr Winloves Collection of Stories. 
 " " Moral Lectures. 
 
 History of Tom Jones abridg'd from the works of 
 
 " " Joseph Andrews H. Fielding. 
 
 " " Pamela abridg'd from the works of 
 
 " " Grandison S. Richardson, Esq. 
 
 " " Clarissa 
 
 Note 66. 
 General John Winslow was but a distant kinsman 
 of Anna's, for he was descended from Edward Wins- 
 low. He was born May 27, 1702 ; died April 17, 1774. 
 He was a soldier and jurist, but his most prominent 
 position (though now of painful notoriety) was as 
 commander of that tragic disgrace in American his- 
 tory, the expedition against the Acadians. It is told 
 in extenuation of his action that before the annihila- 
 tion and dispersion of that unfortunate community he 
 addressed them, saying that his duty was " very dis- 
 agreeable to his natural make and temper as it must 
 be grievous to them," but that he must obey orders, — 
 and of course what he said was true. 
 
 Note 
 
NOTES. 117 
 
 Note 67. 
 
 The exercises attending this election of counsellors 
 must indeed have been an impressive sight. The 
 Governor, attended by a troop of horse, rode from the 
 Province House to Cambridge, where religious ser- 
 vices were held. An Election Sermon was preached. 
 Volleys and salutes were fired at the Battery and 
 Castle. A protest was made in the public press, as 
 on the previous year, against holding this election in 
 Cambridge instead of in the "Town House in Bos- 
 ton, the accustomed Ancient Place," and also directly 
 to the Governor, which was answered by him in the 
 newspapers ; and at this election a most significant 
 event occurred — John Hancock declined to accept 
 a seat among the counsellors, to which he had been 
 elected. The newspapers — the Massachusetts Spy 
 and the Boston Gazette and Country Journal — com- 
 mented on his action thus : — 
 
 "Mr Hancocks declining a seat in the Council 
 Board is very satisfactory to the Friends of Liberty 
 among his constituents. This Gentleman has stood 
 five years successively and as often Negativ'd. 
 Whatever may have been the Motive of his being 
 approbated at last his own Determination now shows 
 that he had rather be a Representative of the People 
 since he has had so repeatedly their Election and 
 Confidence." 
 
 Note 68. 
 Boston had two election days. On Artillery Elec- 
 tion the Ancient and Honorable Artillery had a dress 
 
 parade 
 
Il8 NOTES. 
 
 parade on the Common. The new officers were 
 chosen and received their new commissions from the 
 new Governor. No negroes were then allowed on the 
 Common. The other day was called " Nigger Lec- 
 tion," because the blacks were permitted to throng 
 the Common and buy gingerbread and drink beer, as 
 did their betters at Artillery Election. 
 
 Note 69. 
 Col. Thomas Marshall was a Revolutionary officer. 
 He commanded the Tenth Massachusetts Regiment 
 at Valley Forge. He was Captain of the Ancient 
 and Honorable Artillery from 1763 to 1767, and at 
 one time commanded Castle Island, now Fort Inde- 
 pendence. He was one of the Selectmen of Boston 
 at the time when the town was invested by troops 
 under Washington. He died at Weston, Mass., on 
 November 18, 1800. 
 
 Note 70. 
 A night gown was not in those days a garment for 
 wear when sleeping, but resembled what we now call 
 a tea-gown. The night attire was called a rail. Both 
 men and women wore in public loose robes which 
 they called night gowns. Men often wore these 
 gowns in their offices. 
 
 Note 71. 
 Many Boston people agreed with Anna in her esti- 
 mate of Rev. Samuel Stillman. He was called to the 
 First Baptist Church in 1765, and soon became one 
 
 of 
 
NOTES. 119 
 
 of Boston's most popular and sensational preachers. 
 Crowds thronged his obscure little church at the 
 North End, and he took an active part in Revolu- 
 tionary politics. Many were pleased with his patriot- 
 ism who did not agree with him in doctrine. In the 
 curious poem on Boston Ministers, already quoted, 
 we read : — 
 
 Last in my list is a Baptist, 
 
 A real saint, I wot. 
 Though named Stillman much noise he can 
 
 Make when in pulpit got. 
 The multitude, both grave and rude, 
 
 As drove by wind and tide, 
 After him hie, when he doth try 
 
 To gain them to his side. 
 
 Note 72. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Hooper were " King " Hooper and 
 his wife of Marblehead. He was so called on ac- 
 count of his magnificent style of living. He was one 
 of the Harvard Class of 1763 ; was a refugee in 1775, 
 and died insolvent in 1790. The beautiful mansion 
 which he built at Danvers, Mass., is still standing in 
 perfect condition, and is the home of Francis Pea- 
 body, Esq. It is one of the finest examples of 
 eighteenth century architecture in New England. 
 
 Note 73. 
 This " Miss Becca" was Rebecca Salisbury, born 
 April 7, 1 73 1, died September 25, 181 1. She was a 
 fine, high-spirited young woman, and upon being 
 taunted by a rejected lover with, 
 
 "The 
 
120 NOTES. 
 
 " The proverb old — you know it well, 
 That women dying maids, lead apes in hell," 
 
 (a belief referred to in Ta?ning of the Shrew, Act II. 
 Scene i), she made this clever rhyming answer : — 
 
 " Lead apes in hell — tis no such thing ; 
 The story's told to fool us. 
 But better there to hold a string, 
 Than here let monkeys lead us." 
 
 She married Daniel Waldo May 3, 1757. The 
 "very pretty Misses" were their daughters; Eliza- 
 beth, born November 24, 1765, died unmarried in 
 Worcester, August 28, 1845 ? an d Martha (who in 
 this diary is called Patty), born September 14, 1761, 
 died November 25, 1828. She married Levi Lincoln, 
 Lieutenant-Governor of Massachusetts, and became 
 the mother of Levi Lincoln, Governor of Massachu- 
 setts, Enoch Lincoln, Governor of Maine, and Col. 
 John Lincoln. 
 
 Note 74. 
 The fashion of the roll was of much importance 
 in those days. A roll frequently weighed fourteen 
 ounces. We can well believe such a heavy mass made 
 poor Anna's head "ach and itch like anything." 
 That same year the Boston Gazette had a laughable 
 account of an accident to a young woman on Boston 
 streets. She was knocked down by a runaway, and 
 her headdress received the most serious damage. 
 The outer covering of hair was thrust aside, and cot- 
 ton, tow, and false hair were disgorged to the delight 
 
 of 
 
NOTES. 121 
 
 of jeering boys, who kicked the various stuffings 
 around the street. A' Salem hair-dresser advertised 
 that he would " attend to the polite construction of 
 rolls to raise ladies heads to any pitch desired." 
 The Abbd Robin, traveling through Boston a few 
 years later, found the hair of ladies' heads " raised 
 and supported upon rolls to an extravagant height." 
 
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