LIFE IN NEW BEDFORD 
 ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGC 
 
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 From a portrait owned by Mrs. Morgan Rotch. 

 
 LIFE IN NEW BEDFORD 
 A HUNDRED YEARS AGO 
 
 A Chronicle of the Social, Religious and 
 Commercial History of the Period as re- 
 corded in a Diary kept by Joseph R. 
 Anthony 
 
 EDITED BY 
 ZEPHANIAH W. PEASE 
 
 Published under the auspices of 
 
 The Old Dartmouth Historical Society 
 
 By George H. Reynolds
 
 Published and Printed by 
 GEORGE H. REYNOLDS 
 
 Cor. of William and Second Sts. 
 New Bedford, Mass. 
 1922
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The picture most familiar to the 
 people of New Bedford is that of 
 "Main Street," now Union street, a 
 lithograph reproduced from a paint- 
 ing by William A. Wall. It affords a 
 glimpse of the most pretentious neigh- 
 borhood in the town as it existed a 
 little more than a century ago. Once 
 the picture adorned about every home 
 in the village. When the period of 
 the chromo came the old prints were 
 displaced and many were destroyed. 
 Within a few years old prints have 
 come in vogue and the old New Bed- 
 ford picture is eagerly sought. 
 
 The print reveals in the foreground 
 William Rotch in a chaise, the only 
 one in the village at the time, a vehi- 
 cle said to have been imported from 
 England. Along the street is a r,ow of 
 buildings, a store, a blacksmith shop, 
 the town pound, and last in the line, 
 the old mansion of William Rotch, 
 surrounded by a garden, with poplar 
 trees along the roadside. 
 
 A few traditions came down of so- 
 cial events in that early day, such as 
 the visit of John de Marsiellac from 
 Languedoc, who read the petition 
 from William Rotch to the national 
 assembly of France in reply to which 
 Mirabeau, the president of the French 
 national assembly, made a beau- 
 tiful apostrophe to the Quakers 
 — "I was present," wrote William 
 
 Logan Fisher in a manuscript 
 still in existence, "when he alighted 
 from the stage at William Rotch's 
 door and remember the earnest kisses 
 which he bestowed upon the cheeks 
 of that venerable man. There was 
 General Lincoln of Revolutionary 
 memory who received the sword of 
 CornwaHis and led him out as a pris- 
 oner at Yorktown. There was Count 
 Rochambeau Liancourt, Peter Grant 
 of Italy and many others. 
 
 The meagre records and traditions 
 familiar to those who love the fasci- 
 nating history of the rare old, fair old 
 golden time, served to excite curiosity 
 for further knowledge of the men and 
 women of the village period. As we 
 have looked at the stately Dutch cap 
 mansions, indicative of caste and dis- 
 tinction, there has come eager curi- 
 osity for intimate knowledge of those 
 who laid the corner stone of the 
 structure, their social and business 
 life, their joys and sorrows. We have 
 craved to participate in an adventure 
 such as Le Sage depicted in Asmodeus' 
 flight. In the tale, "Le Diable Bor- 
 teaux," "The Devil On Two Sticks," 
 the spirit liberated from a bottle, 
 takes Don Cleofas along, unroofs the 
 buildings of a great city and enter- 
 tains his companion with glimpses of 
 those within, revealing their suffer- 
 ings, transports and agitations. 
 
 [ 3 ]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 Asmodeus is a spirit of disrepute 
 but his facilities for getting about 
 were highly developed. By a fortu- 
 nate §et of chances we are now en- 
 abled to unroof the patrician homes 
 of the village in a high and far off 
 time when "all things in order stood," 
 as pictured in the old prints, "a haunt 
 of ancient Peace," and look in upon 
 the life of the cultivated men and 
 women of their day with almost the 
 intimacy acquired in the celebrated 
 flight of Asmodeus. 
 
 The opportunity to unveil this story 
 of the social, business and religious 
 life of this community a hundred 
 years ago, comes through the decision 
 of the custodians of a diary kept by 
 Joseph R. Anthony in the years 1823 
 and 1824, to permit its publication. 
 The diary is now in the custody of 
 Mrs. Josephine Grinnell Rotch, the 
 widow of Morgan Rotch, a daughter 
 of J. G. Grinnell. Hitherto the read- 
 ing of the diary has been limited to a 
 few associated with the families most 
 intimately concerned. The value of 
 the record was recognized as of ex- 
 ceeding historical interest, which 
 might one day be published. But it 
 has been withheld from the public 
 because being of so personal a nature 
 it was feared that breaking the seal 
 might give offence in some quarter. 
 The time has arrived when there is 
 not a direct descendant living in New 
 Bedford of Mr. Anthony, who wrote 
 the diary. 
 
 The diary was kept by Joseph R. 
 Anthony, who was, in 1823, when the 
 record commences, 26 years old. Mr. 
 Anthony was employed at that time 
 in the counting room of the Rotches. 
 Later in life he built the mansion of 
 stone on the estate which stretches 
 for a block on Orchard street, now 
 owned by Miss Julia Delano. The 
 record nearly fills two leather bound 
 
 books. It commences on January 1, 
 
 1823, and it ends on September 30, 
 
 1824. When Moses H. Grinnell died 
 in New York, these diaries were 
 found among his private papers. The 
 Grinnell family recognized the im- 
 portance of the annals. It was felt 
 by the family of Mr. Grinnell that 
 the diaries should be returned to New 
 Bedford because of the importance 
 they were bound to take in the his- 
 torical archives of this community. 
 At that time a son of Joseph Anthony, 
 the writer, Rowland Anthony, was 
 living and to him was given the cus- 
 tody. William W. Crapo, among other 
 friends of the Grinnell family, was 
 privileged to read the diaries and 
 recognized their unique interest and 
 value as history. It now seems to 
 Mr. Crapo that sufficient time has 
 elapsed to avoid the possibility iof 
 wounding the sensibilities of any per- 
 son now living by the publication of 
 these personal experiences of a hun- 
 dred years ago, and it is through his 
 intercession that the custodians of the 
 diaries have permitted their publica- 
 tion. 
 
 The Anthony diaries are somewhat 
 unusual, inasmuch as they are not so 
 much a personal legend of Mr. An- 
 thony's experiences as they are a 
 record of daily events in town and 
 country. The Adamses and other 
 famous diarists of that period kept a 
 daily chronicle, but it was written 
 around their personal movements. 
 Mr. Anthony's record is as imper- 
 sonal for considerable periods as a 
 ship's log book, although it is not car- 
 ried to the exasperating degree of per- 
 sonal suppression that distinguishes 
 log books. But that Mr. Anthony was 
 in touch with log book literature is 
 indicated by the fact that he often 
 employs the vernacular of log books, 
 as in the final entry of 1823 — "So ends 
 
 [ * ]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 this year." There is no introduction to 
 the first volume which is brought to 
 light. For anything that appears Mr. 
 Anthony had kept a diary habitually. 
 And it is brought to a close on Sep- 
 tember 30, 1824. There are many 
 blank pages following the last entry 
 in the second volume. It is strange 
 that a writer who had kept a diary so 
 persistently and faithfully for this 
 period should suddenly cease, without 
 written explanation. If there had 
 been laspes before the last entry it 
 might have been surmised that Mr. 
 Anthony had wearied of his under- 
 taking or that other activities en- 
 grossed him. but the final record ,of 
 September 30 is written in great de- 
 tail. 
 
 A theory regarding these two vol- 
 umes of records which may account 
 for the circumstances of the abrupt 
 ending, has been suggested. Moses 
 H. Grinnell, a young man of twenty at 
 this time, worked in the counting 
 room of the Rotches, along with Mr, 
 Anthony. Moses was Joseph's most 
 intimate friend. He was engaged to 
 Susan Russell, a sister of Joseph's 
 wife. He sailed from New Bedford 
 October 21, 1823, on a voyage to 
 South America, Mediterranean and 
 Baltic ports. "For the first time in my 
 life," wrote Joseph, "a tear moistened 
 my eye on parting with a friend. For 
 nearly five years he has been my 
 companion in the counting room and 
 endeared himself to me so much that 
 I can truly say I felt for him all a 
 brother's love. He goes from here to 
 Pernambuco and from thence up the 
 Mediterranean to Trieste and will be 
 absent from eight to ten months." 
 Mr. Crapo conceives that Mr. Anthony 
 kept this journal for Moses Grinnell. 
 This view is supported by the ending 
 of the diary in 1824, coincident with 
 the return of Moses. It was not feas- 
 
 ible to keep a world traveler in touch 
 with home matters through the med- 
 ium of letters in that day. There were 
 no local newspapers, and Mr. Crapo 
 is of the opinion that it was arranged 
 that Joseph should keep this journal 
 that Moses might be informed minute- 
 ly of all the happenings in the town 
 in his absence. Another theory is that 
 Mr. Anthony kept a diary habitually 
 and turned over the two volumes 
 covering the period to Moses on his 
 return — that the other diaries were 
 destroyed and that Moses preserved 
 ithe only exhibits of Mr. Anthony's in- 
 dustry. 
 
 Moses Grinnell was a son of Cor- 
 tnelius Grinnell. The trip, upon 
 which he was starting, was made 
 to assist him to fulfill his ambition 
 (to become a great merchant. He was 
 not bent upon pleasure. He first 
 made an intensive study of con- 
 ditions in the countries he visited in 
 South America. He investigated the 
 products, what was consumed in home 
 production, the amount of surplus for 
 export, prices, costs of transportation, 
 rates of exchange. He did the same 
 thing in Italy. Later he returned to 
 New York and was one of the found- 
 ers of the great house of Grinnell, 
 Minturn & Co. Henry Grinnell, a 
 brother, who financed the Dr. Kane 
 Arctic expedition, was associated with 
 him. The firm set apart $10,000 a 
 year for the entertainment of foreign 
 diplomats and the great men of earth 
 were guests of the firm. Mr. Grinnell 
 became one of the leading men of 
 affairs in the United States. 
 
 At the period when the diary was 
 written the five most beautiful girls 
 in the town were the daughters of 
 Gilbert Russell. Gilbert Russell was 
 a great grandson of Joseph Russell, 
 for whom Joseph Rotch named New 
 Bedford, Russell being the family 
 
 i s )
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 name of the Duke of Bedford. The 
 town was named Bedford. Later, when 
 it was found there was another Bed- 
 ford in the colony, "New" was pre- 
 fixed. Old Joseph Russell owned one 
 of the eleven farms, including what is 
 now Russell Mills. Later Russells 
 added to the domain and a large part 
 of the property came to Gilbert by 
 inheritance. Gilbert was a whaling 
 merchant. At the time the Anthony 
 diary was written he lived in a very 
 stately mansion on the west side of 
 County street at the head of Walnut 
 street. This old mansion was later 
 sold to William R. Rotch and re- 
 modeled, and the house parted with 
 something of its distinction in the re- 
 building. It is now owned by Edward 
 S. Brown. Later, in 1829, Mr. Russell 
 built the mansion at the northwest 
 corner of Russell and Sixth streets. 
 
 Two Grinnells married daughters of 
 Gilbert Russell. The first of the girls 
 to be married was Catharine, who 
 married Joseph R. Anthony, a cousin. 
 Lydia Russell married William W. 
 Swain. Mr. Swain was called "Gov- 
 ernor" Swain, because he ruled over 
 the island of Naushon, which he 
 bought in conjunction with John M. 
 Forbes. Mr. Swain lived in the man- 
 sion at the corner of County and Haw- 
 thorn streets, which he endowed as a 
 school, the mansion coming into pos- 
 session of the school trustees at the 
 death of his wife. Swain and Forbes 
 agreed that the title of Naushon 
 should pass to the survivor, and so it 
 happened that Mr. Forbes became the 
 sole owner of the island. Susan Rus- 
 sell married Moses H. Grinnell. Susan 
 died in 1832 and later Moses Grinnell 
 married a niece of Washington Irving. 
 Cornelius Grinnell, Jr., married Eliza 
 T. Russell for his first wife and after 
 her death Mary Russell, a sister. 
 
 It is a matter of tradition, that the 
 
 Russell girls were famed for their 
 beauty. We know that in the day in 
 which Mr. Anthony writes they were 
 slight in figure, for in an entry in 
 April, 1823, Joseph records. "The 
 girls, with Warren and Moses, dined 
 with us. In the afternoon the girls 
 came down to the counting room to 
 be weighed — Mary 94, Sue 90, Katy 
 88." The blithe romance of Moses and 
 Susan is touched upon naively. On 
 February 23, 1823, Mr. Anthony 
 records: 
 
 "Susan, Moses, Warren and Tom 
 dined with me. We had a pretty merry 
 day. Moses in high glee, being his 
 birthday, as well as elated with his 
 success in his affair." 
 
 On March 13, Joseph Writes: 
 
 "Cousin Tom, Moses and Susan 
 dined with us. On the 23rd of last 
 month I attributed part of the fine 
 spirits which Moses was in to its being 
 his birthday, but since find I was 
 mistaken, and it was all owing to the 
 other source, today being his birthday 
 — twenty years old." 
 
 The Friends society, of whioh the 
 Russell girls were birthright members, 
 undertook to discipline Mary and 
 Susan. This part of the record is 
 very full and interesting. Schism had 
 developed among the Friends at this 
 period. It was not unlike the con- 
 temporary schism in the Congrega- 
 tional church, a controversy between 
 the liberal element and the lees 
 liberal. The meeting house which 
 Mr. Anthony attended, of which he 
 wrote and in which the stirring scenes 
 recorded in the diary were enacted, 
 was erected in 1785 on the Spring 
 street lot, given by Joseph Russell. 
 This old meeting house was removed 
 in 1826 when the meeting house of 
 brick, now standing, was built. At 
 the period the Diary was written the 
 New Light movement, which had been 
 
 [ 6 1
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 brewing since 1817, was just culmi- 
 nating. The new group claimed to 
 have received "new light" which led 
 them to disregard the practices and 
 principles of the society. In some 
 communities the Quakers split and 
 divided between factions within the 
 society, there were Gurneyites and 
 Wilburites in some sections, repre- 
 senting degrees of liberality. In 
 New Bedford a part of the liberal 
 element united with the Unitarians. 
 Later the Wilburites built a meeting 
 house on the east side of Fifth street, 
 north of Russell. The story of the 
 differences between the Old Lights 
 and the New Lights as related by Mr. 
 Anthony, is represented in excellent 
 spirit. When it is considered that Mr. 
 Anthony was but 2 6 and that two of 
 his wife's sisters were menaced with 
 the discipline of the society, the fair- 
 ness of the relation and the restraint, 
 is remarkable. 
 
 On April 16, Joseph writes: 
 "Mary and Susan had another visit 
 this forenoon from the overseers of 
 the meeting to labour with them re- 
 specting their dress and address and 
 informed that they should make a 
 complaint to the meeting." 
 On April 17 is this record: 
 "The overseers of the meeting en- 
 tered a regular complaint in the 
 preparative meeting this day against 
 Mary and Susan for not conforming 
 to the Discipline in all the important 
 points of Dress, Address, attending 
 disorderly meetings (viz. the marriage 
 of Jeremiah Winslow and mine) and 
 frequenting places of public amuse- 
 ments. After some debate it was con- 
 cluded to carry the complaint up to 
 the monthly meeting next week. The 
 girls have got their feelings a good 
 deal excited and will probably resign 
 their membership. The girls, with 
 Warren and Moses dined with us." 
 
 On April 20 he records: 
 
 "This morning we had an edifying 
 sermon from William James on the 
 great importance of dress. He alluded 
 pretty pointedly to Mary and Susan 
 on the sinfulness of their gay attire." 
 
 The final episode in the attempt to 
 discipline Mary and Susan wherein 
 the sisters relinquished their rights to 
 membership in the society, is a most 
 interesting and important contribu- 
 tion to the religious history of New 
 Bedford. It was at this time that Mary 
 Newell came here and the story of 
 the friction between the Old Lights 
 and the New Lights is told as never 
 before. It was a fine quality in Mr. 
 Anthony that he turned from the 
 pleasures of the week and attended 
 meetings with regularity, writing with 
 surprising reserve and discrimination, 
 his youth considered. These were ex- 
 citing times in the meeting, when 
 speakers "denounced a woe upon 
 those who interposed the work of the 
 Lord"; austere Quakers would not 
 arise at the prayer of the New Lights, 
 when Debby Otis stood in the aisle 
 and would not let Eliza Rotch take 
 the high seat. At one time Cornelius 
 Grinnell unloaded a vessel on Sunday 
 which caused criticism. Cornelius 
 finally "had himself complained of for 
 a breach of the Sabbath," in anticipa- 
 tion of action by the society, "and by 
 that means saved half the expense." 
 
 The mild gaiety of the town is pic- 
 tured. "Took tea at Fathers. Nat and 
 Anna, Mrs. Tom Rotch and others 
 there a-quilting" is one entry. Baga- 
 telle was played. A "Grand Caravan 
 of Living Animals" visited the town. 
 A company of colored performers 
 came and was sent out of town by the 
 selectmen. Thanksgiving evening Jo- 
 seph attended a "grand oratorio." On 
 Washington's Birthday the artillery 
 company paraded, there was an ora- 
 
 [ 7 ]
 
 LIFE IN NEW BEDFORD 
 
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 A Page of the Diary (Reproduced in Actual Size) 
 [ 8 ]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 tion and a dinner at Cole's Hotel, but 
 "from all account the delivery of the 
 oration was ludicrous enough and 
 shew the man was partially deranged. 
 On the whole the celebration was a 
 pretty small concern. In the evening 
 had an oyster supper." Mr. Anthony 
 visited New York, saw "Tom and 
 Jerry" and Matthews at the theatre. 
 The plays included "The Clandestine 
 Marriage," "Monsieur Tonson" and 
 the "Forty Thieves." On this trip 
 Joseph was invited to meet Prince 
 Marat who was over from France. 
 Among the quaint things he saw in 
 New York was a "stepping mill," 
 which is described. 
 
 We know upon what viands the 
 affluent of this day fed. In June Mr. 
 Anthony records he had roast beef, 
 "a rarity at this season." But he had 
 stall fed wild pigeon and partridge 
 pie, fried oysters, venisoned mutton, 
 souse and sausages, ate strawberries 
 in James Arnold's garden, attended a 
 corn pudding party and a cherry and 
 cucumber party, had radishes "from 
 the seed that grew this year," apples 
 "Which grew on my English Royal* 
 dwarf received from France this 
 spring. It was in bloom when set out. 
 The color red and white and very 
 fine flavour." He set casks of wine 
 to settle, Madeira and port which he 
 bottled himself. 
 
 Joseph read the Waverly Novels and 
 Miss Edgeworth's novels sent to 
 Henry Grinnell in New York to send 
 him "Peveril of the Peak" and the 
 "Pioneers," read Las Casas's Journal, 
 "Quentin Derwood," "Reginald Dal- 
 ton," Butler's "Hudibras." 
 
 There are many stories of trips to 
 New York. Sometimes the Rotch's 
 went along and they drove to New- 
 port in a gig, of the type of William 
 Rotch's chaise, where a steamer was 
 taken. The traveling facilities were 
 
 primitive. One day Mr. Anthony sent 
 his man on horseback to Newport to 
 get "Sovereign Salve" for his wife. 
 There are stories of stage trips with 
 merry songs. 
 
 The business record is no less in- 
 teresting. The names of famous ships 
 appear, like the Maria, which was a 
 bridal present of Samuel Rodman 
 from his father-in-law, William 
 Rotch. This is the vessel that secured 
 in some quarters the erroneous fame 
 of being the first vessel to fly the 
 American flag in the Thames. It is 
 the vessel that took Mr. Rotch to 
 England and France, when he met the 
 French king and held an interview 
 which resulted in establishing the 
 whaling industry at Dunkirk. The 
 Maria brought the famed horse, Ro- 
 man to New York and Mr. Anthony 
 writes of the curiosity of the New 
 Yorkers who visited the vessel in 
 crowds. This vessel had a remarkable 
 history. Also there is mention of the 
 "Ann Alexander." George Howland 
 named her for an Irish Friend who 
 was traveling in this country. 
 
 Incidentally Mr. Anthony did busi- 
 ness with John Jacob Astor on one 
 New York trip. Even in that day 
 business men were looking for lar- 
 gesse through a tariff. Mr. Anthony 
 records a meeting to petition for a 
 tax on tallow. 
 
 At the period this record was 
 made the population of New Bed- 
 ford was less than 4000, having lost 
 nearly 1000 in population since the 
 census ten years preceding. This was 
 due to dull business following the 
 war in 1812. Early records in the 
 diary emphasize the depression and 
 encircling gloom with respect to the 
 business outlook. For example: 
 
 "The great scarcity of money and 
 disputes on religious matters are the 
 
 [ 9 1
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 great topics of conversation through 
 the town." 
 
 "Retrenchment of expenses in liv- 
 ing is the cry on all sides but few 
 are ready to commence. Cornelius 
 talks strongly of going down to the 
 farm to live, but it will probably all 
 end in talk." 
 
 New Bedford was at this time a 
 sparsely built village on the hillside. 
 Clarks Point was wooded. There were 
 woods at the westward. The man- 
 sions of the rich were of a type like 
 that of the Rodman and Rotch man- 
 sions. Moses Grinnell, of whom so 
 much is written in the diary, lived 
 with his father, Captain Cornelius 
 Grinnell, a merchant whose early life 
 was spent on the sea. He was one of 
 the incorporators of the Bedford 
 bank in 1803. In 1811 Capt. Grin- 
 nell bought the house of Asa Russell 
 on the northwest corner of Acushnet 
 avenue and Grinnell streets, still 
 standing, now occupied as a boarding 
 house. William Rotch who was a vital 
 factor in the development of whaling 
 and other business activities died in 
 1828 and the following year his house 
 was opened as a hotel under the 
 name of the Mansion House. His son, 
 William Rotch, Jr., lived at the cor- 
 ner of William and Water streets in 
 the house now used as the Mariners' 
 Home, which was given to the Port 
 Society by Mrs. James Arnold, his 
 daughter, after his decease in 18 50. 
 Samuel Rodman lived at the north- 
 west corner of Water and William 
 streets, later used as a bakery. The 
 stone building on the east side of 
 Water street was in existence. It was 
 the candle works of Samuel Rodman. 
 John Avery Parker was living in the 
 mansion on the southeast corner of 
 Purchase and Middle streets, later 
 the Parker House. George Howland 
 lived at the northeast corner of Wal- 
 
 nut and Seventh streets. He manu- 
 factured sperm oil products in a stone 
 building at the foot of North street. 
 James Arnold had moved from his 
 house at the southwest corner of 
 South Water and Madison streets to 
 his new brick house at the head of 
 Spring street where he had created 
 'Arnold's Garden." Mr. Arnold came 
 here from Rhode Island, began his 
 career under the tutorship of William 
 Rotch and married the daughter of 
 William Rotch, Jr. He was a member 
 of the firm of William Rotch, Jr. & 
 Co. The Eagle Hotel was at the south 
 west corner of Union and Fourth 
 streets. There were fifteen wharves, 
 eight spermaceti manufacturers, two 
 rope walks and two banks. 
 
 All the houses of New Bedford's 
 wealthy men at this time were con- 
 structed upon the same design, which 
 is attributed to Henry B. Worth as an 
 expression of the dominant influence 
 on the social, religious and business 
 life of the Society of Friends. In their 
 zest to avoid ostentation, they adopted 
 rigid uniformity of dress, speech, 
 mode of living and style of house. 
 They had before them the fact that in 
 Nantucket a member was investigated 
 by the meeting for a departure from 
 the usual type of dwelling and anoth- 
 er, for the same reason refused to 
 visit his daughter in her home. 
 
 The attempt has been made in this 
 introduction to picture the little vil- 
 lage a century ago, when Joseph An- 
 thony wrote his diary. This diary is 
 the spirit that unroofs the mansions 
 and the counting houses and gives the 
 reader entree into the intimacy of 
 homes such as Asmodeus afforded 
 Don Cleofas. The adventure will, we 
 are sure, be no less entertaining than 
 the celebrated flight described by Le 
 Sage. 
 
 — Zephaniah W. Pease. 
 
 [10]
 
 PHOTOGRAPH OF THE DIARIES
 
 LIFE IN NEW BEDFORD 
 A HUNDRED YEARS AGO. 
 
 THE DIARY. 
 
 1st Month 1st, 1823. 
 
 A stormy and unpleasant day, with 
 snow and rain. Robert Brayton 
 buried. 
 
 2nd. Agreed with Jos. Rotch for 
 the residue of the sperm oil of the 
 Sophia's cargo unsold, belonging to 
 the crew at 55 cts. p. gall, cash — for 
 the Candle works. 
 
 3d. Nothing of any note transpired 
 today. Heard of the Brig Minerva 
 from St. Thomas with 500 bbls. sperm 
 oil. A great scarcity of money 
 among the greater part of the inhabi- 
 tants of the town. 
 
 4th. Ship Atlas hauled off into the 
 stream, considerable of a snow storm 
 all the evening & night. 
 
 5th. Sunday. Rained nearly all 
 day — cleared away cold in the after- 
 noon. William Foster, an Engl's'man, 
 preached at our meeting house. Pick- 
 ering, a Universalist, had a meeting 
 at D. Davenport's shop. 
 
 6th. A cold day — very slippery — 
 spent the evening at Cora's. Had 
 some oysters and then took a sleigh 
 ride around town. 
 
 7th. The harbour closed last night 
 with ice below Palmer's Island. Wm. 
 T. and Moses started for Newport, & 
 I embraced the opportunity to send 
 W. B. a letter enclosing $10 for B. A. 
 likewise a bundle of clothes — took tea 
 at Father's & spent the evening there. 
 
 8th. A warm and pleasant day. 
 The Wm. & Eliza got below the Island 
 clear of the ice. W. T. Russell & 
 Moses returned from Newport — con- 
 tracted to manufacture some oil for 
 the owners of the Robinson Potter. 
 
 9th. The Atlas dropped below the 
 Island. Received the intelligence this 
 evening of the loss of the Sloop Eliza 
 Nicoll — Capt. Perry, on her passage 
 from hence to New York, she was en- 
 deavoring to make Black Rock for a 
 harbour, but struck going in on a 
 rock called the Cowes, and immedi- 
 ately filled. There were seven per- 
 sons on board, five of whom perished, 
 viz., Benjamin Fuller of this town, a 
 Capt. Smith & an agent, Mr. Ed- 
 mundson (who had been purchasing 
 sperm oil) of N. York and two black 
 men. Gershom Drew (mate of the 
 Minerva last voyage) was saved. Capt. 
 Perry was much bruised & frozen. 
 It is expected the sloop will be lost 
 entirely. The fate of the cargo is not 
 
 [13]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 yet ascertained — she had not much 
 freight on board — it consisted of oil 
 belonging to the Candle works at 
 Fairhaven — and fifty barrels S. Oil in 
 the natural state purchased of John 
 Coggeshall, Jr., by the person above 
 mentioned. This sad accident took 
 place on seventh day evening last, the 
 4th inst, between 8 & 9 o'clock, in a 
 thick snow storm. There was also a 
 son of Benja'n Fuller on board who 
 likewise perished. 
 
 10th. The weather for a day or 
 two past has been so moderate that 
 the Ice in the river is very much 
 broken up. In the afternoon the 
 wind N. W. and cold. Luther An- 
 thony's sister died this morning after 
 a long illrress. 
 
 11th. A cold and unpleasant day — 
 in the afternoon the river again froze 
 over, having been entirely broken up 
 by the strong N.W. wind which pre- 
 vailed last night. John Wood's new 
 N. York packet dropped down below 
 the island to be ready the first wind. 
 
 12th. The Wm. & Eliza for the 
 Pacific Ocean and the Atlas for Brazil 
 Banks & the coast of Guinea sailed 
 this morning — also the Sloop Rod- 
 man for N. York. 
 
 13th. Ch's Swain returned last 
 evening from N. Orleans. 
 
 14th. Took tea at Nat's in the 
 evening — had an oyster supper. Ac- 
 counts from Europe rec'd this evening 
 state that the Holy Alliance had 
 broken up, and that there were good 
 reasons to believe that France would 
 soon declare war with Spain. 
 
 15th. The celebrated Methodist 
 minister, M. Maffit, arrived in town 
 and preached to a large assembly at 
 the Methodist meeting house — he did 
 not cause much excitement. 
 
 16th. This day Micah H. Ruggles 
 and Lydia Rodman informed the 
 Friends meeting that they intended 
 
 marrying each other, which occasions 
 much talk among a certain class of 
 the good friends. Heard this eve- 
 ning of the arrival of Hathaway's 
 Brig Horatio into New York. The 
 master, Loum Snow, died two days 
 before she arrived — also the Brig 
 Clitus — Capt. Almy into New Port 
 with a cargo of salt. 
 
 17th. A very pleasant day. Father 
 commenced filling his Ice house. 
 
 18th. Nothing doing of any con- 
 sequence in the town. The Reform- 
 ation among the Baptist Society and 
 Mr. Maffit is the principle talk of 
 the day. 
 
 19th. Mary Newell from Lynn was 
 at meeting this afternoon, and many 
 went in hopes she would preach, but 
 were disappointed, myself among the 
 number. 
 
 20th. Rained all day. Benjamin 
 Hill died last night. 
 
 21st. Heard of the arrival of the 
 Brig. Wm. Thacher at Rio Janario 
 after a passage of 100 days. The 
 Clitus came round from New Port 
 this day. 
 
 2 2d. Went this evening to hear 
 Mr. Maffit, the Methodist preacher 
 he sang several Psalms alone with 
 much elegance, but I did not admire 
 his manner of preaching, being too 
 theatrical, and an appearanoe of a 
 want of sincerity to please my taste. 
 23d. Catharine taken unwell this 
 morning, rather better at noon. I 
 went and dined at William's. Dr. 
 Read staid all night. 
 
 24th. Catharine has been quite 
 smart all day. Two persons, a woman 
 and a boy, were taken up for passing 
 counterfeit money. 
 
 25th. Nothing occurred during the 
 day needful to be noted. 
 
 26th. An unpleasant day — Sunday 
 — did not go out of the house all day. 
 
 [14]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 27th. The great scarcity of money 
 and disputes on Religious matters are 
 the great topics of conversation 
 throughout the town. 
 
 28th. Rec'd a letter from my sister 
 Mary at New Port in answer to the 
 one I wrote by W. T. Russell. Paid 
 Henry on a-c Ten Dollars. James 
 Coggeshall was married this evening 
 to Edward Wing's daughter Anna. 
 
 29th. The sloop Eliza Nicols ar- 
 rived last night from New York. Wrote 
 a letter to James Savage, Esq., Bos- 
 ton, requesting information respect- 
 ing Savings Bank, copy of which let- 
 ter is in my Port Folio. Spent the 
 evening at the Methodist meeting 
 houso to hear Mr. Mafflt preach and 
 sing. Was not well pleased and think 
 I shall not go to hear him again. He 
 has as yet not been very fortunate in 
 making converts not more than twen- 
 ty have come forward, and those 
 mostly girls from eight to ten years 
 of age, so that he hardly gets his 
 share, in this day of Reformation. 
 
 30th. Attended our meeting this 
 forenoon to hear Mary Newell preach 
 and was not disappointed the pleasure 
 of hearing her. Dined at N. Hathaway 
 — had .an excellent haunch of mutton, 
 cooked in veinson style. In the after- 
 noon wrote to D. Southward of Mat- 
 tapoisett respecting W. R. Rotch's 
 demand against Libny Rogers' estate 
 & enclosed the letter to Jos. Meigs 
 that I might be sure he received it 
 (memo). Wrote that unless he p'd 
 the demand before the 17th next 
 month he would be sued. Also wrote 
 Henry Grinnell to send me Peveril of 
 the Peak & the Pioneers. 
 
 31st. Sloop Rodman — Capt. Wood 
 — arrived from New York, carried 
 away her main boom. The weather 
 has been very mild during this 
 month, and generally mild, this eve- 
 ning it snowed for a little while quite 
 
 briskly, and gave indications of their 
 being good sleighing, but cleared 
 away cold & very little snow fell. 
 
 February. 
 
 2d Mo. 1st. Rec'd an answer from 
 letter to Jas. Savage, unfavorable to 
 my wishes. The letter will be found 
 with the copy of mine to him. 
 
 2d- A pleasant day. After dinner 
 took Catharine to ride as far as the 
 Point. Mary Newell preached an ex- 
 cellent sermon at the afternoon 
 meeting. About sun set a Brig, was 
 seen coming into the bay supposed to 
 be the Minerva. The packet Experi- 
 ment Capt. Taber — sailed this morn- 
 ing for N. York. 
 
 3d. The Brig, seen yesterday went 
 down sound. Snowed nearly all day, 
 but the quantity fell was trifling. 
 
 4th. Sleighing pretty good. Took 
 Catherine to ride as far as the Beach 
 in the Slaygh. At 5 o'clock C. was 
 taken unwell and at 9 o'clock she 
 was put to bed with a Boy, having 
 got thro the business as well as could 
 be expected. 
 
 5th. A pleasant day. Took a 
 sleigh ride in the morning with Sis- 
 ter Susan and Willy. 
 
 6th. The coldest day we have had 
 this winter. In the evening an ap- 
 pearance of a storm. Catharine gets 
 along very well. 
 
 7th. Another very cold day. The 
 river entirely closed with Ice. Meri- 
 beh Keith and Benj'n Russell re- 
 turned from Charleston by packet to 
 N. York, and then by land — got here 
 this evening. 
 
 8th. The weather much milder — 
 some appearance of a snow storm. 
 Cath. not so well today. 
 
 9th. Sent Henry a horseback to 
 Newport to get some salve for Cath- 
 arine,. Went to meeting in the fore- 
 noon. Mary Newell was there and 
 
 [ 15]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 gave us an excellent sermon. After 
 she sat down Caleb Greene got up 
 and denounced her in a very unhand- 
 some manner. The greater part of 
 the meeting I trust for the honour of 
 the Society felt a contempt for his 
 mean and pitiful conduct. Immedi- 
 ately on his taking his seat, Sam. 
 Rodman rose in vindication of Mary, 
 and informed the meeting the manner 
 she had been persecuted at Lynn, 
 made some appropriate remarks, and 
 concluded by saying that for the testi- 
 mony she had that day borne, we 
 could judge for ourselves whether it 
 was in the truth or not. Dined at 
 brother William's — went to meeting 
 again in the afternoon. M. Newell 
 gave us another sermon to my great 
 satisfaction and I hope to that of 
 many others. She also appeared in 
 supplication. About one third of the 
 asembly kept their seats to show they 
 were not in unity with her — no oppo- 
 sition, however, othei-wise than not 
 rising at her prayer was 
 
 manifested by the Old Lights. In 
 the morning meeting after S. Rodman 
 took his seat and the audience was 
 leaving B. Rodman made some re- 
 marks to favour M. Newell. Took 
 tea at N. Hathaway's and spent the 
 evening with him. Sister Susan to 
 whom we applied to select a name 
 for our Boy, informed us she had 
 chosen that of Edward, which name 
 we shall give him, Mr. Maffltt still 
 continues to attract a full house. 
 Reformations and Revivals, as they 
 are called, seem to be the order of 
 the day. It is to be hoped some 
 good will result from them, but the 
 contrary is much feared. 
 
 10th. Henry returned this after- 
 noon from Newport with the Sove- 
 reign salve for Catharine. Took tea 
 at father's with Mary Newell, Mary 
 Rotch and some others. Had a very 
 
 pleasant time. M. Newell has ap- 
 pointed a meeting tomorrow evening 
 to be held at Whitaker's (the first 
 Congregational) Church. 
 
 11th. Attended M. Newell's meet- 
 ing. She sat in the pulpit accompanied 
 by Sam'l Rodman & his wife. Mary 
 Rotch and Content Breed gave us a 
 first rate Quaker sermon & prayer, 
 the meeting was crowded to excess. 
 So many members of the Friends 
 Society attending the meeting gives 
 much umbrage to the Old Lights. 
 
 12th. Cornelius , William T, & 
 Nathaniel dined with me today on 
 roast mutton. We all went to Corn's 
 in the evening to tea. Mary Newell 
 and about twenty others were there. 
 We had a very agreeable evening in- 
 deed. She is a very interesting and 
 amiable woman. It commenced 
 snowing this morning about sunrise 
 and continued to storm until noon. A 
 good deal of snow fell and had the 
 ground been in proper order we 
 should have had good sleighing. 
 
 13th. Spent the forenoon by tak- 
 ing a sleigh ride with sister S. and 
 Mr. Warren — dined and spent the re- 
 mainder of the day at Corn's. 
 
 14th. Dined at N. Hathaway's with 
 C. G. Jr. & wife, W. T. R. & wife, 
 Mary & Susan & Moses. Staid there 
 until 10, in the evening. Commenced 
 snowing about three o'clock, but in 
 the evening it rained and made very 
 bad walking. 
 
 15th. This morning a Brig was 
 seen at the S. W. end of Nashawinna, 
 supposed to be at anchor, but about 
 11 o'clock she set all sail headed for 
 the shore. It was then discovered she 
 was ashore and they were endeavour- 
 ing to force her as the tide was up 
 as near the land as possible. In the 
 afternoon John Wood & others in the 
 Sloop Rodman went down to her to 
 ascertain who she was. The signal 
 
 [ 16]
 
 NEW BEDFORD AT ABOUT THE PERIOD OF THE DIARY 
 
 Top picture — Corner of Union and Purchase Streets — Street through the centre is 
 Purchase Street. 
 
 Lower Picture— Corner of Water and William Streets— The Cart stands at the 
 corner of Front and Hamilton Streets.
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 the Brig had set resembled J. A. 
 Parker's very much, and for the most 
 of the day it was believed to be his 
 brig Dragon, but at dark no alteration 
 was made in the signal of the Rod- 
 man — it is believed she does not be- 
 long here. Spent the evening at Wil- 
 liam Nye's. M. Newell was there. She 
 and Mary Rotch both had some re- 
 ligious remarks to make to us — had a 
 very pleasant evening. 
 
 16th. Attended the fore and after- 
 noon meeting. M. Newell preached 
 at both — she gave a long and able dis- 
 course in the morning. No opposition 
 was manifested by the old lights. 
 Jeremiah Winslow was published to- 
 day to Miss Norris, a teacher of the 
 French language, a quite unexpected 
 circumstance. Corn's & Betsey, Mary, 
 Susan and Moses dined with me. Mr. 
 Maffitt took his benefit this evening. 
 I should be inclined to think it was 
 rather a small one from the great 
 scarcity of money. The Rodman re- 
 turned this evening. The Brig 
 ashore is the Two Brothers, of Bos- 
 ton, from Campeachy, with Logwood, 
 mahogany, etc. The Brig will prob- 
 ably go to pieces, but the cargo may 
 be saved if the weather should be 
 moderate. The cook was washed 
 overboard during the day and 
 drowned. A ship was seen at noon 
 to pass Quicksies Hole, and come to 
 anchor in Tarpaulin Cove.. She set 
 her signal on the flagstaff — it is 
 thought to be the Persia. 
 
 17th. Benj'n Heathe, the rigger, 
 died very suddenly last night of a 
 complaint at the heart — he was out 
 during the day and was as well as 
 usual. Went over to Mattapoisett to 
 see Dr. Wibbour Southward in the 
 sleigh, Mr. Warren with me — found 
 the Dr. had come to Bedford. Corn's 
 had Mr. Mafflt and some others to 
 dine with him. No accounts from the 
 
 ship — Mosher went over to her this 
 morning. 
 
 18th. The Pilot Boat returned 
 from the Cove, and we find that the 
 ship that was seen on Sunday was 
 the Persia — Capt. Cross — full of 
 sperm oil from the coast of Japan — 
 wind favorable for the ship to get 
 round. Dined at father's. Mary 
 Newell left town this morning for 
 home, and Mr. Mafflt for Bristol 
 
 19th. A fine day. Cousin Tom & 
 Nathan dined with me. Persia not 
 arrived. 
 
 20th. The Persia got as far as 
 Clark's point, but the Ice prevented 
 her getting any further. Capt. Silas 
 Parker died about 11 o'clock of a 
 lung fevre. Received a confirmation 
 from Moses of what I had suspected 
 for some time. 
 
 21st. The following is the list of 
 Bedford ships which the Persia brings 
 a-c of spoke June 18, 1822, Lat. 33.40, 
 N. Long. 178 W.: 
 Wilm'n. & L'pool packet 
 
 (Briggs) 300 bbls. 
 
 Minerva (Swain) 200 " 
 
 Phoebe Ann 900 '' 
 
 All those on the coast of Japan. 
 
 Heard of the following at the Sand- 
 wich Islands, April 15, 1822: 
 
 Balaena (Gardner) 600 bbls. 
 
 Geo. & Susan (Upham) . . . 300 " 
 Independence (Hammond) . 640 " 
 
 Frances (Swain) 550 " 
 
 Minerva Smith (M'Ken- 
 
 sie) 650 " 
 
 Columbus (Brock) 300 " 
 
 Abigail (Covell) 600 " 
 
 Spoke Oct. 29, 1822, Lat. 67, 46 S. 
 Long. 72 W. 
 
 Ship Alliance Coffin, 150 days out. 
 
 Received a letter from Capt. Swain 
 of our Ship Minerva, dated June 18, 
 saying he had 200 bbls. 
 
 The sloops Rodman & Bedford 
 went over to the Two Brothers to take 
 
 [19]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 in her cargo &c for the underwriters. 
 
 Dined at W. C. Nye's with a party 
 — had a very clever time. 
 
 Rec'd an invitation from r. Whit- 
 taker to hear his oration to be pro- 
 nounced tomorrow, but declined ac- 
 cepting. This evening at 11 o'clock 
 sister Lydia Swain was delivered of a 
 Boy. 
 
 22d. The Ship Commodore Rod- 
 gers — Capt. Smith — from the Brazil 
 Banks, with about 1800 bbls. whale 
 oil arrived — brought no later accounts 
 from the fleet than October. She saw 
 the Geo. & Martha who had lost her 
 mate and one man by the staving of 
 a boat. The birthday of Washington. 
 D. K. Whitaker delivered an oration. 
 Capt. Harrison paraded with his ar- 
 tillery company, and then partook of 
 a dinner provided at Cole's Hotel. 
 From all account, the delivery of the 
 Oration was ludicrous enough, and 
 shew that the man was partially de- 
 ranged. On the whole the celebration 
 was a pretty small concern. In the 
 evening the celebration was a pretty 
 small concern. In the evening had 
 an oyster supper — Nat, Moses, Tom, 
 father & the girls were here. The 
 Persia & C, Rodgers both got up to 
 the wharf. 
 
 23d. Sunday — a pleasant day. The 
 Persia commenced discharging her 
 cargo, which made some stir being 
 the first day in the week. Many con- 
 sidered it wicked. Had a venison 
 mutton dinner. Susan, Moses, War- 
 ren & Tom dined with me. We had 
 a pretty merry day. Moses in high 
 glee, being his birthday, as well as 
 elated with his success In his * * * 
 affair. 
 
 24th. The most severe storm we 
 have had this winter — a considerable 
 snow and a very high wind. Mr. 
 Delius In town. Dined at Corn's, be- 
 ing too stormy to come home. Corn's 
 
 found he should be complained of for 
 a breach of the Sabbath yesterday — 
 got Warren to enter a complaint 
 against him & by that means saved 
 half the expense. 
 
 25th- The storm of yesterday did 
 not abate much till about noon this 
 day, when the Bedford and Rodman 
 were discovered to be in a bad situa- 
 tion. They had drifted out of Pune 
 harbour and the former was on shore 
 and the latter in the surf with signals 
 of distress hoisted. The Sloop Henry 
 with Joe. Allen and some others im- 
 mediately put off to their assistance. 
 Cleared away just before sunset very 
 pleasantly. The mails for yesterday 
 and today not been received owing 
 to the severity of the weather. 
 
 26th. The Bedford returned from 
 the wreck — found they had not been 
 in so bad a situation as was feared. 
 They were both ashore at one time, 
 but got off without damage. The old 
 ice closed around them & prevented 
 the sea doing them any injury. All 
 the mails due this week arrived this 
 evening. 
 
 27th. The Leonidas — Capt. Potter 
 — from the coast of Japan, arrived 
 this evening full sperm oil — spoke the 
 following July 23, 1822: 
 Ship Abigail (Covell) 1100 bbls. 
 
 " Independence (Ham- 
 mond) 1200 " 
 
 " Barclay (Glover) . . . 500 
 
 " Minerva Smyth (Mc- 
 
 Kensie) 700 " 
 
 " Charles (Coffln) 800 " 
 
 " Geo. & Susan (Up- 
 
 ham) 350 
 
 •' Frances (Swain) ... 700 
 
 " Columbus (Brock) . . 850 " 
 
 In Tombus roads October 25, 1822: 
 Ship Phenix (Worth) 60 bbls. 
 
 " Swift (Pinkham) 370 
 
 " Wm. Rotch (Tobey) 50 
 
 [20]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 Spoke Deq. 31, Ship Richmond 
 (William) full of elephant oil on her 
 pasage home. Reed by this vessel 
 a letter from Capt. Glover of the Bar- 
 clay dated coast of Japan, June 20, 
 with 400 barrels. The Brig Minerva 
 Captain Wood — from the coast of Af- 
 rica full of sperm oil also arrived this 
 evening, left on the coast Dec. 3, 1822: 
 Brig Nautilus (Covell) .... 170 bbls. 
 
 Telemeckar (Long) 130 " 
 
 Sch. Packet (Delano) 165 " 
 
 Brig Industry (Parker) . . . 130 " 
 
 Indian Chief (Chase) None 
 
 Planter (Hussey) None 
 
 Thos. S. Hathaway & Capt. Taber 
 returned from N. York this evening. 
 
 28th. The Brig Beneset — Capt. 
 Gardner — arrived from the Isle of 
 May with a cargo of salt. The Sloop 
 Ann Maria from N. York with the 
 cargo of the Experiment got above 
 the island & locked in with the Ice. 
 A large party at Father's of Rotch's, 
 Rodmans &c. A ship in the Cove 
 with a signal set on the flag staff — 
 supposed to be the Richmond. 
 March. 
 
 1st. The Ann Maria got up to the 
 wharf. Received a letter from Henry 
 Grinnell, also Peveril of the Peak & 
 the Pioneers. Dined at Jos. Rotch's 
 with a party of gentlemen — sat down 
 at the table about 5 o'clock and staid 
 till nine. In the evening C. H. War- 
 ren's brothers, the Doct'r and Pel- 
 ham came in — just arrived from Ply- 
 mouth — we had a very merry and 
 pleasant time . 
 
 2nd. Catharine came down to dine 
 for the first time since she was con- 
 fined,- Tom, Moses & the girls dined 
 with us. The Ship seen in the Cove 
 day before yesterday arrived this 
 forenoon,. It was the Richmond 
 (Capt. Williams) with a full cargo of 
 elephant oil. This evening Jere'h 
 Winslow was married to Miss Norriss 
 at W. R. Rotch's. 
 
 [ 
 
 3. The ship Com'e Rodgers tak- 
 ing in her cargo of oil for Europe. A 
 cold day and evening. 
 
 4th. A cold Gay. Catharine took 
 tea and spent the evening down stairs. 
 Nat, Anna & Tom with us. 
 
 5th. Catharine rode out this fore- 
 noon. The girls and Warren dined 
 with us,. Mary R. Rotch gave a wed- 
 ding party to Mr. & Mrs. Winslow — 
 invited, but did not feel well enough 
 to go. 
 
 6th. A stormy day — did not leave 
 the house all day, not being very well. 
 The Nantucket packet Maria arrived 
 for the first time this season. 
 
 7th. Nothing worthy of being 
 noted this day, except the roguish 
 conduct of P. R. Bates, which excites 
 much indignation among the good 
 people he has duped. 
 
 8th. A very pleasant day. Consi- 
 derable stir about the wharves. The 
 whalemen that arrived lately, dis- 
 charging the Persia's cargo of sperm 
 oil, settled at 48 cents p. gall., the 
 lowest price since the peace. The 
 Sch'r Peacock — Capt. Storms — ar- 
 rived from Rio de la Hatch- A large 
 party at father's. Evening passed off 
 very pleasantly — part of the time 
 spent in dancing. Catharine made 
 her debut for the first time from her 
 home since her confinement. She 
 staid all night. I returned home. 
 
 9th. Breakfasted and dined at 
 father's. Returned home in the af- 
 ternoon. Mr. Maffit again in town. 
 His second appearance on the stage 
 does not seem to cause as much ex- 
 citement as was manifested at his 
 first. 
 
 10th. The ship Europa — Capt. 
 Dunbar — hauled off in the stream this 
 afternoon. Capt. De Cost arrived 
 from N,. York. 
 
 11th. The Europa sailed this 
 morning for City Point, but returned 
 
 21
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 on account of the wind. Thomas 
 Rotch left this forenoon for Phila. 
 via New Port. T. Russell took him 
 to the latter place; by T. Rotch I 
 wrote to Hen'y Grinnell to get infor- 
 mation respecting the Savings Bank 
 in N. York. At a party this eve'g at 
 Jos. Rotch's. Rained very hard all 
 the evening. 
 
 12th. The Commodore Rodgers — 
 Capt. Smith — sailed for Amsterdam 
 this morning with a cargo of whale 
 oil. Dined with a party of gentlemen 
 at Nat. Hathaway's — had a very 
 sumptuous time — staid till eleven, 
 
 13th. The Europa sailed again 
 this morning, but returned, the wind 
 being unfavourable. Dined at W. T. 
 Russell's with a family party. 
 
 14th. Commenced raining about 
 noon and continued to storm during 
 the day & evening. A flock of wild 
 geese were seen for the first time this 
 spring. 
 
 15th. The Europa succeeded in 
 getting to sea this morning — very high 
 wind all day. The overseers of the 
 meeting visited Mary & Susan for at- 
 tending J. Winslow's marriage and 
 other offences of equal magnitude. 
 
 16th. Sunday — did not go to meet- 
 ing all day. Read Peveril of the 
 Peak. Warren, Moses & Susan dined 
 with us, 
 
 17th. A dull day. A party at 
 brother William's for Jim Coggeshall. 
 
 18th. Capt. De Cost left for New 
 York by the way of Newport. 
 
 19th. The ministers & elders held 
 a meeting today for the purpose of 
 examining M. Rotch & E. Rodman 
 for their unity with M. Newell, &c. 
 
 20th. Commenced snowing this 
 morning about sunrise and continued 
 to snow till noon. A pretty large 
 quantity fell. In the evening more 
 snow fell. 
 
 21st. Rather windy,. Pretty good 
 
 sleighing. Took a ride in the after- 
 noon. The horse threw some dirt and 
 snow in my eye, which caused me a 
 good deal of pain and prevented my 
 being at brother Wm's in the evening 
 at a large party. 
 
 22d. Confined to the house all day 
 to prevent getting cold in my eye. 
 Cousin Tom spent the greater part 
 of the day and evening with us. 
 
 23d. This morning about 3 o'clock 
 sister E. T. Grinnell was confined with 
 a daughter, which is a very pleasing 
 thing to the family. The wind N. E. 
 
 From twelve to fifteen small ves- 
 sels sailed this morning bound to the 
 westward, among them the Rodman 
 for N. York. She had been waiting 
 a wind for ten days. Jere'h Winslow 
 and lady were among the passengers 
 going to embark for Havre at N,. 
 York. W. Swain also a passenger for 
 Phila. Cousin Tom, Moses & Susan 
 dined with us. On the 23d of last 
 month I attributed part of the fine 
 spirits which Moses was in to its be- 
 ing his birthday, but since find I was 
 mistaken, and it was all owing to the 
 other source, today being his birth- 
 day — twenty years old. This evening 
 Mr. Mafflt preached his farewell ser- 
 mon. Catharine never having heard 
 him, felt a strong desire to attend his 
 meeting. She went with the girls & 
 others. She was not well pleased 
 with the man, and had not much 
 opinion of his sincerity. Miss Ar- 
 nold was among those that knelt to 
 receive his prayers. O Mores! O 
 tempores! 
 
 24th. Nothing occurred during the 
 day to be noted. 
 
 26th. The Brig Parthian — Capt. 
 Nye — arrived this morning, 35 days 
 from Lisbon with salt & wine. We 
 rec'd a quantity of Port wine for 
 our own use and to sell. Capt. Nye 
 brings accounts that there Is no doubt 
 
 [22 J
 
 From a portrait owned by Mrs. Morgan Rotch. 
 
 MOSES H. GRINNELL 
 In His Youth.
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 in Lisbon but what Spain & France 
 will soon be at war. There was also 
 a report that the French had cap- 
 tured a Spanish frigate. 
 
 26th. A steady snow storm all day 
 — more snow has fallen this day than 
 has before at any one time this win- 
 ter. Capt. Hardin came off from the 
 Vineyard. The Ship Spermo of Nan- 
 tucket from coast of Japan was in at 
 Oldtown with 2000 bbls. sperm oil — 
 brings a-c of the foll'g Bedford ves- 
 sels: 
 
 June. Roscoe (Swain) 250 
 
 Aug. 19. Balaena (Gardner) ... 1500 
 
 Aug. 31. Charles (Coffin) 1250 
 
 Aug. 31. Columbus (Brock) ...1200 
 Sept. Independence (Ham'd ...1450 
 At Sandwich Islands: 
 
 Oct. Frances (Swain) 1300 
 
 " Triton (Wood) 1200 
 
 W. & L'pool packet 
 
 (Briggs) 1300 
 
 Minerva (Swain) 800 
 
 " Barclay (Glover) 700 
 
 Com'e Decatur (Tilton) . . 250 
 (Leaky & under repairs at the 
 Sandwich Islands.) 
 
 Phoebe Ann put away for homo 6 
 weks before Spermo. 
 
 27th. The trustees of the Academy 
 had a meeting last evening to alter 
 one of their rules, that no one but a 
 member of the Society of Friends 
 could be a Trustee. Chs. Swain and 
 Alice Brayton passed meeting. 
 
 An arrival in to New London from 
 the Banks report the following Bed- 
 ford ships: 
 
 Jan,. Pacific 1000 bbls. 
 
 Jan. Millwood 1000 " 
 
 Jan. Martha 1400 " 
 
 Jan. 16. Timoleon 2000 '* 
 
 Jan. 6, Midas 900 " 
 
 Dec. 14. Maria Theresa ..1000 " 
 Dec. 14. Geo. & Martha . . 400 *' 
 
 Dec. 25. Victory 1100 '* 
 
 Dec. 28. Herald 600 M 
 
 Dec. 28,. Ann Alexander ..1250 " 
 Nov. Good return 600 '* 
 
 28th. Very bad walking Indeed — 
 nothing to remark. 
 
 29th. The large quantity of 
 Sperm'i oil expected this summer 
 from the Japan fishery by the a-c by 
 the Spermo, is the general topic of 
 conversation, and the general belief 
 that this article will decline to 35 or 
 33 1-3 cts. p. gall. Retrenchment of 
 expenses in living is the cry on all 
 sides, but few are ready to commence. 
 Cornelius talks strongly of going 
 down to his farm to live, but it will 
 probably all end in talk. 
 
 30th. Sunday. Had a fine leg of 
 roast mutton for dinner. Corn's and 
 Capt. Smith dinner. Wind very 
 strong to the eastward, some snow 
 and rain. The Ship Martha from the 
 Banks with a full cargo of whale oil 
 arrived this morning. Nothing later 
 from the whalemen except the Geo. 
 & Martha with 1000 whale & 120 
 sperm. 
 
 31st. The wind blew a gale all 
 night with a considerable snow. The 
 storm continued during the whole day 
 and we had by far the most tempestu- 
 ous storm this day that we have had 
 the past winter. It is remarked that 
 the month of March this year has 
 been more boistrous than for a num- 
 ber of years. 
 
 April. 
 
 1st. The Brig Union of Dresden 
 (Maine) from the W. Indies with 
 Rum, Molasses, &c. got ashore on 
 Cuttyhunk during the storm yester- 
 day — some prospect of her being got 
 off. The Emily got ashore in Wood's 
 Hole & parted her best cable — sus- 
 tained no other injury. Yesterday 
 and today's mails did not reach town 
 till eleven this evening — travelling ex- 
 ceeding bad. 
 
 [25]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 2d. The Nantucket packet got off 
 with the friends to the Quarterly 
 Meeting. She spoke the ship that was 
 going down the Sound — it was the Im- 
 provement of Nantucket, been out 33 
 months. The packet men understood 
 them to say that the Swift was on 
 the coast with 1200 barrels which we 
 think must be a mistake,. Key of the 
 store broken. 
 
 3d. Received a letter from Capt. 
 Glover of the Barclay dated 11 Oct. 
 He was then Wahoo with 800 bbls. 
 After recruiting he intended to go to 
 the coast of Mexico. Also a letter 
 from Capt. Swain of the Minerva at 
 the same place with 800 bbls. He 
 intended to proceed to the coast of 
 California to fill. The Brig Traveller 
 — Capt. Warren — arrived this morn- 
 ing with 200 barrels sperm oil. The 
 whole crew were all blacks. Two of 
 the crew got to quarrelling, and one 
 of them was thrown overboard and 
 drowned — the other was brought 
 home in irons. 
 
 Quarterly Meeting day a public 
 friend here from the state of Ten- 
 nessee. In the last meeting there 
 was some considerable excitement 
 caused, during the business in the ap- 
 pointment of an elder. Philip Dun- 
 ham made some observations of the 
 importance of the station of an elder, 
 that great care should be taken in 
 selecting them, &c. Corn's Howland 
 (Uncle Casey) followed him and said 
 that he heartily approved the ap- 
 pointment & requested that the meet- 
 ing would proceed & not pay any at- 
 tention to what Philip had said, aa 
 he had done enough to cause him 
 to be under dealing, by countenancing 
 Contentious and disorderly women 
 (alluding to Mary Newell and 
 Mary Rotch). Andrew Robinson im- 
 ffmediately rose and said that is a 
 lie! (meaning they were not conten- 
 
 tious). Nothing more was said & 
 the business proceeded. Cousin Tom, 
 Moses and Sue dined with us. In the 
 evening attended a caucus for fur- 
 thering the election of W. G. Otis for 
 Gov. of the State. The Rodman ar- 
 rived from N. York. 
 
 4th. Our cousin Thos. S. Russell 
 left us this morning in the Sch. Pea- 
 cock to New York on his way to Car- 
 lisle in Pennsyl'a. Wind N. W. blow- 
 ing pretty fresh. He had spent 
 about ten months with us and his 
 friends had got very much attached 
 to him. His leaving will cause a 
 blank in our circle which will not be 
 easily filled. In the afternoon the 
 wind got farther to the westward and 
 cousin Tom came back. 
 
 5th. Cousin Tom sailed again this 
 morning, wind fair, but the Sch'r got 
 aground on the fort flat and lay there 
 till eleven o'clock, when it was near- 
 ly calm. They did not get out of the 
 bay before four o'clock. Wind S. W. 
 
 6th. The Peacock put into Padan 
 Aram and cousin Tom returned to 
 town, dined and spent the day with 
 us. Warren returned from Plymouth. 
 The Rev. Mr. Taylor, a Catholic 
 priest, preached this afternoon & 
 evening at Whitaker's church. 
 
 7th. Town meeting day. A con- 
 siderable opposition to the old town 
 officers, but the old town clerk, 
 treasurer & collector of taxes was re- 
 elected and other officers to the sat- 
 isfaction of the better & more respect- 
 able part of the inhabitants were 
 elected in opposition to the influence 
 of Holme's Society, and the needy 
 Shaylers that have come into the 
 town the year or two past. Great ex- 
 ertions were made this afternoon by 
 the Democrats in voting for governor. 
 They succeeded in getting a larger 
 vote than has been given since we 
 were separated from Fairhaven. 
 
 [26]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 Gov. Otis, 325; Eustis, 113. 
 
 Lt.Gov. Noble, 334; Lincoln, 111. 
 
 (Rotch 372, Hodges 110, 
 Senators] Starkweather 335, Mason, 92, 
 |Read 337, Merribus 88. 
 
 8th. Uncle Elkanah went to Bos- 
 ton this morning after his wife. Wrote 
 Henry Grinnell this morning by 
 cousin Tom (who is still detained by 
 contrary winds) to make a deposit in 
 the Savings Bank in New York of 
 $500 for our son Edward to remain 
 21 years from the date of the deposit. 
 A ship gone into Tarpaulin Cove this 
 afternoon, supposed to be the Timo- 
 leon. The a/c tonight from Bostc^n 
 of the state of the votes there and the 
 neighbouring towns for Governor, are 
 such as to make it very doubtful if 
 Otis the federal candidate is elected, 
 also doubtful whether the senators in 
 this county of the federal ticket will 
 be elected. This will be a mortifying 
 circumstance to Tom Rotch. The New 
 England Gazette, a Democratic paper, 
 published for the first time this day. 
 
 9th. Wind N. E. and cousin Tom 
 has succeeded in getting out of sight 
 of Bedford for the first time in his 
 several attempts. It bids fair for him 
 to have a fine passage. The Timo- 
 leon, Capt. Starbuck, with 2300 bbls. 
 whale & 250 bbls. of sperm oil and 
 6000 bone arrived from the Banks, 
 brings no late accounts from the 
 whalemen. 
 
 10th. Micah H. Ruggles and Lydia 
 Rodman married. Elisha Haskell's 
 wife died this evening. 
 
 11th. Uncle Elkanah & wife re- 
 turned from Boston — Spent the eve- 
 ning at Nat's. 
 
 12th. Got my cask of Port fixed 
 in the cellar to settle. Town meeting 
 day — held in the Friends old meet- 
 ing house. There was a great excite- 
 ment on the subject of money for the 
 support of schools. Some wished to 
 
 raise the sum of $1200 in addition to 
 $1400 already in the town treasury 
 for that purpose. Jas. Arnold and 
 John S. Russell spoke at a consider- 
 able length against and Tim. G. 
 Coffin in favour of raising the addi- 
 tional sum. The subject was discussed 
 till about noon when the vote was 
 taken by counting of hands; ayes, 76; 
 nays, 91, but there being a good deal 
 of objection to this manner of decid- 
 ing the question owing to the difficulty 
 of counting the hands, the meeting 
 adjourned till the afternoon to decide 
 it by ballot. T. G. Coffin contended 
 that every man should have the privi- 
 lege whether he was a legal voter or 
 not, but this was overruled and the 
 subject was decided in the negative, 
 ayes 142; nays 189. This and other 
 town affairs occupied the remainder 
 of the day. It was the wish of the 
 lower with some of the middling 
 class of the inhabitants of the town 
 & most of Holmes* society with J. A. 
 Parker & Tim. G. Coffin at their head, 
 to have all the children of the Town 
 to be educated together at the public 
 expense in town schools, but they 
 found the town too aristocratic to 
 carry a thing of this kind into opera- 
 tion. The Rodman sailed for New 
 York. 
 
 13th. A very pleasant day. The 
 brig Franklin — Capt. Delano — with a 
 cargo of oil sailed for Bremen early 
 this morning. Dined at father's — 
 spent the evening at Nat's. 
 
 14th. N. Hathaway went to Bos- 
 ton this morning. 
 
 15th. The Balaena — Capt. Gard- 
 ner — 4% months from Wahoo with 
 2100 bbls. sperm oil arrived this morn- 
 ing having been absent 20 months, 
 11 days. Reports the following Bed- 
 ford vessels later than the Spermo: 
 At Wahoo in the 11th month 1822. 
 
 [27]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 Maryland Folger 1500 bbls. 
 
 Minerva Smyth . . M'Kenzie. .1500 
 Independence. . .Ham'd. . . .1600 
 
 Roscoe Swain 600 
 
 Heard of the following ships in 
 
 10th mo. 
 
 Abigail Covell 1400 
 
 Columbus Brock 1350 
 
 Geo. & Susan. .. .Upham. .. . 900 
 
 Capt. Gardner says there is a Rus- 
 sian frigate on the North West en- 
 forcing the Emperor Alexander's edict 
 prohibiting all vessels coming near 
 that part of the American coast, he 
 claims. Mary & Susan had another 
 visit this forenoon from the overseers 
 of the meeting to labour with them 
 respecting their dress and address, 
 and informed that they should make 
 a complaint to the meeting. Dined at 
 Cornelius'. 
 
 16th. The Brig Beneset hauled off 
 in the stream. The brig Elizabeth — 
 Capt. Blackamore — arrived this eve- 
 ning from the Western islands with 
 a cargo of goatskins, salt, &c. 
 
 17th. Planted some potatoes & 
 sowed raddish seed. The overseers 
 of the meeting entered a regular com- 
 plaint in the preparative meeting this 
 day against Mary and Susan for no*, 
 conforming to the Discipline in the 
 all important points of Dress, Ad- 
 dress, attending disordlerly mar- 
 riages (viz. the marriage of Jere'h 
 Winslow and mine) and frequenting 
 places of public amusements. After 
 some debate it was concluded to car- 
 ry the complaint up to the monthly 
 meeting next week,. The girls have 
 got their feelings a good deal excited, 
 and will probably resign their mem- 
 bership. The girls with Warren & 
 Moses dined with us. In the after- 
 noon the girls came down to the 
 counting room to be weighed — Mary 
 94, Sue 90 Katy 88. Mr. Griffiths 
 cams in the stage to attend the trial 
 
 next week in Taunton for his assault 
 on John Randolph, a slave, whom ha 
 attempted to carry off. 
 
 18th. The Brig Wm. Thacher — 
 Capt. Allen — arrived this morning at 
 7 o'clock, 71 days from Rio de 
 Janerio with coffee and sugar, hav- 
 ing made a very bad voyage for the 
 shippers. Capt. sick, not having 
 been able to be on deck for two 
 weeks past. 
 
 19th. Planted cucumber and 
 
 squash seed. The Rodman arrived 
 in 27 hours from N. York, the letters 
 were all carried to the Post office, 
 which caused much trouble and vex- 
 ation. Rec'd from Henry Grinnell 
 the first trees I sent for, also a book 
 from the Savings Bank acknowledg- 
 ing the deposit he made for our son 
 Edward. The Beneset — Capt. Gard- 
 ner — sailed this morning for Charles- 
 ton, but returned in the afternoon on 
 a-c of the wind. We took tea and 
 spent the evening at father's. 
 
 20th. Sunday. This morning we 
 had an edifying sermon from Wm. 
 James on the great importance of 
 dress. He alluded pretty pointedly 
 to Mary & Susan on the sinfulness 
 of their gay attire. Anna Hathaway 
 dined with us. Thos. Rotch, wife 
 and Miss Julia Stockton arrived 
 from Phila., also Eliza Rotch. 
 
 21st. Set out the fruit trees re- 
 ceived from New York. Some of the 
 crew of the Pacific got in town for a 
 pilot, left her in Tarpaulin Cove with 
 2000 bbls. whale oil. Nat Hathaway 
 returned from Boston this day — had 
 a cancer taken out just under his eye. 
 The Ship Persia (Capt. Merrihew) 
 sailed this evening for Savannah to 
 load for Europe. Concluded to go to 
 N. York in the Sophia when she 
 goes. 
 
 22d. The Brig Beneset — Capt. 
 Gardner — sailed this morning for 
 
 [28]
 
 From a portrait owned by Mrs. Morgan Rotch. 
 
 MRS. MOSES H. GRINNELL 
 
 Who was Susan Russell, one of the daughters of Gilbert Russell, who resigned from 
 the Society of Friends rather than accept discipline.
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 Charleston. Dined at N. Hathaway's. 
 The Pacific got up above the Island. 
 Catharine's girl Alice came to live 
 with us this day. W. T. Russell went 
 to Taunton to sit on the Jury. Israel 
 Thorndike and family in town from 
 Boston. 
 
 23d. The Ann Alexander — Capt. 
 Bates — from the Banks with 1600 
 barrels whale oil arrived at noon — 
 brought nothing later from the Bank 
 fleet than before received. At sunset 
 some thunder and lightning with 
 rain. 
 
 24th. Monthly meeting day. Mary 
 and Susan resigned their right of 
 membership. Before the business of 
 the meeting commenced Susan went 
 up to the clerk (who had taken her 
 seat) and handed her their resignation 
 and requested her to read it to the 
 meeting, and then they both left. 
 After meeting Mothei*. Corn's, L. 
 Swain, Anna, Mary & Susan with 
 Moses, came to our house, and we had 
 the doings of both meetings canvassed 
 in great style. In the men's meeting 
 great concern was felt by Obadiah & 
 Job that the meeting should be in- 
 formed why the marriage of Micah 
 Ruggles was delayed longer than was 
 generally customary. Obadiah said it 
 would be very savory to him if some 
 explanation could be given, that if 
 friends would consult the Lord they 
 would go forward at the proper time 
 and there would be no delay. Peter 
 Barney informed that he attended the 
 marriage and it was orderly conduct- 
 ed & in an arch manner thought the 
 meeting better drop the subject and 
 they had made their report to the 
 first monthly meeting after it had 
 taken place. Oba'h observed that he 
 did not mean to consult the over- 
 seers; they, he presumed, had done 
 their duty — nothing further was said 
 on this subject. Nothing occurred to 
 
 cause much excitement until the 
 women came in to inform they were 
 about denying unity with two or three 
 girls for marrying contrary to disci- 
 pline. The first cases were disposed 
 of pretty freely, but the last caused 
 them to flag a little; none approved 
 of it but Obadiah & Job (the butchers 
 of the meeting) a considerable pause 
 ensued. When Ben'n Rodman rose & 
 said he rejoiced to find them pause, 
 it appeared they were weary of this 
 work of slaughter & death. The clerk 
 (A. Sherman, Jr.) rose and said that 
 it had fallen to his lot to inform the 
 meeting that they (the overseers) had 
 had an interview with Cornelius 
 Howland, on a/c of some expressions 
 he had made use of at the last quar- 
 terly meeting (see 3d inst) that the 
 friend regretted having so done and 
 requested him to make an acknowl- 
 edgement for him to the meeting. 
 They had also visited A. Robeson for 
 his reply to Corn's and found the 
 words were entirely unpremeditated 
 on his part. Micah observed he was 
 very well satisfied with the friend's 
 acknowledgement as far as it went, 
 but wished he would go back about 
 a year and make an acknowledgement 
 for the abusive language & insinua- 
 tions he made in the quarterly meet- 
 ing about his friend Benj'n Rodman. 
 Nothing further was said & the sub- 
 ject was dropped. At the conclusion 
 of the meeting B. Rodman observed 
 that he intended to touch on the sub- 
 ject of the Select Meeting, that the 
 discipline required that when the 
 monthly meeting thought that an- 
 other Elder was necessary, they ap- 
 pointed one, but now the Elders were 
 a self-created body, that they took 
 upon themselves to appoint whom 
 they pleased, and were the most for- 
 ward to approve in the monthly meet- 
 ing their own appointments, that 
 
 [31 ]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 they were a corrupt branch of a cor- 
 rupt tree. He alluded in a cutting 
 way to the conduct of Corn's Howland 
 & Caleb Green. Ben's remarks were 
 said to be very good. This is all I 
 learnt worthy of note of the doings 
 of the men's meeting this day. 
 
 In the women's meeting much time 
 was taken up in appointing a Com- 
 mittee to wait on Mary & Susan. 
 Twelve were appointed before they 
 could get three to serve. While they 
 were endeavouring to get some one to 
 serve Sarah Arnold requested the 
 clerk to read the communication of 
 Mary & Susan, and that might prob- 
 ably save them from the trouble of 
 the appointment of a committee. 
 They still continued to nominate, and 
 Sarah Morgan also requested that the 
 clerk would read what the girls had 
 handed her. No notice, however, was 
 taken of either of these requests, they 
 being not of the right stamp in the 
 meeting. Now Debby Otis' ire began 
 to rise. She said that it was wrong 
 for the meeting to put the burthen on 
 a few and insisted on some one's ac- 
 cepting the appointment. At last they 
 succeeded and this important trust 
 was given to Sands Wing's wife, Oba- 
 diah Davis' wife & Debby Otis. Then 
 they let the subject rest until the 
 other business was completed. When 
 the Clerk read the girls' note & re- 
 quested to be informed what she 
 should do with it, then Debby said 
 this indeed confirms me, and was 
 echoed by her satellites, and the 
 meeting ended. This alluded to some- 
 thing she had before observed that 
 the overseers had performed their 
 duty and that it was most proper for 
 the complaint against the girls to be 
 carried before the monthly meeting. 
 No instructions were given the clerk 
 to put their resignation on the 
 
 records. The following is a copy of 
 the girls' resignation: 
 To the New Bedford Monthly Meet- 
 ing of Women Friends: 
 
 We have heard the report of the 
 Overseers against us (which was 
 laid before the last preparative meet- 
 ing) for deviations from the Disci- 
 pline; some of which have long been 
 considered by the Society, not very 
 important in their nature; and not 
 such, we belileve, as friends have 
 deemed necessary to lay before their 
 meetings. Altho* we have a regard 
 for the Society, and fully believe in 
 its fundamental principals; — yet con- 
 sidering the conduct of some of the 
 overseers towards us; the spirit in 
 which the report was carried for- 
 ward; its reception in the meeting; 
 and above all, the present situation 
 of the meeting; we think it most 
 proper to relinquish our right of 
 membership, and not wishing to oc- 
 casion Friends any trouble, we 
 request that a Committee may not 
 be appointed to visit us; as we are 
 unwilling to subject ourselves to the 
 repetition <«f interviews similar to 
 those we have had with the overseers. 
 Signed 
 
 Mary Russell, 
 Susan Russell. 
 
 New Bedford 
 
 4 Mo. 24, 1823. 
 
 25th. Mary and Susan received a 
 note this morning from the commit- 
 tee appointed by the meeting to visit 
 them, requesting an interview at 9 
 o'clock. They wrote them word they 
 declined seeing them. 
 
 26th. The Sophia hauled off in 
 the stream this morn'g. Purchased 
 on joint account with Jos. Rotch 100 
 bags coffee from the Wm. Thacher's 
 cargo at 25 cts., 4 mo. credit, and 
 have put it on board the Sophia for 
 exportation. Wm. T. & Warren 
 
 [32]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 spent the evening with us. They had 
 just returned from Taunton. Mr. 
 Griffiths case was referred to the Law 
 term. 
 
 27th. The Ship Geo. & Martha — 
 Capt. Randall — arrived this after- 
 noon from the Brazil Banks with 
 2000 bbls. of oil, 150 of it sperm. 
 Brings no late accounts of any whale- 
 men. 
 
 28th. This morning at sunrise 
 went off to the Sophia and got under 
 weigh at 10 minutes past 6 o'clock 
 with a fine N. E. wind and were off 
 Seconnet point at 20 minutes past 9, 
 when the wind became very scant and 
 to the S. E. At 10 o'clock we were 
 past Point Judith — at 4 abreast of 
 Watch Hill light, wind south — *4 past 
 9 abreast of Gull light. During the 
 night the wind was very light and at 
 S. W. 
 
 29th. The wind breezed up again 
 a little about sun rise to the N. E. and 
 at % past 8 we were abreast of Falk- 
 land island light house — wind very 
 light indeed and the weather very 
 pleasant — abreast of Mount Misery at 
 Y*. before 2 o'clock. From this time 
 until 4 o'clock almost calm, when the 
 wind sprang up to the southward 
 with a small breeze. The Ship Leon- 
 idas which got under weigh yester- 
 day morning soon after we did, and 
 was in sight at sunset, has not been 
 seen today. At 5 o'clock wind S. W., 
 a considerable breeze. Took in the 
 Royals for the first time off Hunting- 
 don light house. The breeze lasted 
 but a few moments and it was calm 
 all night with slight breezes. At sun- 
 set twenty-seven small vessels in 
 sight. 
 
 30th. At day light the wind breezed 
 up fair again. At 7 o'clock Sands 
 point abreast of us. At 20 minutes 
 past 8 we were off Frogs point — the 
 wind very scant. About eleven a pilot 
 
 came on board and we got thro' Hell 
 gate at % past twelve. It was very 
 pleasant sailing from Frogs point to 
 the City from 30 to 40 sail close by us 
 all the time. We arrived at the City 
 at 3 o'clock — took my trunk to Bunk- 
 er's in Wall street — found Cousin Tom 
 Russell here, and went with him to 
 Jos. Grinnell'8 to tea. 
 May. 
 
 1st. Wind N. E. with some rain — 
 a very unpleasant day. Did not do or 
 see much all day except get a few 
 things to send by the packet. Spent 
 the evening at J. Grinnell's. 
 
 2d. This morning took a long 
 walk up the East river with Edward 
 Cruft to see the shipping. We went 
 into the cabins of several of the line 
 ships — they were fitted up in elegant 
 style. Dined at Jos. Grinnell's. In 
 the evening went to the Theatre to 
 hear Matthews in Monsier Tonson. I 
 was very much pleased with him in- 
 deed. The scenery of the theatre ia 
 superb — the glass curtain had a fine 
 effect, particularly in dancing. 
 
 3d. Cousin Tom and myself took 
 a walk to see the Battery, Judds 
 Candle works &c — went on board the 
 steam boat Chancellor Livingston. She 
 is an elegant boat and fitted up in 
 superb style. Cousin Tom dined with 
 me and in the afternoon took a 
 long walk in Broadway, Tom to 
 see the pretty girls, and I to see 
 everything I could — did not find many 
 that we could call tolerably handsome. 
 In the evening, as we had nothing to 
 do, we went again to the Theatre. 
 Very few people there when the first 
 act was performed. We counted but 
 eleven persons in the boxes. The play 
 was the Soldiers Daughters, and the 
 after piece the Forty Thieves. I had 
 seen the same play performed in Bos- 
 ton, but I think there was better act- 
 ing this evening. 
 
 [33]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 4th. Sunday, Henry, Cousin Tom 
 & myself went to the Roman Catholic 
 Church a little while this morning. 
 The inside of the building is strik- 
 ingly grand. We soon got tired of their 
 proceedings, left and took a walk 
 to Richmond Hill Garden, which is no 
 great thing — went to I. W. Russell's 
 to dine. In the evening took a walk 
 alone on the Battery. They are at 
 work widening this place, which when 
 done will add very much to its beauty. 
 It was a lonesome walk to me, not 
 meeting among a thousand persons 
 one that I knew. I returned to my 
 lodgings and went to bed at 8 o'clock 
 quite homesick. 
 
 5th. Rec'd a letter from Catharine 
 very unexpectedly, which put me in 
 good spirits. Cousin Tom and myself 
 took a long walk and then went to 
 J. Grinnell's to accompany Sally, 
 Sarah, Mary Minturn & Mary A. Rus- 
 sell on board the Cortes, to partake 
 of a collation. Her cabin is fitted up 
 in grand style — red damask curtains, 
 a great deal of gilt work and every- 
 thing in the neatest order. After re- 
 turning from the Cortes Henry, Cousin 
 Tom and myself took a hack and went 
 out to see the Stepping Mill which was 
 in full operation. There were thirty 
 persons on a wheel at a time, and as 
 many more seated that every half 
 minute a bell rings by machinery; one 
 comes off & another takes his place, 
 so each have fifteen minutes rest. Up 
 stairs the females were at work. There 
 were about half as many as in the 
 men's apartment. It appeared very 
 hard work for them. From thence we 
 went to Harlem bridge, and had a 
 very pleasant ride. Took tea at J. 
 Grinnell's and staid there till 10 
 o'clock and returning got as far as the 
 Theatre, and not feeling much inclina- 
 tion to sleep, went in. Mr. Matthews 
 was playing the Polly Packet. His 
 
 description of the passengers was won- 
 derful. He is a very good ventriloquist. 
 It was astonishing with what rapidity 
 he changed his dress & appeared in a 
 new character 
 
 uin. News received this morning 
 of the Declaration of War by France 
 against Spain, and that hostilities had 
 commenced. This intelligence has 
 caused business to revive and the pros- 
 pect seems very good for our obtaining 
 a freight for the Sophia today. Very 
 much to my regret, Cousin Tom left 
 here this morning for Phila. I shall 
 miss his company very much. From 
 one to three o'clock I amused myself 
 by walking up and down Wall street 
 and stopping at the Coffee house — 
 every body in a hurry — all bustle & 
 confusion. This afternoon I met a 
 procession of about three thousand 
 children belonging to the Sunday 
 Schools all with badges, and at the 
 schools one of the boys carried a flag 
 on which was painted the name of the 
 church to which his school belonged. 
 Went to see the painting of the ship 
 wreck of the Albion. It was a very 
 dark painting. It did not please my 
 eye much. Took tea at J. Grinnell's. 
 Mr. Green was there. Had a great deal 
 to say about Dover — regretted very 
 much his not being there while we 
 were last summer &c, &c. 
 
 7th. Did not do or see much dur- 
 ing the day. In the evening felt 
 lonesome and went to the Theatre. 
 The play was the Clandestine Mar- 
 riage. Mr. Matthews performed, and 
 I was well pleased with the evening's 
 entertainment, particularly so as I 
 met with an adventure. I was seat- 
 ed in the second row, in one of the 
 front seats next a partition, to a box 
 where a tall genteel looking gentle- 
 man sat with two ladies. Just before 
 the afterpiece commenced he turned 
 
 [34]
 
 . ,^ >;. ■ »» 
 
 i 
 
 From a portrait owned by Lawrence Grinnell. 
 GILBERT RUSSELL
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 around to me and requested I would 
 do him the favour to take a seat with 
 the ladies, as he was under the 
 necessity of leaving for a short time, 
 which I did. One appeared to be 
 about sixteen, not handsome — the 
 other, say thirty, quite interesting in 
 her appearance. While the after- 
 piece was performing, the eldest lady 
 observed, that is Mr. Richies, point- 
 ing to one on the stage, and made 
 some remarks respecting him,. I did 
 not appear to take much interest in 
 him, and inquired if he performed in 
 the play. She appeared quite struck 
 and said that he was with them dur- 
 ing the play, and asked me if I was 
 not acquainted with him. She ap- 
 peared very much surprised when I 
 told her I had never seen him before, 
 as she understood him to say I was 
 an acquaintance. Then she told me 
 Mr. Richies was her husband and be- 
 longed to the Theatre. We had a 
 very pleasant chat. After the per- 
 formance was concluded and the 
 boxes nearly cleared, and no Mr. 
 Richies appearing, they appeared 
 considerably mortified at their situa- 
 tion. I offered to accompany them 
 home, which they accepted, and 
 thanked me very politely. I must 
 confess altho' I had no right to have 
 any suspicions of them, still I could 
 not help feeling a number of times 
 during the evening that I had been 
 duped by some one, but, however, 
 considering, I was a stranger, I was 
 determined to take things as they 
 should be and not to be too sus- 
 picious. I waited on them a consid- 
 erable way up Broadway, and then 
 down Chamber street towards the N. 
 River and left them at a genteel look- 
 ing house. There was nothing in 
 their manners or appearance that I 
 could construe aught against, only 
 
 the singularity of their situation, their 
 accepting my offer to accompany 
 them home, after knowing I was a 
 stranger, and entirely unacquainted 
 with Mr. Richies. They regretted 
 that they had put me to so much 
 trouble, and thanked me for my po- 
 liteness. I came home undecided in 
 my mind whether I was hoaxed or 
 that they were whom they represent- 
 ed, but I am determined to find out,. 
 
 8th. A rainy day. Spent most of 
 it in the house. Got an offer to load 
 one-half the Sophia for Hamburg 
 and have put her up for that place. 
 Took tea and spent the evening at 
 Henry's. It seemed almost like home. 
 Not ascertained to my satisfaction 
 about last evening's adventure, but 
 have it in a fair train. 
 
 9th. The person that I requested 
 to ask Mr. Richies if he did leave 
 his wife in the Theatre, told me that 
 he did but he concluded some of his 
 acquaintance would see her in the 
 course of the evening and escort her 
 home, and finding her gone conclud- 
 ed this to have been the case. Re- 
 ceived a letter from Catharine and 
 one from Moses. Finished a letter to 
 C. and sent it by mail and in the after- 
 noon wrote again by a sloop. Aunt 
 Sally Russell came from New Bed- 
 ford in the Rodman. Succeeded thi3 
 forenoon in obtaining a full freight 
 for the Sophia to Hamburgh — John 
 Jacob Astor the principal shipper. Re- 
 ceived a very pressing invitation from 
 Henry and Sarah to come and take up 
 my abode with them, which I have 
 accepted, as I did not like Wall street 
 house at all, so much noise and con- 
 fusion. 
 
 10th. Took out of the Ship most 
 of her ballast, ready to commence 
 loading second day. Spent two hours 
 this morning with Sarah to make 
 
 [37]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 some purchases for Catherine — took 
 tea and spent the evening at J. W. 
 Russell's, and returned to my new 
 residence about 10 o'clock. A very 
 fine day. 
 
 11th. Sunday. Went with Henry 
 & Sarah to the friends meeting in 
 Hester street — no preaching worth 
 mentioning. Capt. Crocker arrived 
 this morning from Liverpool. In the 
 evening a large number of Sarah's re- 
 lations called to see her. 
 
 12th. A pleasant day — got all the 
 ballast out of the ship & took in fifty 
 casks rice. The ship Maria which 
 arrived yesterday from London 
 brought over the famed horse Roman. 
 The people were flocking all day to 
 see him. The ship lay alongside the 
 Sophia in the morning and the crowd 
 was so great passing & repassing her 
 deck that we were obliged to get the 
 master of the Maria to let us haul 
 his ship across the dock, but the cur- 
 iosity of the people was so great that 
 they kept two boats constantly plying 
 between the ship and the wharf and 
 paid 12% cents each. It was very 
 amusing to see what interest the 
 horse excited. He is said to be a su- 
 perb horse. I went on board to see 
 him. He has a beautiful head and 
 neck. The Eliza Nicoll arrived at 1 
 o'clock. Rob't Smith came in her. 
 Rec'd no letter from Catharine, much 
 to my disappointment. 
 
 13th. Rained all day. Were un- 
 able to do anything on board the ship. 
 Henry and myself dined at Benj'n 
 Minturn's. Had a very pleasant time, 
 and was vejy much pleased with my 
 visit. His daughters Elizabeth & Pen- 
 elope were very sociable, as well as 
 their brothers William and Robert. 
 
 14th. A pleasant day. Got the 
 coffee & sugar all weighed and taken 
 into the ship again, and about fifty 
 casks of rice stowed away. Put some 
 
 radishes on board the Rodman (who 
 was to have sailed today) for Cathar- 
 ine. Sarah had a tea party this aft- 
 ernoon — Jos. & Sally — Aunt Sally — 
 Her mother and Mary Ann. Had a 
 pleasant time. 
 
 15th. Made considerable progress 
 in loading the ship. In the afternoon 
 Henry and myse'f went over to the 
 Navy yard. Went on board and all 
 over the Washington and Ohio, 74 
 and a new frigate on the stocks near- 
 ly completed. I was very much grati- 
 fied with our work — returned to my 
 home to tea where were a Miss Hart- 
 shorn, Eliz. & Penelope Minturn, and 
 Sarah's sister Mary, also William and 
 Robert Minturn. We had a very 
 agreeable evening. 
 
 16th. Not very pleasant, in the 
 afternoon it rained, and we were 
 obliged to break off work. Very 
 much disappointed in not receiving 
 any letters £rom home.. Rob't Smith 
 took tea with us at Henry's. 
 
 17th. Very warm and pleasant. 
 Spent most of the day on board the 
 ship. Invited to take tea at Geo. 
 Hussey's. Did not go till evening. 
 Found them very pleasantly situated 
 in Broome street — staid about an 
 hour and returned home. 
 
 18th. Sunday. Went to Pearl 
 street meeting this morning to hear 
 Edward Hicks from Pennsylvania 
 preach. He held forth for about two 
 hours in a very able manner. He 
 used plain, strong language. The 
 principal subject of his discourse was 
 against traditional experience upon 
 which he expatiated very largely and 
 also had a good deal to say respect- 
 ing the unchristian spirit that pre- 
 vailed among many for condemning 
 those who differed from them in 
 some little points. He also depre- 
 cated in a very strong manner the 
 
 [38]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 Bible & Missionary Societies. Went 
 in the afternoon to Hester street 
 meeting. Edward Hicks was there 
 and he gave us another sermon of 
 more than two hours. His principal 
 topics were the injury done the 
 world by hireling priests. He said 
 he called all hireling priests whether 
 they received pay or not, if they were 
 not commissioned from God to 
 preach. He also had a great deal 
 to say again respecting the injury 
 that was resulting from tradition. 
 Both meetings were fully attended. 
 From what I could learn, I believe 
 his sentiments were generally ap- 
 proved, but among the elder part of 
 the Society there were a number 
 that disapproved his sentiments in 
 some measure. The ship Leeds 
 arrived this day in 23 days from 
 Liverpool, and brings accounts that 
 the French had actually entered 
 Spain and that war had commenced. 
 
 19th. Business appeared to have 
 revived a little in consequence of the 
 news received yesterday. Went on 
 board the packet ship Leeds. Her 
 cabin is fitted up in superb style, 
 equal to any parlour I ever saw. 
 Prince Marat, nephew to Napoleon, 
 arrived this day from Hamburgh. He 
 is not very prepossessing in his ap- 
 pearance. His mustachios were not 
 shaved, which gave him rather a 
 savage look. He contemplates spend- 
 ing some time in this country. He 
 got permission to come to this coun- 
 try by agreeing never to enter the 
 Austrian dominions. Mary Minturn 
 & M,. Ann Russell took tea with us. 
 About ten o'clock had a very heavy 
 shower of rain. 
 
 20th. An excessive warm day. Did 
 not get along much on board the ship. 
 
 21st. Busy all the morning arrang- 
 ing so that I could leave in the after- 
 
 noon for home. Called to see Cousin 
 Fanny & at Jos. Grinnell's. Henry in- 
 troduced me to Mr. Winnerholm, a 
 young man from Gothenburg going in 
 the steam boat to Providence. Rec'd a 
 note from Capt. Fish to dine with him 
 in company with Prince Murat. In the 
 afternoon left in the steam boat for 
 Newport — found Rob't Smith on board 
 and Thos. Riddle — spent the evening 
 very pleasantly. Found Mr. Winner- 
 holm very talkative. He introduced me 
 to Mr. Perkin, son of Thos. H. of Bos- 
 ton. It was calm all night. Went to 
 bed at 10 but was not able to get much 
 sleep, the jarring of the boat was so 
 great. 
 
 2 2d. Several showers of rain from 
 sunrise till 9 o'clock. Got up this 
 morning at 4 o'clock. Found it much 
 pleasanter on deck than in the cabin. 
 There is upward of sixty passengers on 
 board. A good deal amused with Mr. 
 Geo. W. Sturgis, a supercargo dandy. 
 At 12 o'clock we got to New Port 
 where I found Harry with the horse 
 & gig waiting for me. Went and saw 
 my sister Mary. Dined at Townsend's 
 and at 2 Rob't and myself started in 
 the gig, Thos. Riddle and Henry in 
 a hack, and got home at 8 o'clock. 
 Very much pleased once more to get 
 back to my native village. In the even- 
 ing the girls, Corn's & Warren were at 
 our house. 
 
 23d. Moses left this morning in the 
 Rodman for New York, also Tom 
 Hathaway. The Brig Juno arrived this 
 forenoon. Took tea at Nath's and had 
 a very pleasant evening. 
 
 24th. Warren dined with us. 
 Hardly got into the regular routine 
 of business at the store. 
 
 25th. Sunday. Corn's & the girls 
 dined with, passed a very pleasant 
 day — did not go to meeting. 
 
 26th. Mr. Wennerholm of Gothen- 
 
 [39]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 burg came in town this afternoon 
 from Providence. 
 
 27th. Spent most of the forenoon 
 with Mr. Winnerholm, who dined 
 with me, also Corn's, Warren and 
 Susan. In the afternoon Mr. W. and 
 myself took a ride round the river 
 and returned to our house and spent 
 the evening. 
 
 28th. The Ship Martha — Capt. 
 Reed — sailed this morning for the 
 Brazil Banks. Our servant Henry 
 left this day for Boston. Took tea 
 at father's. 
 
 29th. A fine rain. The Sloop Ann 
 arrived at 8 a. m. Reed a letter 
 from Moses, mentioning that Eclipse 
 had best Sir Henry at the great race 
 on Long Island for a bet of $20,000. 
 Great rejoicings in New York at the 
 successful termination of the race in 
 favour of the northern horse,. Mr. 
 "Winnerholm spent the evening with 
 us — he leaves tomorrow for Ply- 
 mouth. 
 
 30th. The Brig Wm. Thacher 
 sailed this morning for Bremen with 
 a cargo of whale oil. Paul Howland, 
 mate. In the afternoon the Eliza 
 Nicoll sailed for New York. 
 
 31st., The ship Richmond — Capt. 
 Covel — sailed early this morning for 
 the Brazil Banks. A cold wind and 
 a blustering day. The evening pleas- 
 ant — took a walk with Wm. & Syl- 
 via and Mary up to Father's farm. 
 
 June. 
 
 1st. Sunday. Took a ride with 
 Cath. and Willy over to Padanaram,. 
 Mary and Susan dined with us, had 
 roast beef for dinner (a great rarity 
 this season of the year). After din- 
 found 'Neal and Warren. Took a 
 walk with them back of Uncle Abra- 
 ham's and returned to Nat's to drink 
 a little wine. The Ship Victory — 
 Capt. Adams — arrived this afternoon 
 
 from the Banks with 1500 bbls. oil, 
 (70 of it sperm) and 2500 bone. 
 
 2d. Thos. T. Churchell failed this 
 day, but it is supposed he will pay 
 all demands against him. Had the 
 large blinds painted in the new room. 
 Ch's W. Flemming arrived in town 
 this evening. 
 
 3d. Rec'd a letter from J. W, 
 Russell stating the Sophia sailed last 
 Friday, 30th inst. — makes nearly £900 
 freight. The Brig Dragon arrived 
 this afternoon with only 150 bbls. 
 whale and elephant oil. They sur- 
 veyed nearly 300 miles of the coast 
 of Patagonia, but could not find any 
 elephants. 
 
 4th. The Rodman got in this af- 
 ternoon. Rec'd a letter from Moses. 
 Very pleasant weather. 
 
 5th. The warmest day we have 
 had this season, the thermometer at 
 1 o'clock at 80 degrees. Wm. T. and 
 Warren dined with me. John How- 
 land, Jar,, and Thos. Hathaway and 
 sister returned from New York by the 
 steamboat. This afternoon the ship 
 Columbus — Brock — arrived from the 
 Pacific Ocean, last from Valparaiso 
 with 1800 bbls. sperm oil. Brought 
 a large quantity of specie for per- 
 sons in Boston and some for the own- 
 ers of the Emerald of Fairhaven. 
 
 Reports the following ships left on 
 the coast of Japan, Mexico, Peru & 
 Chili: 
 Nov. Geo. & Susan (Up- 
 
 ham) 1000 bbls. 
 
 Phenix (Worth).. 50 
 Swift (Pinkham) . 400 
 Wm. Rotch (To- 
 
 bey) 20 
 
 Dec. Portia (Ray) 400 
 
 Iris (Hathaway) . . 1400 
 
 Abigail (Covell) . . 1700 
 
 " Florida (Price)... 400 
 
 Charles (Coffin).. 1300 
 
 [40]
 
 HENRY GRINNELL 
 
 Mr. Grinnell financed a number of 
 Dr. Kane's Arctic expeditions. 
 Grinnell Land was named for him.
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 March. Maria (Sprague). 40 bbls. 
 
 Mercury (Austin). 150 
 
 Also arrived the ship Maria 
 Theresa — Wilcox — from the Banks 
 with 2100 bbls. whale oil. Coming 
 into the river the Vineyard pilot ran 
 her on a ledge of rocks to the S. W. 
 of Black Rock — at nearly high tide. 
 The sloop Emily went down this eve- 
 ning to lighten her. 
 
 6th. The ship Amazon — Eldridge 
 — from the Brazil Banks with 1500 
 bbls. whale oil arrived last night — 
 the last ship that will come from 
 the Banks this season. Got up to 
 the wharf at sunset — when also the 
 Maria Theresa came to anchor in the 
 stream, having got off the rocks at 
 high water without sustaining any 
 damage of consequence. 
 
 7th. The Eliza Nicol arrived this 
 afternoon from N. York, having lost 
 the head of her mast in a squall night 
 before last in the Race. Rec'd a few 
 lines from Moses mentioning the ar- 
 rival of the Scfr. Magnolia — Capt. 
 Hitch — at N. York. 
 
 8th. Sunday. A fine rain all day, 
 but rather cold. A young man from 
 near Poughkeepsie by the name of 
 Hill Barton preached a long sermon 
 in the morning. I was not there, 
 but heard he riveted the attention 
 of the whole meeting — he was an en- 
 tire stranger — known to none in 
 town. Andrew Robeson invited him 
 to dine with him. In the afternoon 
 I went to hear him — he preached 
 about two hours in a very interesting 
 manner. He informed us he had 
 formerly belonged to the Society, but 
 was not now, that he considered him- 
 self a true Quaker, disclaimed the 
 Discipline and all forms. His senti- 
 ments were completely what is called 
 New Light. He is about twenty-four 
 years of age and has a fine counte- 
 
 nance. Wrote Cousin Tom a long 
 letter by mail — also to Moses. Henry 
 returned from Boston & resumed his 
 station. Dr. Read's son Wm. Alex- 
 ander, died this day with the dysen- 
 tery — aged 9 months. 
 
 9th. A considerable talk today res- 
 pecting young Barton who preached; 
 him to a very superior young man. 
 most that I heard speak of him think 
 'Neal, Nat & Macy dined with us. 
 Took tea at 'Neal's with the girls 
 and in the evening went to the Meth- 
 odist Chapel to hear young Barton, 
 who had appointed a meeting there. 
 The house was well filled. He gave 
 us a very good sermon. A consider- 
 able number of young friends were 
 there, but none of the old ones. Syl- 
 via on returning from meeting turned 
 her ancle and sprained it. 
 
 10th. Weather very cool. The ship 
 Corn's Rodgers — Smith — arrived from 
 Amsterdam 40 days passage. Dr. 
 Read's child buried this afternoon. 
 
 11th. Ship Ann Alexander — Bow- 
 en — sailed for the Brazil Banks, also 
 Sloop Rodman for New York. Chas. 
 W. Morgan went in her for Phila. 
 
 12th. Attended meeting — received 
 a long sermon from young Barton. 
 When he had finished Debby Otis 
 made a few remarks which coincided 
 in sentiment with what Barton had 
 advanced, but desired friends to be 
 careful not to be blown about by every 
 whiff of doctrine &c &c. After this 
 young Barton made a prayer. Before 
 the meeting closed Benj'n Rodman 
 rose and said that his friend Hall 
 Barton would hold a meeting at the 
 North Baptist meeting house this eve- 
 ning. This being preparative meet- 
 ing day, they again brought forward 
 a complaint against Ben. Rodman 
 from the overseers without stating 
 for what offence he was complained 
 
 [43]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 of, but they were not able to carry 
 it thro* and the meeting ordered it 
 back to the overseers to be remodeled. 
 In answering the Queries, Job Otis 
 said that he thought the one respect- 
 ing unbecoming behaviour ought not 
 to be answered clear, as they had 
 witnessed that day the unbecoming 
 behaviour of Ben Rodman, in inform- 
 ing friends of the appointment of a 
 meeting by one who was not a friend. 
 No notice however was taken of Job's 
 sage remark. Dined at Corneiius' on 
 roast pig. Had company to tea at 
 home — Jos. Ricketson & E. Their at on 
 with their wives. Lydia Thornton & 
 Mary & Susan. Had a very pleasant 
 evening. Mary & L. Thornton left to 
 attend the meeting. I could not leave 
 on account of my company. 
 
 13th. The girls dined with us. Re- 
 ceived a letter by Mail from Moses 
 saying that he should be in Newport 
 on Sunday. About 10 o'clock went 
 down to Uncle Humphrey with War- 
 ren — had a supper and a very clever 
 time — received the pleasing intelli- 
 gence that Mary R. Rotch has agreed 
 to give her hand to Chas. W. Flem- 
 ming. 
 
 14th. The Sch'r Eliza Barker with 
 125 bbls. sperm oil arrived. Corn's, 
 & Susan, Father & Mary, Jos. How- 
 land and myself left here in gigs at 2 
 o'clock for Newport to escort Moses 
 home — had a very pleasant ride and 
 got there at 8 in the evening — put up 
 at Townsend's — Hull Barton staid 
 there also — Corn's & him had a long 
 conversation together — he is a very 
 pleasant & interesting companion. 
 
 15th. Sunday. Went to meeting. 
 Had a long, dull and uninteresting 
 serman from Henry Hull, of whose 
 Gospel ministry I did not form a very 
 high opinion of — do not think him 
 equal to his nephew Hull Barton. 
 
 Moses got here at 4 o'clock this 
 afternoon in the steamboat from New 
 York. I was very glad to see him. 
 Went to meeting again this afternoon, 
 and had another sermon and prayer 
 from H. Hull — as uninteresting as the 
 morning's service — says too much of 
 himself that has a tendency to disgust 
 his hearers. Heard that Hull Barton 
 walked out to Portsmouth meeting — 
 he appeared in supplication; as soon 
 as Moses Brown discovered whom it 
 was, — He requested him to stop, but 
 he paid no attention to him. Moses 
 continued talking, requested friends to 
 touch him. but no one felt confident 
 enough to lay hands on him. After 
 meeting he got up on an eminence in 
 the yard and addressed about two 
 thirds of the meeting, who stopped to 
 hear him. His sentiments were gen- 
 erally approved. 
 
 16th. Our party went out to a 
 place on the island called Purgatory 
 — a pleasant ride — it is a chasm in a 
 rock — the sides are perpendicular 
 about 15 feet wide — the sea rushes in 
 and gives it rather a wild appearance. 
 Returned to town and left there for 
 home at 11 — got to the Head of West- 
 port at 3 where we dined and staid 
 till 5 — found ourselves at 7 once more 
 at home. Spent the evening at 
 father's. 
 
 17th. A warm day. Jos. Rotch 
 went over to Newport this morning 
 to see that Barton had fair play shewn 
 him. 
 
 18th. The ship Timoleon — Capt. 
 Starbuck — sailed for the Banks. Sch'r 
 Packer arrived at Fairhaven with 
 160 bbls. sperm oil — oil has risen at 
 Nantucket to 46 cents cash — it has 
 been as low as 37 cents. 
 
 19th. The ships Geo. & Martha — 
 Chase — and the Pacific — Whitfield — 
 sailed for the Brazil Banks. Dined 
 
 [44]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 at W. T. Russell's, the warmest day 
 this season. The thermometer In my 
 entry 85°. Friends returned from the 
 Yearly meeting. They are going to 
 apply to the Legislature to get In- 
 corporated. 
 
 "Oth The Rodman from New York 
 arrived this morning. W. R. lloLch, 
 Chas. Morgan & Sister came passen- 
 gers. Moses received some cherries 
 and sent them up to our house and 
 in the evening had a party to partake 
 of them. Took a ride after tea to get 
 Cl.imoors — a very pleasant day. 
 
 21ft. The ships Phoebe Ann and 
 Good Return hauled into the stream. 
 A pleasant day. 
 
 ?2d The Rodman left this morn- 
 ing .or New York — a fine wind. Corn's 
 went in her. The ship Phoebe Ann — 
 ("apt. Rawson — sailed for the Brazil 
 Batiks. At meeting this morning Hull 
 Barton rose and quoted tha 1, portion 
 of Scripture where Christ told the 
 people when asked what they should 
 do wiih a certain woman, and he tcld 
 them that they that were without 3ia 
 to cast the first stone at her &c — he 
 then sal down, but soon rose again, 
 but before he had said many words 
 Coir> Howland asked old friend 
 Rotch if it was not best to stop him 
 as he was not a member. The old 
 man would not pay any attention to 
 him, and Uncle Casey kept silence — 
 and Hull proceeded, but Asa Smith 
 could not rest easy to hear one who 
 was not a member say any thing in 
 meeting, and requested that "dis- 
 honest man to take his seat and not 
 disturb the meeting." Frank Taber 
 also upbraided him, but he paid no 
 attention to them and continued on in 
 his discourse, and spoke to us in a 
 very impressive manner. No further 
 opposition was made. He bade us an 
 affectionate farewell and left the 
 meeting before it was closed. After 
 
 he left, Ben'j Rodman spoke in a very 
 able manner, and much to the pur- 
 pose — respecting the persecuting 
 spirit among us, and ended with the 
 words of Christ on the cross: "Father, 
 forgive them, for they know not what 
 they do." 
 
 Dined at brother William's — learnt 
 that Hull had an appointed meeting 
 at Rochester, and to testify our appro- 
 bation of him Catharine & myself 
 with William and Sylvia, Rob't & 
 Lydia Smith and Wm. P. and sister 
 Betsey went over to attend his meet- 
 ing, and were well pleased with his 
 discourse. After meeting we called 
 to see Micah Ruggles and his wife, 
 and then returned home. Rob't & 
 Lydia took tea with us. A very cool 
 evening — had a fire to keep us com- 
 fortable. 
 
 23d. A considerable excitement 
 among a good many in consequence 
 of the unchristian treatment towards 
 Hull Barton yesterday. He had an 
 appointed meeting this evening at the 
 Old Congregational meeting house. I 
 attended it and was better pleased 
 with him than at any time before. 
 The meeting was well attended. Jos. 
 Rotch and Ben'j Rodman sat In the 
 pulpit with him. Green peas in the 
 market for the first time this season. 
 
 24th. A fine Rain last night. Wm. 
 T. Dined with us. In the afternoon 
 took a ride round the river. 
 
 25th. Mr. Warren & Smith with 
 the girls dined with us today. In the 
 afternoon Moses & Susan, Cath. & 
 myself took a ride to Cummings' to 
 buy goods cheap. Took tea and spent 
 the evening at father's. An associa- 
 tion of ministers from different parts 
 of the States belonging to the or- 
 thodox (Holmes') church, met here 
 today to discuss the state of religion, 
 &c. 
 
 [45]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 26th. Monthly meeting day. At 
 the close of the first meeting B. Rod- 
 man informed them his friend Hull 
 Barton would have a meeting this eve- 
 ning at the North Baptist meeting 
 house. Some of the old friends felt 
 rather sour at this. They disowned 
 the girls after some opposition, also 
 Andrew Hathaway for marrying out 
 of the Society. 
 
 The Eliza Nicol arrived this after- 
 noon from New York. A son and 
 daughter of Caleb Hathaway of 
 Phila. came passengers in her. It 
 rained in the evening and I did not 
 go to hear Barton — understood he 
 had a pretty full meeting, and 
 preached very well to them. 
 
 27th. Dined at a family party at 
 father's. S. L. Shober of Phila. took 
 tea at father's with us. 
 
 28th. Found this morning that 
 during the night Henry had decamped 
 with all his baggage thro' the win- 
 dow in his room — have not been able 
 to learn any tidings of him, but pre- 
 sume he has gone to Hayti in the 
 Sloop William which sailed during the 
 night. 
 
 The whole talk of the town is on 
 the failure of Will'm & Gideon Allen 
 — and Hussey & Allen, who have 
 stopped payment this day. Engaged 
 most of the day in reading Quentin 
 Derwood. 
 
 29th. Sunday. Ships Midas, Spoon- 
 er, and Good Return — Terry — sailed 
 for the Brazil Banks. The Boston 
 brig Halcyon with 2100 bbls. whale 
 oil sailed for Rotterdam. The Ann 
 left this evening for New York. 
 Uncle Gid. and daughters went in her 
 on a tour to the westward. Capt. 
 Smith dined with me. Hull Barton 
 left town this afternoon with Mr. 
 Warren for Plymouth on the way to 
 Boston & Lynn — his exit will relieve 
 
 the minds of many concerned friends. 
 Sloop Emily sailed for Bilboa. 
 
 30th. Had a spell of the sick head- 
 ache. The brig Glide from Boston 
 arrived this morning to take a cargo 
 of oil from Fairhaven. 
 
 July. 
 
 1st. By the arrival at Nantucket 
 of the Constitution & Dauphin, we 
 receive the following accounts from 
 the whalemen: 
 
 Nov. 25 — Frances — Swain 1600 bbls. 
 
 Independence — Ham'd. . . .1800 
 
 Dec. Wm. Rotch — Tobey 200 
 
 Dec. 5 Stanton — Burtch 600 
 
 " 23 Alliance — Coffin None 
 
 Ja»i. 30 Sw*ift 600 
 
 Feb. 13 Pindus 200 
 
 2d. The Rodman arrived this 
 forenoon. Mrs. Parry and her two 
 daughters from Phila. came in her. 
 Took tea at Corn's and in the evening 
 went up to Nat's to see Mrs. Parry. 
 
 3d. The ship Millwood — Burgess — ■ 
 sailed for the Brazil Banks. Mr. 
 Warren returned from Plymouth — 
 his brother, the doctor, came with 
 him. Rec'd a letter via Nantucket 
 from Capt. Glover of the Barclay 
 dated at sea Lat. 33° N. Long. 1400 
 W., Nov. 23, 182 . He says he is going 
 to the coast of Japan once more, that 
 he has 800 barrels. 
 
 4th. A pleasant day — rather cool. 
 Nothing done in the village towards 
 celebrating Independence but our 
 Fairhaven neighbours had a public 
 dinner. This eve'n had a supper 
 party of Chowder &c — Mr. Warren & 
 his brother, Wm. T., Nat & Moses — 
 had a pleasant time. 
 
 5th. The supper I ate last evening 
 did not agree with me very well, and 
 I did not leave the house 'till after- 
 noon. Thia evening the Ship Par- 
 nasso — Capt. Clark — with 1200 bbls. 
 sperm oil arrived from the Pacific 
 Ocean and brings the unpleasant in- 
 telligence of the death of Capt. Eber 
 
 [46]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 Clark of our Bark Elizabeth, who 
 Bickened and died before they got 
 round the Cape of Good Hope. This 
 account the capt. of the Parnasso 
 learnt from the ship Courier of New- 
 port, who had spoken a vessel that 
 was in company with the Elizabeth on 
 the coast of New Holland, but at what 
 time I cannot learn but hope on the 
 arrival of the Courier to have fur- 
 ther accounts who had put away with 
 1900 barrels for home. The Parnasso 
 also heard from the Wm. Rotch with 
 500 barrels in January. 
 
 6th. Very heavy showers of rain 
 this forenoon. The Commodore 
 Rodgers — Capt. Smith — sailed for the 
 Brazil Banks. Devoted the day to 
 reading Count Las. Casas' Journal. 
 
 7th. Took tea at Nath'ls, then took 
 a walk thro' the north part of the 
 town. It is so much altered within 
 a few years that I hardly knew it 
 to be part of our town. 
 
 8th. Very warm and lazy weather 
 — business very dull . 
 
 9th. The Ship Victory — Capt. 
 Adams — sailed for the Brazil Banks. 
 The Rodman also for New York. 
 Thos. Rodman went in her on his 
 way to Niagara. The Capt. of the 
 Courier got here this afternoon and 
 says he never heard of the Elizabeth 
 or of Capt. Clark and that the in- 
 formation we heard by the Parnasso 
 is entirely incorrect unless he got the 
 account from some other ship. Took 
 tea at father's — Nat. Hathaway's fam- 
 ily there. 
 
 10th. The Brig Industry — Parker 
 — from the coast of Guinea with 380 
 bbls. sperm oil arrived last night. The 
 Ann arrived this afternoon. Nat's 
 family & some other of our ac- 
 quaintance took tea with us, among 
 them Wm. Swain. 
 
 11th. Nothing occurred during the 
 day to note — sultry weather. 
 
 12th. The Brig Nautilus sailed for 
 New York. 
 
 13th. The Dragon — Bates — sailed 
 for the Brazil Banks. Ben'n Rodman 
 took the high seat during the meet- 
 ing and preached to them a little. 
 Mary R. Rotch and Ch's W. Flemming 
 were published today. The Herald — 
 Neal — sailed for the Banks. 
 
 14th. Spent most of the day at 
 home reading Las Casas's Journal. In 
 the evening went to Jas. Arnold's gar- 
 den to eat strawberries. 
 
 15th. A fine rain all day. Warren 
 dined with ua. 
 
 16th. The Ann sailed for New 
 York loaded with sperm oil in the 
 natural state belonging to Judd — bo't 
 here at 45 cts. p. gall. cash. In the 
 evening went down to father's to eat 
 Ice Cream. Nothing remarkable oc- 
 curred this day saving old Isaac 
 Howland's wife was put to bed with a 
 daughter — great event for the old 
 man. 
 
 17th. The ship Amazon — Adams — 
 sailed for the Brazil Banks a- whaling. 
 At noon brother Benjamin with his 
 wife and blind child, arrived from 
 Newport — came for the benefit of 
 their healths. Preparative meeting 
 day — nothing done with Ben. Rod- 
 man. 
 
 18th. Brother Ben,, left for home 
 this morning. Devoted the day to 
 bottling port wine, rec'd by the 
 Parthian. I filled 300 bottles and 
 stowed them in the wine cellar. 
 
 19th. This morning a party con- 
 sisting of Jos. & Thos. Rotch, B. 
 Rodman. C. Morgan, Wm. Swain, M. 
 Grinnell, Chas. Grinnell, Nat. Hath- 
 away and myself went in the sloop 
 Experiment — Capt. Taber — to the 
 Islands, anchored under the large 
 Weepecket island and commenced 
 fishing. A party put off in the Boat 
 
 [49]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 to divide the chance. We did not get 
 many fish, though more than we need- 
 ed. I was so fortunate as to catch 
 more than any one else, which was 
 but twelve. We had a very good 
 chowder, got under weigh for home 
 about two o'clock — very little wind, 
 and that ahead as well as the tide & 
 we did not get to the wharf till 
 Eleven. Part of the party left the 
 sloop after we got this side the Light, 
 in the whale boat, and got up an hour 
 before we d;d. We had a very pleas- 
 ant time, indeed and I enjoyed my- 
 self very much. 
 
 20th. Have not felt well all day 
 owing to yesterday's dissipation. The 
 ship Columbus — Capt. Brock — sailed 
 this morning for the Brazil Banks 
 a-whaling. The Rodman arrived this 
 evening from New York. 
 
 21st. Rec'd accounts by the ar- 
 rival of the Carrier into N. London 
 from the Pacific Ocean that she spoke 
 Feb'y 22d with 1050 barrels the 
 Minerva, so that we may daily expect 
 her. 
 
 22d. The Experiment — Capt Taber 
 — sailed this morn'g for New York. 
 Thos. Hathaway went on in her. Took 
 my gig to Hall's to have repaired. 
 
 23d. Got my hay into the Barn of 
 W. Rotch, 1% tons & W. T. Russell 
 2 tons. 
 
 24th. Monthly meeting day — a 
 good deal of sparring. Geo. Hussey, 
 wife and Eliza Bowne got in town 
 from New York via steamboat. 
 
 25th. The Ann arrived this 
 morn'g twenty-five hours from N. 
 York. Brother Corn's cousin Fanny 
 Russell and her mother came in her. 
 Corn's has come home very much 
 pleased with the interior of the State 
 of New York and talks strongly of 
 purchasing a farm and settling on it. 
 Began to rain in the afternoon and 
 
 continued to all night pretty heavily. 
 We had an invitation to a party at 
 James Arnold's — got all ready expect- 
 ing Corn's to send his gig for us, but 
 he did not and we were obliged to 
 stay at home. Capt. Smith came in in 
 the evening and we had a little bit 
 of a supper to console for the loss 
 of the party. 
 
 26. The Brig Resolution — Capt. 
 Dunbar — sailed for Bremen with a 
 cargo of oil, and the Ship Maria 
 Theresa — Hillman — sailed for the 
 Banks a-whaling My niece Almy 
 Barker came this afternoon from 
 Newport to pay us a visit. 
 
 27th, Sunday. Benj'n Rodman 
 gave us a sermon this morning. Moses 
 & Susan dined with us. The Eliza 
 Nicol arrived this afternoon from N. 
 York. John Brewer came in her from 
 Phila. 
 
 28th. Took tea at Corn's and had 
 a cherry and cucumber party. 
 
 29th. Howard came to live with us 
 this day at ten dollars p. month. Took 
 a ride with Amy round the river — 
 went to father's to tea. 
 
 30th. This evening Cousin Fanny, 
 Sally E. & Some others spent the 
 evening with us — we had a small sup- 
 per. 
 
 31st. Put some Ising glass to a 
 cask of Lisbon wine to settle it. John 
 R. Mitchell came in town from Ply- 
 mouth very much pleased to see my 
 old companion — took tea at W. T. 
 Russell's with cousin Fanny & some 
 others. 
 
 August 
 
 1st. This afternoon Warren & my- 
 self took a ride over to Tucker's to 
 join J. R. Mitchell and some others 
 at nine pins. In the eve'g we had 
 cousin Fanny, her mother and a few 
 others to tea. 
 
 2d. John Thornton in town. J. 
 
 [50]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 Mitchell left for Nantucket. The Ex- 
 periment arrived from New York. B. 
 Rodman had an examination before 
 the overseers at the committee room. 
 He proved every thing he had assert- 
 ed and they have concluded to let 
 the matter rest. Last evening Chas. 
 W. Flemming and Mary R. Rotch 
 were married. J. Thornton took tea 
 with us. Heard that they thrust Hull 
 Barton out of the meeting house at 
 Nantucket and would not suffer him 
 to preach. Uncle Elkanah & Rob't 
 Smith got home. 
 
 3d. Sunday — very rainy all the 
 forenoon. Jos. Rotch went on to 
 Nantucket and will assist H. Barton. 
 John Thornton also went on. Will'm 
 T. dined with us. The ship Europa 
 — E. Dunbar — and the Brig. Frank- 
 lin — J. Delano — both from Gothen- 
 burg loaded with Iron arrived this 
 afternoon. Went up to uncle Abra- 
 ham's to see L. Smith. When we re- 
 turned found Warren had been in and 
 carried off the remains of our dinner. 
 We immediately went down to uncle 
 Humphrey's and had a merry time. 
 The Ann sailed for New York this 
 afternoon. 
 
 4th. Took a ride with Amy to 
 Padanaram. In the evening a severe 
 thunderstorm. 
 
 5th. Reshingled the gutter on the 
 roof of the house and put up a vane 
 on Geo. Howland's barn. After tea 
 took a ride with Amy to the fort — 
 very pleasant. 
 
 6th. The ship Charles — Coffin — 
 arrived last night from the Pacific 
 Ocean full of sperm oil. An officer in 
 the Patriot service came passenger in 
 her. Bill Delano also came home in 
 her. Joseph Rotch returned from 
 Nantucket. Hull Barton came with 
 him. 
 
 7th. Brig Industry — Parker — sailed 
 
 on a whaling voyage to the Cape de 
 Verds. At meeting this morning Mr. 
 Clough the Baptist minister preached 
 to them some time. After him Hull 
 Barton began to speak. Caleb Greene 
 requested him to desist, but Hull said 
 what he had to before he sat down. 
 Ben Rodman, Mary Rotch and Phebe 
 Johnson had something to say, bo 
 that they had quite a New Light time. 
 In the afternoon Caleb Greene and 
 Francis Taber had an interview with 
 Clough to take him to do for speak- 
 ing. John W. Davis, wife and mother 
 arrived. 
 
 8th. Had a party to dine consist- 
 ing of Nat's family, cousin Fanny and 
 some others. 
 
 9th. The ship Parnasso — Covil — 
 sailed this morning for the Banks a 
 whaling. Went over to Russell's Mills 
 with a party of gentlemen to roll nine 
 pins. John Davis with us. Father 
 bought the old meeting house at auc- 
 tion for $275 and has offered the use 
 to Hull Barton to hold meetings in. 
 The Ann got in this evening. Hen'y 
 Grinnell & wife, Miss Whitridge and 
 Thos. Hathaway came passengers. 
 
 In the evening went to the Method- 
 ist Chapel to hear Hull Barton. 
 
 10th. Sunday — attended meeting 
 all day. Hull Barton preached both 
 in the morning and afternoon — no 
 opposition was made to him. Dined 
 at Corn's. Was at father's between 
 meetings when I met Hull and Ben 
 Rodman. In the evening at Wm. T. 
 Russell's in company with H'y Grin- 
 nell and wife. 
 
 11th. Subscribed for a share in the 
 old meeting house, father having 
 given up his right to it. Rainy day. 
 Took tea at father's with H. Grinnell 
 and lady, Mrs. Davis & others. 
 
 12th. Employed in fitting a stone 
 or en drain from the house. 
 
 [51 [
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 13th. Hull Barton left this morn- 
 ing for New York in the Experiment. 
 A pamphlet came out this morn'g 
 against Hull, supposed to have been 
 written by Job Otis. Had a party to 
 dine with us for Henry Grinnell & 
 wife and fourteen others in the eve- 
 ning — had some others to tea and 
 then a little bit of a dance. 
 
 14th. Took tea with a party at 
 brother Wm. T. — had a pleasant eve- 
 ning. 
 
 15th. Dined at Cornelius' — most 
 sick all day with a cold and head 
 ache. Wm. R. left for Princeton to 
 wait on his wife home. 
 
 16th. Unpleasant weather with 
 some rain. Invited to Chas. Swain's 
 to eat Lobster at 11 o'clock with 
 H'y Grinnell and some others. In the 
 evening at a ball at Thos. Rotch's. 
 Mrs,. Rotch played on the Piano and 
 Mr. Flemming on the flute — enjoyed 
 myself very much — got home about 
 twelve o'clock. 
 
 17th. Sunday. Henry Grinnell, 
 
 Wm. Warren and Wm. T. dined with 
 me today. 
 
 18th. This morning a party con- 
 sisting of Henry & Sarah, Corn's & 
 Betsey & Moses Grinnell, Wm. T. & 
 Sylvia. Cousins Fanny & Sally Rus- 
 sell, Susan Davis, Wm. C. & Eliza and 
 Hannah Nye, Lydia Smith, Mary and 
 Susan Russell, John Smith, Chas. H. 
 Warren, Catharine & myself, took a 
 ride to Horse Neck Beach to spend 
 the day. We had a fine ride on the 
 Beach, where we found some men a 
 seining. We bought some Bass and 
 made a chowder, and dined on the 
 Rocks from the provisions we car- 
 ried with us, and the chowder. We 
 returned to Tucker's to tea and played 
 nine pins — stayed there till sunset. 
 Found the tire on one of my chair 
 wheels broken — tied it up so that I 
 
 got home without any further injury 
 to the wheel. Catharine rode home 
 in one of the carriages and I took 
 Henry Grinnell with me. Just after 
 they entered the new road, the car- 
 riage broke down that Cath. was in, 
 but they met with no accident and 
 all got home safe and pretty well 
 tired. Cousin Fanny, Mary & Susan, 
 J. Smith, Warren and Corn's stop'd 
 and spent the evening with us, Capt. 
 Smith was in his best spirits, and we 
 had a merry evening. The day was 
 very pleasant and we all enjoyed our- 
 selves very much. 
 
 19th. Forenoon rainy. Matthew 
 Barker came off from Nantucket for 
 the purpose of selecting him a place 
 to erect a salt works. 
 
 20th. Matthew & myself took a 
 ride to view the salt works on the 
 Acushnet, at Padanaram. and at the 
 Cove, which occupied the whole of 
 the day. Wm. T. Russell went to 
 Newport today. John Coggeshall's 
 daughter Emily died. 
 
 21st. This morning at seven 
 o'clock Corn's, Sam'l Leonard, Mat- 
 thew and myself went over to West- 
 port thro' Russells Mills and over 
 Hicks Bridge, then up the River about 
 a mile to a, small farm of Seth Rus- 
 sells, but found the water too fresh 
 for salt works — returned to Tucker's 
 to dine. After dinner we went down 
 to his farm, where we staid some 
 time. The situation did not suit Mat- 
 thew- We got home about sunset and 
 I found our ship Minerva — Capt. 
 Swain — had arrived from the Pacific 
 Ocean full of sperm oil. She brought 
 Ten thousand dollars in Specie for 
 some persons in Boston. Wm. R. and 
 his wife arrived from Princeton. Wm. 
 T. returned from Newport. 
 
 2 2d. M. Barker left for Newport. 
 Engaged in discharging the ship. The 
 
 [52] 

 
 CORNELIUS GRINNELL (1) 
 JAMES ARNOLD (2) 
 
 From a cartoon owned by the Old 
 Dartmouth Historical Society. Prob- 
 ably more correct as to costume, than 
 feature.
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 captains of two Nantucket ships ar- 
 rived here on their way home, having 
 cast away their ships on some un- 
 known reefs on the coast of Japan. 
 The ships were the Lion and the Two 
 Brothers. The captains came passen- 
 gers in a ship arrived in Boston yes- 
 terday. 
 
 23d. Finished discharging the Mi- 
 nervo — very pleasant weather. 
 
 24th. Sunday. This morning Cath- 
 arine, the children & myself took a 
 ride to Sconticut point — very good 
 road and a pleasant ride. Moses, Su- 
 san & Mr. Warren dined with us 
 Philip Dunham gave a long New Light 
 sermon. In the afternoon Corn's & 
 Mary, Moses & Sue and ourselves took 
 a ride round the river. In the eve- 
 ning cousin Fanny & Sally, Wm. & 
 Sylvia with the girls stopped in and 
 we had a little supper. 
 
 25th. Jeremiah Hubbard, a friends 
 minister, here — also Mr. "Webster and 
 John Thornton. 
 
 26th. Got the account of the Mi- 
 nerva's cargo— she turned out 1123 
 bbls. about 1-3 Head. In the after- 
 noon friend Hubbard had an appoint- 
 ed meeting and gave us a long and 
 windy sermon. I do not form a very 
 high opinion of his spiritual preach- 
 ing. Henry & Sarah Grinnell returned 
 from Boston. 
 
 27th. 
 
 28th. Very pleasant weather. At a 
 large party at uncle Elkanah's. The 
 ship Charles — Capt. Joy — sailed for 
 the Banks a whaling, also the brig 
 Protection to the Cape de Verds and 
 the Brig Elizabeth, — Blackmer — if or 
 the Cape de Verds a trading voyage. 
 Amy left us to day for Nantucket with 
 John & Lydia Thornton. Henry, Sarah, 
 cousin Fanny, the girls & Moses dined 
 with us. Monthly meeting day. Corn's 
 
 handed the clerk his resignation to his 
 right of membership, and made a few 
 observations & left the meeting. At 
 brother William T., at a corn pudding 
 party. 
 
 29th. This morning Dr. Stebbins 
 (who is Innoculating the children in 
 town who have not been) Innoculated 
 William & Edward. The Rodman left 
 this afternoon for Now York. Took 
 tea at James Arnold's. 
 
 30th. The Ann arrived about noon. 
 Aunt Sally and cousin J. L. Russell 
 came in her. L'd Stockton & lady 
 arrived this evening to Wm. R's, also 
 I. W. Davis and his cousin Dr. Nilea. 
 
 3 1st. Dined at father's — had a pot 
 pie party at our house in the evening. 
 The Brig Franklin — Jos. Delano — 
 sailed for the north of Europe with 
 a cargo of whale oil & 100 bbls. sperm 
 strained oil & 100 boxes sperm'i Can- 
 dles. 
 
 September. 
 
 1st. Took tea at Wm. Nye's with a 
 larg» party. 
 
 2d. Dined at Corn's with a party 
 for I. W. Davis. 
 
 3d. Left this morning with a party 
 for Gayhead. After we got out in the 
 Bay the wind was so far a head we 
 had to give up the Idea of going to 
 Gayhead, and ran down to Kettle 
 Cove, and made a chowder, then went 
 a shore and walk'd across the Island 
 to Tarpaulin Cove, and staid some 
 time there, then returned home. We 
 were an hour & twenty minutes from 
 Kettle cove to the wharf. We had the 
 sloop Ann. The party consisted of 
 J. W. Davis, Henry & Moses Grinnell, 
 W. C. Nye, E. Tallman, Rich'd Wil- 
 liams, Capt. Randall & myself — got 
 home about 8 o'clock — found Cath. 
 gone to a party at Jos. Rotch's. 
 
 4 th. Dined at father's with a 
 party and In the evening took tea at 
 
 [55]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 aunt Perry's. Rec'd a letter from H. 
 I. Merk & Co. Hamburgh, mentioning 
 the arrival of the Sophia in 32 days 
 from N. York. 
 
 5th. Henry and Sarah Grinnell left 
 this morning for New York in the 
 Experiment. 
 
 6th. The ship Abigail — Covill — ar- 
 rived from the Pacific Ocean with 2200 
 barrels Sperm oil. Mr. & Mrs. Davis, 
 Cousin Fanny, the girls, Warren and 
 Moses dined with us today. 
 
 7th. Rainy day. Dined at Wm. T. 
 with a gentlemen party. J. W. Davis, 
 W. C. Nye, Warren & R. Smith. Spent 
 the evening at father's. 
 
 8th. John Whitridge in town from 
 Baltimore. J. Coggeshall, Jr. sold his 
 part of the Minerva's cargo to Sam'l 
 Judd for 48 cents p. gallon. John 
 Davis returned home. 
 
 9th. The Rodman arrived from 
 New York. Thos. Hazard, Jr. here 
 from New York. Cousin Fanny & 
 Sally with Corn's & Mary at our house 
 in the eve'g. 
 
 10th. Nurse Mary left this morn- 
 ing for a Newport on a visit. Cousin 
 Jos. Russell dined with me. 
 
 11th. Employed Scipio in setting 
 out strawberry vines & raspberry 
 bushes in the north lot. Phebe John- 
 son and Eliza Rotch took the high 
 seat at meeting this morning. 
 
 12th. Cousin Panny and her 
 mother left this forenoon in the Rod- 
 man for New York, with a fine wind 
 
 13th. The Brig Minerva — Capt. 
 Tucker — arrived this morning from 
 Marseilles with a cargo of Red wines. 
 
 14th. Sunday. This morning at 
 meeting Phebe Johnson and Eliza 
 Rotch again took the high seat. Pret- 
 ty soon Debby Otis made some ob- 
 servations, alluding to them. Phebe 
 followed her and spoke very well. 
 Ben. Rodman joined with Phebe and 
 
 Susan Howland backed Debby. The 
 Brig Clitus — Capt. Almy — with a car- 
 go of iron, arrived this morning from 
 Stockholm. 
 
 15th. The Eliza Nicol sailed for 
 Phila. with a cargo of sperm oil. 
 
 16th. Cousin Joe Russell dined 
 with me. The Experiment arrived 
 from N. Y. The Brig Osprey — Capt. 
 Nye — from Amsterdam. In the eve- 
 ning Mr. Warren, Thos. Hedge and 
 Capt Smith at our house — gave them 
 a cut of cold beef. 
 
 17th. The Ann sailed this morn- 
 ing for N. York. Anna Parry ana 
 her two daughters left in her. Moses 
 has concluded to go Supercargo of 
 the brig Minerva to South America 
 and up the Mediterranean Sh. 
 
 18th. Busily employed during the 
 day in posting James Arnold's books. 
 Wm. & Lydia Swain spent the eve- 
 ning with us. 
 
 19th. Warren dined with me. The 
 Rodman arrived this afternoon 21 
 hours from N. York. 
 
 20th. In the evening at father's 
 making memorandums for articles for 
 Moses to get for the Girls on his voy- 
 age. 
 
 21st. This morning a fine wind for 
 the Brig, but some of the sailors be- 
 ing out of the way, the Brig did not 
 leave till 2 o'clock. Corn's went out 
 in the vessel and left them at 4 
 o'clock off the Sow & Pigs with a 
 fine breeze. It was pretty hard for 
 Moses to leave home for so long a 
 time, but he mastered his feelings 
 pretty well, considering all circum- 
 stances. For the first time in my 
 life a tear moistened my eye on part- 
 ing with a friend. For nearly five 
 years he had been my companion in 
 the counting room and endeared him- 
 self to me so much that I can truly 
 say I felt for him all a brother's love. 
 
 [56]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 He goes from here to Pernambuco, 
 from thence up the Mediterranean to 
 Trieste and will be absent from eight 
 to ten months. John Whittridge and 
 Cousin Jos. Russell dined with me. 
 At meeting this morning Benj'n Rod- 
 man and Eliza Rotch took the head 
 of the Galleries (or high seat). The 
 latter made some observations on her 
 having that duty to perform. 
 
 22d. Every thing in the counting 
 room put me in mind of Moses, the 
 loss of whose good company I al- 
 ready begin to feel. In the evening 
 Mary & Susan, Corn's & Betsey with 
 Warren spent the evening with us. 
 We had a fire for the first time this 
 season, which was very comfortable. 
 
 23d. Weather unpleasant and 
 cold. Warren dined with us. 
 
 24th. A cold N. E. storm. The 
 Experiment sailed this morning with 
 a full cargo of oil & candles. 
 
 25th. This evening the girls with 
 Warren and Smith spent the evening 
 with us — had a pleasant evening, but 
 would have been much more so could 
 we have had our good Moses' com- 
 pany. Heard of the death of Thomas 
 Rotch of Kendal, Ohio. Monthly 
 meeting day. The old lights tried 
 hard to get Corn's out of meeting 
 without accepting his resignation, but 
 were opposed by W. Rotch, Jr., Sam'l 
 Rodman & others, and they put it 
 off for another month. 
 
 26th. The Rodman sailed this 
 morn'g. Mrs. Davis dined with us, 
 with Mrs. Smith, Mary & Warren. In 
 the evening had an invitation from 
 Lem. Williams to attend their meet- 
 ing to hear a lecture from Mr. Dew- 
 ey, which we attended. 
 
 27th. The Sophia went into Tar- 
 paulin Cove this forenoon from St. 
 Ubes with a cargo of salt. We sent. 
 P. Mosher to her to pilot her to New 
 
 York. The boat that took him to her 
 had not returned at sunset. 
 
 28th. Sunday. This morning at 
 meeting had divers much preaching 
 from seven different persons, among 
 the number ELiza Rotch and Phebe 
 Johnson, who both took the high seat 
 when they came into meeting. 
 
 Warren dined with us. After din- 
 ner Catharine, the children and my- 
 self took a ride to the head of the 
 river. 
 
 The Ann arrived last night. Thos. 
 Swain and Abm. Grinnell came pas- 
 sengers. Rec'd a letter from Capt. 
 Crocker & a new suit of clothes which 
 he purchased for me in Liverpool. 
 Mosher's boat had not returned from 
 the cove this evening. 
 
 The Sophia was not in the Cove 
 this morn'g. 
 
 29th. The Brig Beneset — Capt. 
 Gardner — arrived from St. Ubes. R. 
 R. Plummer got here at noon. H© 
 left the ship at the cove. He is very 
 well. They had 33 days passage from 
 St. Ubes and have on board about 
 7000 bushels of salt. In the evening 
 quite rainy. Warren 'Neal, 'Nat, Capt. 
 Smith & Dr. Whitridge spent the eve- 
 ning at our house. 
 
 30th. Williams' birthday — two 
 years old. Mary Harris returned 
 from Newport. This morning I start- 
 ed with Joseph Rotch in my gig to 
 take him on to Newport on his way 
 to New York with his family. We 
 had not got but ten miles from to 
 town before the tire of one of my 
 wheels came entirely off and we were 
 obliged to stop and get the gig out 
 of the road, and I walked back half 
 a mile to a Blacksmith's shop who 
 let us have an old waggon, and prom- 
 ised to put the tire on so that I 
 might have the gig on my return. We 
 had not proceeded far before we lost 
 
 [57]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 one of linch pins, and we came very 
 near coming to the ground, but dis- 
 covered it just in time. Got to the 
 Bridge at 2 o'clock where we dined, 
 and were in hopes to have obtained 
 a better carriage to convey us to New 
 port, but were not able to get one, 
 so we proceeded on in the crazy old 
 vehicle — got to town without sustain- 
 ing any other damage except break- 
 ing down the seat. Joseph and fam- 
 ily went to Mrs. Dupce's and I to 
 brother James' who was at home, 
 expecting to leave in a few days for 
 New Orleans. 
 
 October. 
 
 1st. Left Newport this morning al 
 nine o'clock. The steamboat left for 
 New York at sunrise. J. Rotch came 
 near being left, as it was not known 
 that she had altered her hour of start- 
 ing. Got along quite uncomfortably 
 in the old wagon. Being alone I got 
 a sound jolting and was well pleased 
 to get into the gig again. Got home 
 at 2 o'clock. The Experiment arrived 
 this afternoon. Rec'd a letter from 
 Henry. Took tea at father's; Nat and 
 Anna, Mrs. Tom Rotch and some oth- 
 ers there a-quilting. 
 
 2d. Fine pleasant weather — the 
 Indian summer. Seaver and Hedge 
 here from Plymouth. 
 
 3d. Mary and Susan dined with us. 
 Nothing remarkable occurred this 
 day. 
 
 4th. Wrote Fish & Grinnell to en- 
 deavor to procure some business for 
 the Minerva. Sent Capt. Crocker a 
 box of sperm candles as a present. A. 
 meeting this evening of the merchants 
 for the purpose of framing a petition 
 to Congress to have a tax laid on Tal- 
 low. 
 
 5th. — Sunday. At meeting this 
 morning as Eliza Rotch was passing 
 up the aisle to take her seat on the 
 
 high seat, Debby Otis moved her seat 
 to block up the passage. Eliza 
 stopped and stood in the aisle for 10 
 or 15 minutes, then took another seat. 
 She did not have anything to say dur- 
 ing the meeting. Phebe Johnson camo 
 in after Eliza took the high seat by 
 passing Debby. After sitting some 
 time she arose and denounced a woe 
 upon those who interposed the work 
 of the Lord, and cut poor Debby up 
 very handsomely. M. R. Fleming had 
 a little to say, but spoke so low I did 
 not hear her, but understood she 
 commenced with "Touch not the 
 Lord's annointed." Debby and Susan 
 both had a deal to say. In the after- 
 noon Phebe and Debby had a good 
 deal of spatting. 
 
 Cornelius and Susan, Nat. and An- 
 na, started this afternoon for Wor- 
 cester to attend the Cattle Show at 
 that place, and return by the way of 
 Boston to be at the Cattle Show at 
 Brighton. Mary, Catherine and my- 
 self spent the evening at Thos. 
 Rotch's. Mr. Warren, Wm. R. and 
 his wife were there. Minister Dewey 
 was the general subject of conversa- 
 tion. They all have an exalted opin- 
 ion of his talents and the Society is 
 endeavoring to get him established 
 over their Church. Rained very hard 
 in the evening. 
 
 6th. The Brig Ospray, Capt. Nye, 
 and the Ann, Capt. Wood, sailed for 
 New York with a fine wind. The 
 Rodman arrived from New Yorlq 
 Capt. Cathcart came in her. 
 
 7th. Had Capt. Cathcart, R. C. 
 Plummer and Warren to dine with 
 me. Thos. Rotch's wife left this 
 morning for Philadelphia via New- 
 port 
 
 8th. Took tea at Father's and 
 spent the evening at Wm. R's. Miss 
 Hedge in town from Plymouth. 
 
 [58]
 
 From a portrait owned by Lawrence Grinnell. 
 CORNELIUS GRINNELL, JR.
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 9th. The Brig Wm. Thatcher ar- 
 rived this morning from Bremen via 
 Turk's Island, where she intended to 
 have stopped and taken in a cargo oi 
 •salt, but having a head wind for three 
 days Capt. Howland concluded to 
 come home and take a fresh start. 
 
 10th. Great commotion in town 
 occasioned by a number of suspicious 
 looking sailors about. In the after- 
 noon they were taken up, being seven 
 in all. Their captain was a young 
 fellow about three and twenty, had 
 been pretty well cut all day. He said 
 he was the prize master put on board 
 a Spanish Brig captured by a Co- 
 lumbian privateer (in which ser- 
 vice he belonged), that they were 
 bound to Laguira that off Porto Rico 
 they fell in with a vessel bound to 
 Saco (Maine) and his sails being very 
 bad he made a bargain with this Saco 
 vessel to take in his cargo and men 
 and desert his prize, and when they 
 got into the Vineyard Sound, he con- 
 cluded that he could get to New York 
 easier than by going to Saco. They 
 there left the vessel and came over 
 here in a boat. They all told the same 
 story, but it was the opinion of the 
 mate, as well as most everyone else, 
 that the prize master had sold his 
 cargo to the Saco vessel and meant 
 to keep the proceeds himself. He 
 appeared to have plenty of money. 
 He said his name was Mosher, son of 
 the President of one of the Baltimore 
 Banks. C. H. Warren was his law- 
 yer, to whom ha gave a Doubloon. In 
 the evening he left town for Newport 
 to take the steamboat for New York. 
 The collector has written to Saco to 
 have the vessel stopped. 
 
 11th. Very busy all day attending 
 to Thos. Rotch's business. In the aft- 
 ernoon there was a town meeting (ad- 
 journed from the 4th inst.) respecting 
 the petition to Congress, and a com- 
 
 mittee was appointed to procure sub- 
 scribers. 
 
 12th. — Sunday. The Experiment 
 and the Brig Annawan sailed for New 
 York, Aunt Bethia in the former and 
 Edward Russell in the latter. The 
 Brig Hope arrived 83 days from 
 Gothenburg with a cargo of Iron. At 
 meeting Eliza Rotch and Phebe John- 
 son on the High seat. The latter haa 
 considerable to say. The Congrega- 
 tionalists have concluded to establish 
 Mr. Dewey over their church ami 
 have the house enlarged. Warren 
 left town for the state of Maine. Bet- 
 sey and Mary dined with us. 
 
 13th. The Ann arrived from New 
 York; John R. Mitchell came in her. 
 In the evening we had quite a tempest. 
 Most sick all day. 
 
 14th. My birthday — twenty-six 
 
 years old. Took tea at Father's. Cor- 
 nelius and Susan returned this after- 
 noon from Boston, much pleased with 
 the Cattle Show at Worcester. Some 
 jarring among a part of the company, 
 that rendered their jaunt not so pleas- 
 ant as it might have been. 
 
 15th. Dined at Cornelius with 
 Mary and Susan, William and Sylvia 
 and Li. Smith. We had a grand dinner 
 of stall fed wild pigeons roasted and 
 a partridge pie. Had a real pleasant 
 time. 
 
 16th. Rainy afternoon. Put up a 
 barrel of apples to send Henry Grin- 
 nell. Preparative meeting day. The 
 old lights succeeded in getting in 
 W. C. Taber as clerk, though not 
 without some opposition. Cornelius 
 quite sick with the cholic. 
 
 17th. Heard from the Experiment 
 in New London. She arrived there 
 the evening of the 13th. Just as she 
 let go her anchor she was struck with 
 lightning. Shivered her topmasts and 
 mast. Cut away her lanyards on one 
 
 [61]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 side and passed off from the vessel 
 by the chain cable which was made 
 fast to the mast. All the persons on 
 deck were knocked down but no one 
 was injured. 
 
 18th. Mrs. George Brayton was de- 
 livered of two fine girls at noon this 
 day. Capt. Smith returned from Bos- 
 ton and brought me Butler's Hudi- 
 brass. Mary, Susan and Lydia Smith 
 took tea with us. 
 
 19th. Sunday. Eliza Rotch and 
 Phebe Johnson atill continue their 
 station on the High seat. The latter 
 had considerable to say. Mr. Smith 
 and sister Susan dined with us. We 
 drank our good Moses' health in a 
 Bumper. He has been gone four 
 weeks this day. Took tea and spent 
 the evening at Cornelius'. Jos. Rotch 
 returned from New York, Miss Stock- 
 ton with him. Wm. T. received a 
 letter from Henry mentioning that 
 Moses was spoken five days out to the 
 Southward of Newfoundland bank — a 
 good run thus far. 
 
 20th. The Brig Parthian Bourne 
 arrived from Stockholm with a cargo 
 of iron. In the afternoon Wm. and 
 Sylvia and Catherine and myself took 
 a ride to Cummings a-shopping. 
 
 21th. Agreed to let Elisha Handy 
 have the Wm. Thatcher at the halves 
 to go to the Southward and run to the 
 West Indies. 
 
 22d. Dined at Father's on stall 
 fed wild pigeons. The Ship Europa 
 and Brig Juno sailed this morning for 
 the southward. 
 
 23d. Monthly meeting day. A com- 
 mittee was appointed to draw up a 
 complaint to send to New York against 
 Phebe Johnson, and another to Eng- 
 land against Eliza Ritch! ! ! ! Put on 
 board the Ann a barrel of apples and 
 a half barrel of cranberries for Henry 
 Grinnell and a half barrel of cran- 
 
 berries for Cousin Fanny Russell. The 
 monthly meeting decided to accept 
 Cornelius* resignation, but not without 
 some opposition. 
 
 24th. Joseph Rotch purchased of 
 John Coggeshall, Jr., his half the ship 
 Minerva for $2000 to be paid In 
 strained oil to the amount of $850 at 
 40% cts. a gallon, the remainder of 
 the amount of our note vs. John 
 turned over to Joseph, which he ia to 
 pay us for when convenient. Took 
 tea at Father's Chas. Whalen there 
 from Saratoga Springs. 
 
 25th. The Ann sailed this morning 
 for New York. Received a letter 
 from Cousin Thos. Russell at Phila- 
 delphia, wishing me to endeavour to 
 raise him some money to set himself 
 up in business in Tennessee. 
 
 26th. Sunday. A short sermon from 
 Eliza Rotch in which she related the 
 treatment which Ben Rodman received 
 last fifth day at Lynn meeting. While 
 he was speaking some of the head 
 Devils laid hold of him and dragged 
 him out of the house. About thirty 
 persons left the meeting in disgust. 
 He had said nothing that was in the 
 least way exceptionable, but that spirit 
 of persecution which they possess In 
 such an eminent degree would not 
 suffer him to bear testimony among 
 them. Mary and Susan dined and 
 spent the remainder of the day with 
 us. In the evening Cornelius, D. 
 Whitridge, Mr. T. and Cousin Abey 
 gave us their company. 
 
 27th. Rainy day. Burnt out the 
 chimneys at the house. 
 
 28th. Another unpleasant day. Cor- 
 nelius, Mr. Smith and Mary at our 
 house in the evening. Had a little bit 
 of a supper. 
 
 29th. Left home this morning for 
 Taunton. Turned in by Jlreh Swifts' 
 and went by Rounseville's furnace, 
 
 [62]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 through the Beech "Wood country to 
 W. B. Canedy. Got to Taunton at one 
 o'clock. Called on C. Richmond and 
 Otis for the purpose of purchasing 
 some cotton goods for the Minerva. 
 Mr. Otis accompanied me and a Mr. 
 Chevers from Philadelphia through 
 several of their cotton and iron fac- 
 tories, and to their new building be- 
 ing erected for printing calicoes. Spent 
 the afternoon very agreeably. Stayed 
 at Atwood's. 
 
 30th. Left Taunton this morning 
 at ten. It was cold and very unpleas- 
 ant. Got horn at 2 o'clock. W. R. 
 Rotch's, wife presented him this morn- 
 ing with a girl, their second child. 
 The Experiment arrived this morning. 
 Benjamin Rodman this morning read 
 a few pages in meeting from Wm. 
 Penn's works. He was ordered to sit 
 down by uncle Casey. Cornelius, Wm. 
 T., Dr. Whitridge, Capt. Smith and 
 Mary were at our house in the eve- 
 ning. Had a cold supper. The cap- 
 tain was in one of his best trims and 
 we had a very pleasant evening. 
 
 31st. Weather still unpleasant. 
 Coppered one side the Minerva. Went 
 to meeting in the evening at the "In- 
 dependent Tabernacle" to hear Dr. 
 Stebbins, a preacher of the New Jeru- 
 salem church. His doctrines rather 
 too deep for my comprehension. E. 
 Thornton, Jr.'s wife added another to 
 their stock of children this morning — 
 a girl. 
 
 November. 
 
 1st. The weather still very un- 
 pleasant. Not able to do much with 
 the ship. Spent the evening at 
 Father's. 
 
 2d. Sunday. A meeting at the In- 
 dependent Tabernacle today of Uni- 
 versalists. Did not attend. Wrote a 
 long letter to Cousin Tom in answer 
 to his of the 21st of last month. Of- 
 
 fered to loan him three hundred and 
 fifty dollars, and gave him an invita- 
 tion to come and spend the winter 
 with us, if he does not find anything 
 to do this winter in Philadelphia. In 
 the evening Jos. Rotch, Cornelius and 
 Capt. Smith spent the evening with 
 us, and had a very sociable time and 
 a little supper. They stayed till past 
 12 o'clock. Jos. Rotch wrote today to 
 New York ordering the Sophia here 
 to send her a-whaling, if there was no 
 immediate prospect of business for 
 her there. 
 
 3d. Finished coppering the Min- 
 erva. The weather now very pleasant. 
 Had radishes for tea from the seed 
 that grew this year. They were very 
 good. This evening I ate the apple 
 which grew on my English Royal 
 dwarf received from France this 
 spring. It was in bloom when set out. 
 The color red and white and very fine 
 flavour. 
 
 4th. The Brig Planter arrived with 
 150 bbls. sperm and 3 50 ds. Humpback 
 The Ann arrived in the afternoon. 
 Aunt Bethiah and Wm. Howland (Pe- 
 leg's son) came in her. Catherine's 
 carpet and some ether things from 
 oil. Spent the evening at Nat's. Had 
 a grand supper of broiled eels. 
 
 5th. Joseph Rotch dined with me. 
 Cousin Fanny's also came. Took tea 
 at Father's. 
 
 6th. Sent to Worcester to purchase 
 a cow. Took tea and spent the even- 
 ing at Cornelius' with the girls. Rain- 
 ed in the evening. 
 
 7th. Dined at Joseph Rotch's with 
 Capt. Smith and R. C. Plummer, Mary 
 and Susan at our house to tea. A 
 rainy day. Mary R. Fleming returned 
 from Boston. 
 
 8th. The Experiment sailed for 
 New York. Heard of the surrender of 
 Cadiz to the French. Charley Warren 
 returned from Maine. He, Capt. Smith 
 
 [68]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 and Cornelius spent the evening with 
 us. 
 
 9th. Sunday. The ship Young 
 Phenix, Capt. Jos. Dunbar, arrived 
 this morning in the short passage of 
 32 days from Gothenburg with 350 
 tons of iron. An agent of Barclay's 
 house came passenger in her. Mr. 
 Dewey held his meeting at the Inde- 
 pendent Tabernacle, which he will 
 continue to do while they are enlarg- 
 ing his meeting house. I went all day 
 to hear him, and was much pleased 
 with his sermons. Sister Sue Warren 
 and Capt. Smith dined with us. 
 
 10th. Rainy. Did not do much to 
 the ship. 
 
 11th. James Arnold in town from 
 Boston. Busy in getting the Wm. 
 Thatcher ready for New York. 
 
 12th. House cleaning at home. 
 Dined at Father's. Wrote Moses a 
 long letter to send to New York to 
 be forwarded him at Gibraltar. 
 13th. Nothing. 
 
 14th. The Minerva Smyth, Capt. 
 McKenzie, with 1800 bbls. sperm oil 
 arrived from the Pacific ocean. Brings 
 no news. 
 
 15th. In the evening at Father's, 
 the girls had a party of young ladies. 
 Had quite a merry time. 
 
 16th. Sunday. The Wm. Thatcher 
 having been ready a number of days 
 waiting for a wind to go to New York, 
 sailed this morning. Capt. Mosher 
 went on in her to bring the Sophia 
 here to fit a whaling. 
 
 Went to hear Mr. Dewey preach. He 
 gave us a very interesting extemporan- 
 eous discourse. Wm. Thomas and 
 Lucy Whitridge, Wm. Howland and 
 sister Susan dined with us. In the 
 afternoon went to the Quaker meet- 
 ing. Had no preaching. In the morn- 
 ing meeting Phebe Johnson took the 
 high seat as usual and stood up nearly 
 
 all meeting time. She and Eliza Rotch 
 both had considerable to say. 
 
 17th. Very cold with a consider- 
 erable fall of snow. In the evening 
 went to Uncle Humphrey's with Nat 
 and Anna. Had a supper of souse and 
 sausages. 
 
 18th. Heard of the Parnassus get- 
 ting 150 bbls. sperm oil and shipped it 
 home by the Brig Nautilus. Spent the 
 evening at Wm. Swain's. 
 
 19th. The Experiment arrived 
 from New York. Received a stove 
 for the store. Edward Russell came 
 passenger. The ship Enterprise from 
 Havre arrived this evening. Stopped 
 here to get some officers and stores 
 and then to proceed to the Banks 
 a-whaling. Had an alarm of fire in 
 the evening. An old house next south 
 of Peter Barney's took fire, but was 
 extinguished without doing any ma- 
 terial injury. Nat. and Anna, the 
 girls, Sally E., Jos. Rotch and Capt. 
 Smith spent the evening with us. Had 
 a small supper. William James died 
 very suddenly this afternoon. 
 
 20th. Thanksgiving Day. Dined at 
 Nat. Hathaway's on a roast leg of 
 venisoned mutton. In the evening 
 went to the grand Oratorio. The So- 
 phia got here from New York. 
 
 21st. A very pleasant day. A good 
 deal of business doing on the wharves, 
 everything wore a lively appearance. 
 The New England Gazette — which 
 last week while Mr. Warren was ab- 
 sent changed its politics in favor of 
 Calhoun — this day came out again in 
 favor of Adams. 
 
 22d. Rainy morning. In the aft- 
 ernoon nearly completed taking into 
 the Minerva. The "Select Meeting" 
 has denounced Mary Rotch and in- 
 tends entering a complaint against 
 her at the monthly meeting. Bought 
 a quarter cask (24 gals.) Madeira 
 
 [64]
 
 THE CHANCELLOR LIVINGSTONE 
 An Early Steamboat Described in the Diary.
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 wine of Capt. Lumbard and put it to 
 settle this day. Heard of the fail- 
 ure of the Macy's at Nantucket. 
 
 23d. — Sunday. Mr. Warren re- 
 turned from Plymouth last evening 
 and brought me three Brant. He and 
 N. Hathaway dined with us. They 
 were very fine. Did not go to meet- 
 ing all day but stayed at home mak- 
 ing out invoice of the Minerva's car- 
 go. Philip Dunham read in meeting 
 a part of the Discipline respecting 
 liberty of conscience, which gave 
 much umbrage to the old school. 
 
 24th. Got everything on board the 
 Minerva ready for sea. 
 
 25th. The Minerva sailed this 
 morning but returned again, the wind 
 not being fair after getting into the 
 Bay. A very stormy night. Killed 
 one of my pigs. 
 
 26th. The Minerva succeeded in 
 getting to sea this morning. Nearly 
 calm all day. Evening very foggy. 
 Capt. Smith and Cornelius dined witn 
 us on spare rib. Parthian sailed for 
 Philadelphia. 
 
 27th. Monthly meeting day. Great 
 excitement among the good friends of 
 the Society in consequence of the 
 Select meetings entering a complaint 
 to the monthly meeting against Mary 
 Rotch and Elizabeth Rodman, and 
 wishing to expel them from the Se- 
 lect meeting "for rising to the vocal 
 prayer of one who was not a mem- 
 ber of the Society and attending her 
 meetings." Although ten or twelve 
 opposed them, still they were deter- 
 mined to carry their points, but by 
 some mistake the men's meeting was 
 broken up before the women were 
 ready to send it in for their concur- 
 rence, and therefore they were de 
 feated in their plans this month. 
 
 28th. Dined at N. Hathaway's. 
 The Ship Florida, Capt. Price, arrived 
 
 from the Pacific Ocean with 1800 
 bbls. sperm and 60 bbls. whale oil. 
 Spent the evening at Nat's. Had a 
 supper and a good time. J. Rotch, 
 Smith, Warren etc. were there. Brig 
 Sarah, Abm. Grinnell, sailed for New 
 York. 
 
 29th. Took tea at Father's. In th« 
 evening J. Rotch, Warren and Capt. 
 Smith were there. We played Baga- 
 telle. Returned home about ten. They 
 accompanied us. We had a little 
 supper and a real good time. Warren 
 and Smith were full of mirth and 
 spirits and they kept us in a roar till 
 one, when they departed. 
 
 3 0th. Went to the Quaker meet- 
 ing this morning. Russell Davis gave 
 us a sermon, replete with his usual 
 sense and good language. In the aft- 
 ernoon Phebe Johnson and Debby 
 Otis had some sparring and as usual 
 the latter got the worst of it. 
 
 December. 
 
 1st. Received a cow from Worces- 
 ter. She is to calve in March or April. 
 A very pleasant day indeed. This 
 evening at 8 o'clock Sister Sylvia 
 brought into the world a boy, much 
 to the satisfaction of the concern. 
 
 2d. A pleasant day. Warren and 
 Capt. Smith spent the evening with 
 us. 
 
 3d. Matthew Barker came from 
 Nantucket to attend the quarterly 
 meeting. Stayed at our house. Wil- 
 liam Howland dined with us. 
 
 4th. Quarterly meeting day. A 
 good deal of preaching in the first 
 meeting. Eliza Rotch and Phebe 
 Johnson took the head of the High 
 seat. Both had something to say. 
 Have not learnt of anything of im- 
 portance transpiring in the business 
 meeting. Father, William, Cornelius 
 and the girls dined with us. About 
 sunset a very severe storm commenced 
 
 [67]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 which lasted till midnight. Rained 
 very heavily indeed. The girls stayed 
 all night with us. Jos. Rotch had a 
 supper party this evening. My having 
 company prevented my going. Under- 
 stood they had a very moderate time. 
 Solomon Hitchman, a laboring man, 
 found dead in the street after the 
 storm. 
 
 5th. Mr. Barker went to Westport 
 to look at a farm. Went with Catha- 
 rine and the family to see the "Grand 
 Caravan of Living Animals" consist- 
 ing of three lions, a tiger, a panther 
 and divers many other beasts of the 
 forest with a wilderness of monkeys. 
 
 6th. Devoted the day to piling up 
 wood at home and overseeing Howard 
 saw. Found the old adage true that 
 the eyes of the master are worth more 
 than his hands. 
 
 7th. Sunday. The Ship Independ- 
 ence Hammond arrived this morning 
 from the Pacific ocean with 2000 bbls. 
 sperm oil. Went to the Quaker meet- 
 ing in the morning. Had divers much 
 preaching from Phebe, Eliza Rotch 
 and others. Lydia Smith dined with 
 us. In the afternoon went to hear Mr. 
 Dewey. L. Smith, L. Greene, Mary and 
 Susan with Warren took tea with us 
 and spent the evening. Had a little 
 bit of a supper and a very clever time. 
 
 8th. Spent the day at home attend- 
 ing to domestic concerns. 
 
 9th. Josiah Wood and son stopped 
 payment this day, but will probably 
 get under way soon. Received a let- 
 ter from Capt. Lumbard of the Min- 
 erva. He had 70 hours passage to the 
 Cape of Virginia. He had purchased 
 1100 barrels of flour at Richmond for 
 $5 70 — 100 per barrel. 
 
 10th. The first snow storm this 
 winter. Not much fell and it cleared 
 away at noon. Jos. Rotch left for 
 Newport to meet his wife. Phebe 
 Johnson accompanied him on her way 
 
 to New York, which will be a matter 
 of much rejoicing to the old school. 
 Matthew Barker returned from West- 
 port. 
 
 11th. Mr. Barker returned home 
 this morning. Read "Reginal Dalton," 
 a novel by Lockhart, Scott's son-in- 
 law, a very interesting work. J. Rotch 
 returned from Newport with his wife. 
 The Amr. arrived from New Tork. 
 Received a letter from cousin Tom. 
 He had got a situation in a counting 
 room there with a salary of $500 a 
 year. Rec'd a letter also from Henry 
 Grinnell with some tapioca. Went 
 down to Father's in the evening and 
 had a supper. Cornelius and Capt. 
 Smith were there and came up home 
 with us where we found Warren, re- 
 turned today from Taunton. The Capt. 
 had passed off a grand quiz upon us. 
 He made us believe Warren had got 
 into a quarrel there with the editor 
 of the Free Press in consequence of 
 something he had written in the Ga- 
 zette. He told it to us in such a man- 
 ner that we all believed him. We had 
 a merry time. They stayed till twelve. 
 
 12th. The Ship Frances, Capt. 
 Swain, arrived from the Pacigc ocean 
 with 1600 bbls. sperm and 300 bbls. 
 whale oil. Brings no news. Business 
 very brisk on the wharves which really 
 looks pleasant, although the weather 
 is unpleasant. Mary and Susan dined 
 with us. 
 
 13th. Warren dined with us. Took 
 tea and spent the evening at Corne- 
 lius'. Rode home in the sleigh. 
 
 14th. Sunday. The Pomona sailed 
 this morning for Norfolk for a load of 
 corn. Dined at Cornelius' with the 
 girls. The Brig President arrived 
 from a whaling voyage with 300 bbls. 
 sperm oil. Did not go to meeting all 
 day. 
 
 15th. Snow and rain all day. Very 
 disagreeable weather. Cornelius dined 
 
 [68 J
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 with us. Warren and Smith came in 
 the evening. They talk of taking the 
 Gazette to manage on their own ac- 
 count, which I hope they will do. 
 
 16th. This has been quite an im- 
 portant day, people arriving to attend 
 the ordination of Mr. Dewey tomor- 
 row, but it has been very stormy 
 through the day — raining and snow- 
 ing. 
 
 16th. Warren and William T. dined 
 with me. In the evening attended Mr. 
 Holland's second Oratorio. Was con- 
 sideiably amused, but more fatigued. 
 The audience was not so large as his 
 first. He had an organ from Boston 
 which added much to the effect. We 
 did not get away till after ten. When 
 we got home we were much rejoiced 
 to find letters from Moses. Immedi- 
 ately ran down to Father's before 
 or ening mine to carry the pleasing 
 news. He was at Pernambuco but 
 would sail in a few days for a better 
 market if to be found. He was well, 
 but his prospects of making a good 
 voj age rather small. Mr. Warren 
 stayed with us tonight to make room 
 for some of his friends at Uncle 
 Humphrey's who had come to attend 
 the ordination. Cousin Ab'm returned 
 from New York by the way of the 
 steamboat. 
 
 17th. A fine day. Attended the 
 ordination of Mr. Downey. The house 
 was completely filled and the services 
 were very interesting and impressive. 
 Great liberality of sentiment was ad- 
 vanced; no particular creed was re- 
 quired of Mr. Dewey, but he was left 
 to teach his congregation after the 
 dictates of his own conscience. I was 
 very much pleased with the services, 
 and have concluded to take a pew 
 with Mr. Smith, believing that the 
 moral lectures and Instruction which 
 I shall receive from Mr. Dewey will 
 
 be of more advantage to me than to 
 attend the Friend's meeting, the pro- 
 ceedings of which have been of late so 
 counter to my ideas that I feel per- 
 fectly satisfied in leaving them for a 
 time, trusting that the time will ar- 
 rive when it will be a pleasure to me 
 to return. The girls, Cornelius, Mr. T. 
 and Capt. Smith dined with us. In 
 the evening we went to meeting to 
 hear Mr. May, a classmate of Mr. 
 Warren's, and was well pleased with 
 him. He, with Warren, came to our 
 house after meeting and we had some 
 oysters. Smith, Mr. T., Cornelius and 
 the girls were also with us. We found 
 Mr. May a very pleasant and agree- 
 able man. 
 
 18th. Judge Davis and Mr. Good- 
 ing called to see us this morning. Not 
 very smart today. 
 
 19th. A very rainy day. This 
 morning went with Capt. Smith and 
 selected a pew No. — in Mr. Dewey's 
 meeting house, and hired it for a year. 
 Warren and Capt. Smith dined with 
 us. In the afternoon I wrote a letter 
 to Cousin Tom Russell, advising him 
 to come here and embrace the offer 
 of the owners of the Beneret to go 
 out in her as supercago. By the Brig 
 Rubicon, Capt. Leech from Batavia, 
 we learn that "about the latter part 
 of Nov. the Elizabeth Clark of New 
 Bedford was spoken in the straits of 
 Timor with 200 bbls. of oil bound to 
 the coast of Japan." This is pleas- 
 ing intelligence, being the first ac- 
 counts we have had from Capt. Clark 
 since his leaving Madeira. 
 
 20th. Informed Capt. Clark's wife 
 of the news from her husband. In the 
 evening went down to father's and 
 had a little bit of supper. J. Arnold 
 arrived from Boston. 
 
 21st. Sunday. The ships Sophia, 
 Capt. Cathcart, and Enterprise, Capt. 
 
 69 ]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 Gardner, sailed for the Brazil Banks. 
 Attended Mr. Dewey's meeting all day 
 and was much pleased with his ser- 
 mons. Dined at brother, Wm. T. 
 Warren took tea with us. 
 
 2 2d. Wrote to Moses, and put it 
 on boarl the Ann directed to Henry 
 to forward at Gibraltar. 
 
 23d. Very rainy indeed — my cellar 
 with 10 inches of water standing in it. 
 Warren, Capt. Smith and Nath'l Hath- 
 away dined with us on a venisoned 
 leg of mutton — very fine. 
 
 24th. The great fall of rain last 
 night seems to be the general sub- 
 ject of conversation. More rain has 
 fallen for the past 36 hours than was 
 evex known in the same space of time. 
 Employed all day writing for Jas. 
 Arnold in J. Rotch's counting room. 
 The quantity of rain that fell in the 
 last 24 hours was 4 7/8 inches on a 
 level by S. Rodman, Jr. 
 
 25th. Monthly meeting day. Great 
 exertions were made by the old lights 
 to concur with the women meeting in 
 turning Elizabeth Rodman and Mary 
 Rotch out of the Select Meeting, but 
 the opposition was so great they weie 
 under the necessity of postponing it 
 to next month. We had a real month- 
 ly meeting dinner. Father, Cornelius, 
 Wm. and the girls with Mother and 
 Betsey all dined with us. Cousin Tom 
 Rutsell arrived from New York to 
 go out in the Beneret. He spent part 
 of the evening with us. We had a 
 email supper. 
 
 £6th. Cousin Tom and Susan spent 
 the evening with us. 
 
 27th. Busy all day getting small 
 stores for Cousin Tom, who dined with 
 us. This forenoon the Wilmington 
 and Liverpool packet, Capt. Briggs, 
 f:om the coast of Japan arrived with 
 2 €00 bbls. sperm oil. Took tea at 
 t ather's. 
 
 2Fth. Sunday. Went to meeting 
 this morning. Mr. Kendal from Ply- 
 mcuth preached. Cousin Tom dined 
 with us. Did not have any tea. Cal- 
 culating on having a snug supper of 
 oysters with Cousin Tom, but so many 
 chaps came in during the evening 
 that we were obliged to give it up, not 
 having enough to supply them all. 
 
 I Hh. A very pleasant day. Cousin 
 Tom and the girls took tea with us. 
 In the evening we had a small supper. 
 
 30th. Spent the evening at Nat's 
 with cousin Tom and Capt. Smith. 
 We had a clam supper and stayed 
 till past eleven. Miss Sophia had her 
 grand party this evening. 
 
 21st. The weather uncommonly 
 mild and pleasant for the season, but 
 the walking exceeding bad. Cousin 
 Tom, Warren and Capt. Smith spent 
 tne evening with us. Cousin Tom is 
 now all ready for a cruise in the Paci- 
 fic, and only waiting for a wind. 
 So ends this year. 
 
 January, 1824. 
 
 1st. The Ann sailed this morning 
 for New York having been detained 
 by the wind since the 22d ult. My let- 
 ter to Moses has gone in her. Cousin 
 Tom sailed this morning in the Ben- 
 eret, Capt. Covill, for the Pacific ocean 
 on a trading voyage, in the capacity 
 of supercargo. Wind N. E. and every 
 appearance of the brig's having an 
 unpleasant time off the coast. 
 
 Dined at Father's with all the broth- 
 ers and sisters. Wm. Warren and Wm. 
 Grinnell and wife. After dinner the 
 gentlemen went up to the westward of 
 Wm. R's to a lot that he was clearing 
 up, to examine the remains of Sam. 
 Tripp who hung himself Sept. 23, 1798, 
 and was buried up there. We found 
 the coffin perfectly sound, but all the 
 body had entirely decayed except the 
 largest bones and the skull. 
 
 [70]
 
 THE ANN ALEXANDER
 
 The Ann Alexander was commandered by Captain Loum Snow 
 and was a source of news more than a century ago. Whenever 
 Captain Snow went on a voyage, something interesting happened. 
 George Howland. senior, was the agent of Captain Snow's vessel, 
 which was named the "Ann Alexander" from an Irish friend who 
 was traveling in this country. Following is an unembellished nar- 
 rative of some of Captain Snow's experiences, as recorded in the 
 archives of the Old Dartmouth Historical Society: 
 Ship Ann Alexander of New Bedford, Georjpe Howland, agent; Loum 
 
 Snow, master. 
 
 1805. October 21. — Captain Snow, in command of ship Ann Al- 
 exander, fell in off Cape Trafalgar with the English fleet a few days 
 after the battle of Trafalgar between the English fleet and the 
 fleets of France and Spain, which occurred October 21, 1805. 
 
 The Ann Alexander was on a voyage from New York to Leg- 
 horn with a cargo of general merchandise consisting of flour, 
 tobacco, salt, fish, lumber, etc. 
 
 The English fleet was repairing damages which had occurred 
 during the battle with the combined fleets. 
 
 The Ann Alexander had a deck load of lumber which was the 
 personal property of Captain Snow. An English officer boarded the 
 Ann Alexander and informed Captain Snow that Lord Nelson had 
 been shot through the shoulder and spine and had died on board 
 the "Victory a few hours after the battle was over, and that Lord 
 Collingswood was the next senior officer in command. The English 
 ships showed the effects of the battle, and their crews were at 
 work repairing the damages. 
 
 The English officer returned to the Victory and soon returned 
 with a request from Lord Collingswood that we would let him 
 have some lumber, flour and apples. Captain Snow agreed and 
 soon boats from the different ships came alongside and were fur- 
 nished with these articles. 
 
 The captain was paid for these goods in English gold by the 
 fleet paymaster, who came on board and settled accounts. 
 
 The Ann Alexander squared away for the Straits of Gibral- 
 tar, and on the following day came up with the new 74-gun frigate 
 United States. They lowered a boat and came alongside. We gave 
 them the news and sent to the commander ten barrels of apples. 
 
 1806. December 26 — On a voyage from St. Ives, England to 
 Leghorn, France, in ship Ann Alexander, sailing from St. Ives, 
 December 26, 1806, Captain Snow had the following experience: 
 
 On January 8, 1807, they were captured by a Spanish privateer 
 who took out the second mate and crew and manned her, and 
 ordered her to proceed to Vigo, Spain. The next day the vessel 
 was captured by an English man-of-war, who took out the crew 
 and put aboard a prize crew of nine men and ordered the vessel 
 to Gibraltar. 
 
 On January 16. 1807, in the Gulf of Gibraltar, the vessel was 
 again taken by a Spanish privateer and carried into Algiers. 
 
 Previous to putting into Algiers Captain Snow enrolled the 
 English prize crew as his crew, and on arrival at Algiers was 
 allowed by the authorities to take possession of her and proceed 
 on his voyage to Leghorn. 
 
 On August 20, 1851, the Ann Alexander, Captain James Deblois, 
 was attacked by an infuriated sperm whale which had been made 
 fast to by one of the other boats, which had been stove. This 
 whale stove the bow of the Ann Alexander, and she was sunk in 
 the Pacific ocean, latitude 5-50 S., longitude 102-00 W. The cap- 
 tain and crew took to their boats and were picked up by another 
 whaler, the ship Nantucket. 
 
 Although the ship Essex of Nantucket was sunk by a whale 
 in 1819, the first report of the disaster to the Ann Alexander ex- 
 cited much scepticism in the newspapers of the country, and a re- 
 port of the interesting controversy which arose is printed else- 
 where in this edition. Five months after the incident the whale 
 that wrecked the Ann Alexander was captured by the Rebecca 
 Simms of this port. Two of the Ann Alexander's harpoons were 
 found in the whale, and pieces of the ship's timbers were found 
 imbedded in the whale's head. The whale yielded about 75 barrels 
 of oil. In March, 1902, the bark Kathleen was struck by a whale 
 when a thousand miles off the coast of Brazil, and sunk. The men 
 took to the whaleboats and were subsequently picked up by a 
 steamer.
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 2d. Brought the account books 
 from the store and in future calculate 
 to go down in the morning on change 
 for an hour, then return to attend to 
 writing, and go down again at 4 
 o'clock, 
 
 3d. Warren dined with us. Mary 
 and Susan spent the evening with us. 
 Sam W. Hussey got home in the sloop 
 William from Hayti — got a piece of 
 coral from him. 
 
 4th. Sunday. Dined at Father's. 
 Went to meeting all day. In the eve. 
 called on Mr. Dewey and spent the 
 remainder of the evening in R. Smith 
 & Green's room. Weather continues 
 very mild. Wind S. W. 
 
 5th. A very pleasant day. Consid- 
 erable sperm oil in the raw state sold 
 at 41 cents per gallon. 
 
 6th. Stormy day — warm, rain. Mr. 
 Warren dined with us. Jas. Co7igdon 
 married this evening to Lucy Randall. 
 
 7th. The weather again pleasant, 
 the wind to the north west, which has 
 not been the case for a long time. 
 Warren dined with us. Took tea and 
 spent the evening at Cornelius'. He is 
 full of the idea of leaving in May for 
 the western part of New York. Wrote 
 H'y Grinnel by mail, sending him a 
 copy of the Manifest of the Benerefs 
 cargo. 
 
 8th. Susan dined with us. Rec'd a 
 letter from Capt. Lumbard dated 26 
 Dec, then ready for sea. The papers 
 state he sailed the 28th from Hampton 
 Roads for South America. She stowed 
 1614 bbls. Had a very severe sick 
 headache. 
 
 9th. Mary and Susan with Warren 
 dined with us. Wrote to Boston for 
 insurance on cargo of S. Minerva. A 
 great stir has been made for some time 
 past to endeavor to have the post- 
 master turned out and Chas. Cog- 
 geshall to be put in his stead. A peti- 
 tion was sent to the postmaster gen- 
 
 eral, but it ended in giving Asa a re- 
 primand. He has now fixed up boxes 
 for us. 
 
 10th. Wind S. W. Rained all day. 
 Stayed at home till late in the after- 
 noon writing in the books and draw- 
 ing off accounts. In the evening the 
 wind got to the N. E. but continued 
 to rain- 
 
 11th. Sunday. Uncle Caleb Greene 
 died this morning very suddenly. He 
 had been unwell only two days. His 
 death was occasioned by the reten- 
 tion of his urine. Rained all day. 
 Wind N. E Attended Mr. Dewey's 
 meeting all day. Capt. Smith dined 
 with us and he, Warren and Wm. T. 
 took tea with us. 
 
 12th. After tea Mary. Susan, Cath- 
 arine and myself went to Nat's and 
 spent the evening — very pleasant. 
 
 13th. Warren dined with us. After 
 noon attended Uncle C. Greene's fu- 
 neral. Cornelius and Betsey took 
 with us. Father gave us an invita- 
 tion to come down to eat some oys- 
 ters with 'Neal, Betsey, Warren, Wm. 
 T. and the girls. We had a grand 
 time. Father brought out a bottle of 
 the ''June Wine" left by Cousin 
 Fanny which put us all in high glee. 
 'Neal had his new suit of vineyard 
 cloth which he got pretty well torn. 
 After Catharine and Betsey went 
 home we adjourned over to the Doc- 
 tor's and drank a bottle of his "York 
 wino". For my own part I was pretty 
 well cut and the others not much 
 better off. We did not get him till 
 one. 
 
 14th. Felt shocking bad all the 
 morning from last night's frolic. The 
 Experiment arrived from New York. 
 Henry sent me a barrel of pippins 
 and a bag of nuts. Rec'd the Pilot 
 by the Experiment. Nat, Anna, the 
 girls and Warren dined with ua. In 
 
 [74]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 the evening we read some in the Pilot 
 and were much entertained. 
 
 15th. Put up a new stove rec'd 
 from New York, which works finely. 
 Mary and Sally E. took tea and spent 
 the evening with us,. The Pomona 
 got in this morning from Norfolk 
 with a load of corn. 
 
 16th. Took the account books 
 from the house to the counting room. 
 Given up the plan of writing at home. 
 Mr. Warren dined with us. 
 
 17th. A company of black theatri- 
 nl actors arrievd in town. They in- 
 tend performing a few nights. Much 
 sport is anticipated. Went to a party 
 this evening at Francis Rotch's. 
 
 18th. Sunday. Samuel Rodman, 
 Jr's lady added to the stock of mortals 
 this morning a son and a daughter. 
 Warren dined with us. Capt. Smith 
 and Warren spent the evening with 
 us and we had a small supper. 
 
 19th. A small flight of snow, not 
 .sufficient tor good sleighing. 
 
 20th. Took tea at Father's with 
 Nat and Anna. Rec'd accounts by 
 the papers of Moses' arrival at Rio, 
 the 20th of November. After tea 
 Warren and myself went to the Afri- 
 can theatre at Cole's Tavern. The 
 play was "Pizarro." It was real sport 
 for a time and quite a burlesque of 
 the stage. One of the fair damsels 
 gave us two good songs. W<s left at 
 nine and went back to Father's and 
 had a little supper. 
 
 21st. Rec'd letters from Moses at 
 Rio. He was in good health and 
 spirits and should sell cargo at that 
 port. Catherine and myself spent the 
 evening at Nathaniel's. We had an 
 oyster supper. Some snow in the eve- 
 ning, but cleared away very cold. 
 
 22d. Very cold last night. The 
 water was skimmed over to Palmer's 
 Island. Monthly meeting day. The 
 
 meeting held till past four o'clock. 
 The case of Mary Rotch and E. Rod- 
 man was again brought up before the 
 meeting. A great deal was said. Job 
 Otis told the clerk that he had the 
 power to make the minute as he con- 
 sidered the sense of the meeting with- 
 out any regard to the opposition, 
 which he immediately did and read 
 this record of a minute that the 
 weightier part of the meeting united 
 with the women in disowning them 
 from the office of Elders. This caused 
 a general burst of indignation and 
 the clerk had to erase what he had 
 done. The meeting broke up without 
 having succeeded in the accomplish- 
 ment of the wishes of the old lights. 
 About twenty-five persons spoke on 
 each side. Thos. A. Greene, Sam. 
 Rodman, Jr., William and Thos. 
 Swain and many others of the younger 
 members spoke on the subject. Cor- 
 nelius dined with us.. He read us a 
 copy of a long letter he had sent that 
 morning to D. Otis, giving her a grand 
 blow-up for visiting his wife for speak- 
 ing in meeting. The girls spent the 
 evening with us. 
 
 23d. Cornelius and the girls dined 
 with us. In the evening Catharine had 
 a large party of the Rothes. Rodmans 
 and divers many others with Mr. and 
 Mrs. Dewey. On the whole, a very 
 clever time, particularly in the "after 
 piece" when most of the company had 
 left. Capt. Smith gave us a few the- 
 atricals and we did not separate until 
 one o'clock. 
 
 24th. Pretty stupid all day. Weath- 
 er fine. A "weather breeder", as 
 grandmother would say. Capt. Galli- 
 son arrived from Oyster Bay with a 
 cargo of oysters. Nat. spent the eve- 
 ning with us. 
 
 25th.. Sunday. William quite un- 
 well for the first time in hia life. Thie 
 
 [75]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 evening a very severe storm com- 
 menced which lasted till morning. 
 Wind blew very hard. Capt. Smith 
 dined with us. 
 
 26th. John Wood, Jr. stopped pay- 
 ment. Warren dined with us. 
 
 27th. The Selectmen have forbid- 
 den the African Corps performing any 
 more of their theatricals, and have 
 threatened them with a prosecution. 
 Rec'd a letter from Henry Grinnell, 
 also a back-gammon board to replace 
 the one given Cousin Tom on his leav- 
 ing. Nat and Anna and Wm. T. in 
 in the evening. 
 
 29th. A very mild and pleasant 
 day. Took a ride towards the head of 
 the river. 
 
 29th. Warren dined with us. The 
 Brig "Phebe" of Bristol put in in dis- 
 tress. 
 
 30th. Wm. T. Sylvia and the girls 
 dined with us. In the evening Cor- 
 nelius and Betsey, Warren and Nat 
 were with us. 
 
 31st. Dined at Nat's with Mr. 
 Sampson from Boston. Took tea at 
 Father's. Rec'd a letter from Moses 
 at Bahia. Wrote H. Grinnell and J. 
 Thornton. The weather still continues 
 remarkably mild and pleasant. 
 
 February. 
 
 1st. Sunday. Dined at Wm. T's 
 with Mr. Sampson, Cornelius ar.d 
 Warren. The first exceeding cold 
 day this winter. Susan camo to 
 spend a few days with u>;. In rhe 
 evening we had Warren, Capt. Smith, 
 Cornelius and Wm. T. Nothing 
 would do but they must have a sup- 
 per and Warren and 'Neal went into 
 the kitchen and brought out all the 
 cold pieces in the house and we made 
 quite a good repast They were all 
 in a grand, merry trim. Win. R. and 
 the Misses Stockton went to Boston. 
 
 2d. The Experiment hauled down 
 to the Smoking Rocks to avoid the 
 ice. which is now hard in the river. 
 She is loaded with oil for New York. 
 Although the wind hauled tj the 
 southward, yet we have had a very 
 cold day. Had a very still time this 
 evening. No one in save Cousin 
 Bob. 
 
 3d. Weather more moderate. War- 
 ren and Mary with Susan dined with 
 us. C and L very busy making cigar 
 trays and card racks. Nat. and Anna 
 took tea with us. In the evening 
 Neal came in and Nat and myself 
 went went with him home about nine 
 to have some fried oysters. After we 
 had got our fill, returned back to our 
 house with a bowl full for the girls. 
 Had a good set down and parted at 
 12 o'clock. Some snow fell this eve- 
 ning. 
 
 4th. Wm. and Lydia Swain took 
 tea with us. 
 
 5th. The coldest day this winter — 
 the thermometer this morning below 
 zero. Warren dined with us. In the 
 evening we went to Nat's to tea. The 
 Experiment sailed for New York, 
 
 6th. Warren dined with us. In 
 the evening went to a large party 
 at Jos. Rotch's. 
 
 7th. This morning J. Rotch, War- 
 ren, Capt. and Rob't Smith with my- 
 self left home in the stage for Boston. 
 The day was very mild and pleasant, 
 and although the stage was very 
 crowded we had a merry and good 
 ride. Stopped at the Marlboro Ho- 
 tel. In the evening called at J. W. 
 Davis' and stayed a couple of hours. 
 
 8th. Sunday. Went to Mr. Chan- 
 ning*s meeting expecting to hear him 
 preach, but he did not. A Mr. Fur- 
 nans took his place. After meeting 
 spoke to Miss Arnold. Went to J. 
 W. Davis' to dine. J. Rotch and my- 
 
 i 76 ]
 
 From a portrait owned by the Swain Free School. 
 WILLIAM W. SWAIN
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 self went with Capt. Smith to take 
 tea at his boarding house, where we 
 had the pleasure of being introduced 
 to Miss Hawthorne, the Captain's 
 lady, and we were both much pleased 
 with her appearance and manners. 
 She is not a beauty, but has a very 
 intelligent face and good form. 
 
 9th. This morning went to the 
 State House and stayed some time in 
 the House of Representatives. Capt. 
 Smith and myself went to the office 
 of the Savings Bank and to a Book 
 store and purchased Parker's Edition 
 of the "Waverly Novels" and Miss 
 Edgeworth's works also. Dined at 
 the Marlboro' with Warren, his 
 brother Pelham, and Jos. Rotch. Af- 
 ter dinner Jos. Rotch and myself 
 took a hack, stopped at Miss Haw- 
 thorne's for the Capt. and went to 
 South Boston to see the Glass Works. 
 The superintendent, Mr. Jones, was 
 very polite to us. He took us through 
 all the different works, which were 
 in full operation of blowing, pressing, 
 grinding and making window glass. 
 I was much interested as it was the 
 first time I had seen anything of the 
 kind. In the evening J. Rotch. Rob't 
 Smith and Capt. and his lady with 
 myself attended the theatre to hear 
 Tom and Jerry perform. I was very 
 much amused. After the perform- 
 ance we returned to the Marlboro' ac- 
 companied by Mr. Braden, had a sup- 
 per and a long talk with Baust, the 
 actor who played Tom. 
 
 10th. This morning called on Miss 
 Arnold, at J. W. Davis', and at the 
 Judges. D:ned at the Marlboro'. In 
 the afternoon "Logic" and myself 
 sauntered about town, went to J. W. 
 Davis' to tea. Miss Betsey Davis was 
 there from Plymouth. After tea Bob 
 and myself went to the Circus. Tom 
 and Jerry at the Epsom Races was 
 
 performed, but it was a flat concern 
 as well as the after piece, Valentine 
 and Orson, but the riding was su- 
 perb. It was the first time I had 
 been at the Circus, which made it very 
 interesting. In the evening J. Rotch 
 and Mr. Braden came in. The form- 
 er left soon to attend a ball at Mr. 
 Dexter's. Rob't had a letter from 
 home stating the arrival of the Ros- 
 coe full of sperm oil day before yes- 
 terday, the 8th. 
 
 11th. The day unpleasant and 
 rainy. Spent an hour at the Athen- 
 ian very pleasantly. Finished all my 
 business this morning and ready to 
 leave home on the morrow. Dined 
 at J. W. Davis' with a large party, 
 among them Warren and his Miss 
 Hedge, Dr. Robbins and his Miss 
 Hedge, Mr. Bliss and Miss B. Davis, 
 Capt. Smith, Dr. Niles, &c, and we 
 had a very handsome dinner. In the 
 evening most of us went to the thea- 
 tre — Shakespeare's Jubilee for the 
 first time was performed. There was 
 too much of it, though very interest- 
 ing. It consisted of scenes from each 
 of Shakespeare's plays. Did not get 
 away till one o'clock. It rained and 
 blew a gale. After partaking a sup- 
 per at the Marlboro' with Warren. 
 Rotch and others we retired at two 
 o'clock pretty well tired. 
 
 12th. Called this morning at 4 
 o'clock and left Boston at five in the 
 stage for home. Still raining. We had 
 a merry party, all of our own ac- 
 quaintance except two gentlemen. 
 There was Rob't and Lydia, Mrs. Nye, 
 Warren, J. Rotch, Geo. Brayton and 
 myself. It was ten before we got to ' 
 breakfast, a distance of 18 miles, the 
 riding was so bad. The forward wheels 
 sunk to their hubs in the mud nearly 
 all the way. About eight it cleared 
 away very pleasantly; the sun shone 
 
 [ 79 ]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 out and it continued to be pleasant all 
 day. Before getting to Taunton the 
 stage driver sent an express for a relay 
 of horses, which met us within four 
 miles of Taunton, when we all got in 
 and rode. Most of us had been walk- 
 ing for three miles. Got to Taunton 
 at half past two, and at five got to 
 Sampson's to dine. We had an ex- 
 cellent dinner. All in good spirits and 
 full of mirth, we enjoyed the dinner 
 much. From Sampson's, home, the 
 riding improved all the way. The 
 moon shone very bright and a merry 
 time we had. The ladies, Brayton and 
 Warren sung a variety of songs. Ar- 
 rived at home at nine. Warren stopped 
 with me. Pound Mary and Sylvia there 
 besides Susan. Cornelius, Nat and 
 Wm. T. came in in the evening. Went 
 to bed pretty well tired out. Warren 
 brought us a dozen pewter plates in 
 Boston and made Madam a present 
 of them. Since I have been gone 
 letters have been rceived from Moses 
 stating that he could not sell his cargo 
 at Rio, and was going to proceed 
 either to Buenos Ayres or Montevideo. 
 
 13th. Warren dined with us. The 
 Experiment arrived from New York 
 in 24 hours. Thos. Rotch and lady and 
 Mr. Fleming came passengers. Corne- 
 lius and Betsey spent the evening with 
 us. 
 
 14th. An unpleasant day . 
 
 15th. Sunday. Rob't Smith and 
 lady with Warren took tea with us. 
 Talked over our Boston jaunt with 
 much pleasure. 
 
 16th. Capt. Smith returned from 
 Boston; He, Warren, Neal and the 
 doctor spent the evening with us. 
 
 17th. Catherine, Susan making 
 cigar trays, etc. Rec'd the Waverly 
 Novels and other books that I bought 
 in Boston. Had a letter from Moses 
 at Rio — not in very good spirits. 
 
 18th. The great talk of the day is 
 the blowing up of the character of 
 Ogden, the famous author of Notus 
 Mimini and Letters from the West. He 
 turns out to be a great impostor and 
 scoundrel, that his name is an as- 
 sumed one. He has run off without 
 bidding his creditors a good-bye. War- 
 ren and Mary dined with us. 
 
 19th. The Nantucket packet got 
 off. Warren dined with us. 
 
 Robert Swain sick, situation rather 
 critical. 
 
 20th. Capt. Smith dined with us. 
 Went to Father's to tea. Nat and Anna 
 and others were there. 
 
 21st. Susan left us today, after 
 spending three weeks with us. 
 
 22d. Sunday. An exceeding stormy 
 day. Went to the "Quaker meeting this 
 forenoon, expecting to hear the Eng- 
 lish minister, Stephenson, preach, but 
 in the early part of the meeting Eliza 
 Rotch made some remarks on the 
 awfulness of speaking in one's own 
 will, that the poor man held his peace 
 the whole day, much to the disap- 
 pointment of many. Nathan, Warren 
 and Dr. Whitridge spent the evening 
 and took tea with us. Susan fainted 
 this morning, but much better in the 
 evening. Neighbor George Howland's 
 wife added a daughter to her flock 
 this morning. 
 
 23d. Nothing worth remarking oc- 
 curred this day. 
 
 24th. Warren and Mary dined 
 with us. Very cold evening and night. 
 
 25th. Dined at Cornelius' with the 
 girls, Smith and Warren on calf's 
 head soup. Had a good time. 
 
 26th. Monthly meeting day. The 
 English minister was here. I attended 
 the meeting. He had a good deal to 
 say, which occasioned some remarks 
 from Micah and Benj. Rodman. The 
 former observed that the doctrine he 
 advanced to us was good, but the 
 
 [ 80 ]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 situation of this particular meeting 
 was such that it was dead to them. 
 The last meeting finished at 3 o'clock. 
 The case of E. Rotch and E. Rodman 
 was again renewed, but postponed to 
 next month, the orthodox not being 
 sufficiently strong to push the case 
 forward without the assistance of the 
 quarterly meetings committee, who 
 are to be here next month to lend 
 their aid. Father and Cornelius dined 
 with us. Put five pieces of beef to 
 salt for drying, also salted a barrel of 
 beef this evening. 
 
 27th. The wind blew a gale all 
 last night from the south east. This 
 afternoon friend Stephenson had an 
 appointed meeting. It was pretty well 
 attended. He had a good deal to say 
 and spoke very well, used good lan- 
 guage, and seemed to lean a little in 
 favor of the New Lights. 
 
 28th. Nat and Anna took tea and 
 spent the evening with us. Cornelius 
 this day has given us the idea of mov- 
 ing into the western part of the state 
 of New York to live, and has con- 
 cluded to go down to Potomska, much 
 to the joy of us all. 
 
 29th. The last day of winter, 
 which has been a very uncommon one 
 but very little snow, no sleighing, the 
 weather very mild, but a larger quan- 
 tity of rain has fallen than ever be- 
 fore remembered in one season. No 
 meeting at Mr. Dewey's church today, 
 he being absent to Boston. Went to 
 the Quaker meeting this morning. We 
 had a long sermon from the English 
 minister and a go,od prayer. Susan 
 and Capt. Smith dined with us. 
 
 The Brig Cornelia arrived from New 
 York from a skinning voyage in the 
 Pacific ocean, in which she was unsuc- 
 cessful, and went a-freighting. A 
 boat was upset alongside the Brig 
 while coming up the river, with five 
 
 young men in her, one of whom, a car- 
 penter by name of Dillingham, was 
 drowned. 
 
 March. 
 
 1st. The ship Young Phenix and 
 the packet Experiment sailed for New 
 York — very cold and windy. 
 
 2d. Spent the day at the Candle 
 Works, settling accounts with Wm. T. 
 He dined with us today on mutton 
 chops. In the evening we went down 
 to Uncle Humphrey's to see Warren, 
 who is laid up with a swelled face, 
 owing to his defective teeth. 
 
 3d. Capt. Smith and Susan dined 
 with us. My Worcester cow had a calf 
 this day at noon. Went to Father's to 
 tea and spent the evening. Rec'd St. 
 Ronan's Well. 
 
 4th. Dined at Wm. T.'s with a 
 party of old folks. At meeting today 
 Debby Otis made a prayer, during 
 which Ben. Rodman kept his seat and 
 when she had finished he said the 
 reason for his not rising was that he 
 could not unite in prayer with one 
 who did not possess the spirit of 
 prayer. This was trying indeed to 
 the friends of Debby and her good 
 self, and in the afternoon the over- 
 seers had him before them, but Ben 
 made them consent to his having some 
 one present, as they come with preju- 
 diced minds against him. They were 
 together the whole afternoon, and 
 Ben told them some plain truths. If 
 they possibly can, they will bring him 
 before the meeting next month. 
 
 5th. Took tea at Nathaniel's and 
 spent the evening. Mr. Warren most 
 well. Out for the first time this after- 
 noon at Nat's. 
 
 6th. A very pleasant day. Jos. How- 
 land, Cornelius and Wm. T. dined 
 with us. Took a ride after dinner with 
 Catharine and Edward. Agreed to sell 
 Chas. Grinnell from the Candle Works 
 
 [81 ]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 13,000 spermi in casks @ 24c per 
 cash, to be delivered the 28th day of 
 June next. 
 
 7th. Sunday. Mr. Dewey returned 
 from Boston yesterday. Attended his 
 meeting. Warren dined with us. Ben 
 Rodman appeared at meeting today 
 with a black double-breasted coat. 
 
 8th. Spent the evening at Cousin 
 Jos. Ricketson's at a tea party. 
 
 9th. An alarm of fire this evening 
 from Dillingham's Hatter's shop, but 
 was soon put out. 
 
 10th. Cornelius went down to his 
 farm today and commenced digging 
 the cellar for an addition to the house. 
 
 11th. Answered a letter received 
 .some time since from D. G. Fisk. A 
 large tea party at Father's. Some 
 dancing in the evening. We had a 
 real merry time. In the afternoon 
 'Neal and Nat were up to Tom Rotch's 
 and they all got pretty well cut. Nat 
 was not able to come to Father's. 
 The Brig Elitus, Capt. Almy, arrived 
 in at Tarpaulin Cove from Havre. 
 
 12th. Had a saddle of mutton 
 cooked which I had had in keeping 
 for a month. It was very fine. 'Neal. 
 Nat, Dock Russell and Capt. Smith 
 dined with us. In the evening we 
 went to a party at Uncle Elkaneh's. 
 Jas. Arnold came up from Boston. 
 
 13th. Nat dined with us on the re- 
 mains of the mutton. The Elitus got 
 in. Sold my horse Robin to Father 
 for $150. 
 
 14th. Sunday. The Experiment 
 from New York, received letters from 
 Henry Grinnell. 
 
 15th. A very pleasant day. 
 
 16th. Commenced snowing early 
 this morning and continued to snow 
 during the day. More snow than at 
 any one time this winter. Three- 
 eights of the Brig Cornelia was sold 
 
 at auction today for $115 0, bought by 
 S. Russell & Sons. 
 
 17th. Continued to snow most of 
 the day. The ship Florida, Capt. 
 Price, sailed for Baltimore. Took a 
 short ride round town with Father's 
 girls. Sleighing bad. Jireh Perry's 
 wife put to bed — got a daughter. 
 
 18th. Preparation meeting. Benj. 
 Rodman informed the meeting that 
 he intended to enter a complaint 
 against the overseers next month for 
 detraction! Received letters from 
 Moses at Buenos Ayres. To the first 
 Jan. he had sold his cargo at a pretty 
 good price. The girls and 'Neal were 
 at our house when I brought the let- 
 ters home. We were all much de- 
 lighted. Jos. Rotch laid up with the 
 Gout. Chas. Grinnell's son about 
 two years old died with a lung fever. 
 
 19th. This evening at a large party 
 at Wm. R's we had some dancing and 
 a merry time. Warren returned from 
 Taunton. 
 
 20th. Rainy. Father's French girl 
 Virginia, left with them by Jere. 
 Winslow, ran away. 
 
 21st. Sunday. Attended Mr. Dew- 
 ey's meeting all day. Called to see 
 Jos. Rotch who is still confined to his 
 room with the gout in his great toe. 
 Warren dined with us. Borrowed of 
 Father the letters of Paul and Amicus, 
 
 2 2d. The Experiment left for New 
 York. Tom Hathaway went in her on 
 his way to Baltimore. Put % oz. isin- 
 glass to the Madeira wine bought of 
 with which I have been very much 
 interested. Two ships gone into Tar- 
 paulin Cove this afternoon. The 
 knowing ones call them the Europa 
 and the George and Susan. 
 Capt. Lumbard. The ships that were 
 in the Cove got in this evening. One 
 was the Europa from Liverpool, the 
 other the Richmond, Capt. Covell, 
 
 [ 82 ]
 
 MRS. WILLIAM W. SWAIN 
 
 From a photograph taken in old age in her garden. She was the beautiful 
 
 Lydia Russell.
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 from Brazil banks with 2200 bbls. 
 whale and 80 bbls. sperm oil. 
 
 23d. By the Rambler arrived at 
 the old town, we hear that the Alli- 
 ance had left the coast of Japan with 
 1450 bbls. (full) bound home, so that 
 she may be expected any day. Re- 
 ceived letters from Moses at Buenos 
 Ayres to the 6th Jan'y. To sail next 
 day for Rio. Warren and Nat gone 
 to Taunton to attend a Democratic 
 Caucus for Governor and Senators. 
 May Tyson died this morning — left a 
 child two days old — a daughter. 
 
 24th. Catharine taken suddenly ill 
 and confined to her bed. 
 
 25th. Received from F. Rotch 
 three French pear trees received from 
 Paris this spring. Monthly meeting 
 day. The old lights succeeded in car- 
 rying their points, and the clerk en- 
 tered on the books that they were 
 united in disowning Mary Rotch and 
 Elizabeth Rodman from their elder- 
 ship, and sent the same to the Quar- 
 terly meeting for their concurrence 
 This is a high handed measure, and 
 had the decided disapprobation of a 
 large number of the members, and 
 those too who were by far the most 
 respectable in the Society. If the 
 Quarterly meeting consents to these 
 proceedings, it will most likely cause 
 a separation in the Society. 
 No. 4 Winter Good Christian 
 No. 3 Summer Ditto 
 No. 6 St. Germain. 
 
 26th. Wm. and Sylvia and the girls 
 took tea with us. 
 
 27th. Weather very fine. Jos. 
 Ricketson sick with a lung fever. 
 
 28th. Sunday. Mary and Susan 
 dined with us. Catharine came down 
 to dine with us for the first time since 
 she has been confined to her room. 
 Some sharp shooting at the Quaker 
 church this morning. 
 
 29th. Stormy day. Mr. Barker came 
 off from Nantucket to attend the 
 Quarterly meeting. 
 
 30th. Weather very pleasant. The 
 Rosetta arrived from New York. At- 
 tended a caucus this evening on ac- 
 count of the approaching election. 
 Gave Cornelius my Worcester calf to 
 raise. Heard of the Capt. of the Swift, 
 and two of his men being killed. 
 
 31st. Dined at Father's with Elisha 
 Hathaway, Mr. Barker and some 
 others. Heard by the Ganges arrived 
 at Holmes Hole that the Wm. Rotch 
 with 1600 bbls. and Alliance with 1400 
 bbls. were left at Wahoo in October. 
 April. 
 
 1st. The Experiment arrived from 
 New York. Quarterly meeting day 
 The weather was fine and the meeting 
 large. A good deal of preaching. 
 Priscilla Hunt had considerable to 
 say — she is a New Light. 
 
 Father, Cornelius, Wm. T., Cousin 
 Abey and Mary dined with us. 
 
 The last meeting held till past six 
 o'clock, when they succeeded in giv- 
 ing the finish to turning M. Rotch 
 and E. Rodman out of their situa- 
 tions as elders. P. Hunt had a good 
 deal to say in the last meeting, which 
 galled the old school not a little. 
 
 Heard of Moses' arrival at Rio from 
 Buenos Ayres. 
 
 2d. M. Barker and other Nan- 
 tucket friends left early this morn- 
 ing. P. Hunt went with them, but 
 severally were much grieved for fear 
 that she might contaminate them. 
 The ship Iris, Capt. G. Howland, 
 sailed for New York. Heard of the 
 ship Roscoe on the 10th of Dec. off 
 the Friendly Islands with 2100 bbls. 
 sperm oil. 
 
 In the evening went down to Cor- 
 nelius' and had an oyster supper with 
 Father and the girls. 
 
 [ 85 ]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 3d. Politics are the order of the 
 day. Great exertions are being made 1 
 by the Federalists to displace Gov. 
 Eustis and the Democrats are using 
 greater exertions to reelect him, 
 which I most sincerely hope they will 
 fail in. 
 
 Received letters from Moses to the 
 1st of Feb., stating he should sail for 
 Trieste in 8 days with a cargo of 
 sugar. 
 
 4th. Sunday. This has been a day 
 of great excitement among the Quak- 
 ers. Mary Newell arrived in town 
 last evening, on her way to Philadel- 
 phia in the company of Andrew 
 Robeson and others. It was soon 
 known among the New Lights that 
 she would be at meeting and there 
 was a general attendance. The fore 
 part of the meeting was taken up 
 in short skirmishes, until Mr. Newell 
 took the floor and preached for about 
 three quarters of an hour very elo- 
 quently, after she had taken her seat. 
 Cornelius Howland denounced her 
 and her doctrine, said she had come 
 among us to cause disorder, etc. and 
 that she had established a separata 
 meeting of her own where she lived 
 Her husband rose and said this wa«- 
 not correct. Jos. Rotch said that as 
 there were many present who were 
 not members of the Society, he would 
 inform them that she had not been 
 disowned by the Society as stated by 
 C. Howland, but by a faction. B. 
 Rodman rose and said he was author- 
 ized to state to the meeting that Mr. 
 Newell would hold a meeting this 
 afternoon at the Independent Meet- 
 ing house. This was pretty nettling. 
 The meeting then separated, but 
 there was a deal of spatting before 
 the house was cleared. Upon the 
 whole, this was the highest time we 
 have had. At 4 o'clock we assembled 
 at the Tabernacle, which was soon 
 
 crowded to excess. She gave us a 
 good New Light sermon. The day 
 has been very pleasant. C. and my- 
 self took a short ride before dinner. 
 Cornelius, Betsey and the girls dined 
 with us. In the evening, called with 
 Wm. T. on Mr. Dewey. 
 
 5th. Town meeting day. In the 
 morning the town affairs were attend- 
 ed to. Killy Eldredge was chosen 
 Town Clerk. Treasurer and collector 
 of taxes, Wm. Hathaway. Joseph 
 Bourne and Ephraim Kempton, Se- 
 lectmen. In the afternoon officers 
 for the State were voted for an the 
 result was as follows: Samuel 
 Lathrop 360 — Wm. Eustis 145 — for 
 Gov. Richard Sullivan 355 — M. Mor- 
 ton 150 for Lt. Gov. Thos. Rotch 391 
 — Starkweather 363 — Brownell 371 — 
 S. Hodges 144 — Mason 115 — Pratt 136 
 — for Senators. The Democrats never 
 made greater exertions than they 
 have this year in this and the three 
 neighboring towns — eveything that 
 could be done was done and they had 
 confidently expected a gain from last 
 year, in which they were much dis- 
 appointed for there was a federal 
 gain in each of the towns. Rec'd a 
 letter from Capt. Tobey at Wahoo 
 dated Nov. 10 with 1500 bbls. to sail 
 in a few days for a cruise. 
 
 6th. Capt. Clark in the Bark Eliza- 
 beth arrived this afternoon from the 
 Indian Ocean with a full cargo of 
 sperm oil. He has on board some 
 Madeira wine taken In at Madeira 
 going out, which he has had on board 
 nearly two years — for account of 
 ourselves and W. T. Russell. 
 
 7th. Busily employed with the 
 Elizabeth — the weather very fine. 
 
 8th. W. R. Rotch and lady and 
 the Misses Stockton left in the Ex- 
 periment this morning for New York 
 and Thos. A. Greene for Philadelphia 
 
 [ 86 ]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 to attend the yearly meeting. Re- 
 turned and sailed again next day. 
 Francis Hathaway left in her on his 
 way to Baltimore to go out supercar- 
 go of the Florida to the Pacific Ocean 
 on a trading voyage. Put four hams 
 into pickle. Took tea at Nat. Hath- 
 away's. 
 
 9th. At Cornelius' to tea. Busily 
 employed discharging the Elizabeth. 
 
 10th. The Ann Alexander arrived 
 from the Brazil Banks with a fine 
 cargo of whale oil. The Wm. That- 
 cher from New York. At Mr. W. 
 Swain's tea. Finished discharging the 
 Elizabeth. 
 
 11th. Sunday. A gentle rain dur- 
 ing the day. Susan dined with us. The 
 ship Charley arrived from the Brazil 
 Banks with a full cargo of oil 100 of 
 it, sperm. Wrote Francis Saunders 
 Esq. of Nashville, Tenn., requesting 
 him to send me the balance he owes 
 Cousin Tom Russell. 
 
 12th. Rainy day. 
 
 13th. Got an account of the Eliza- 
 beth's cargo. She turned out 1230 
 bbls. Rec'd a letter from Cousin 
 lorn dated at St. Jago 29 Jan'y. Mary 
 and Susan took tea with us. 
 
 14th. Rec'd a letter from Capt. 
 Lumbard of the Minerva at Pernam- 
 buco, 6 Feb. Could not find a mar- 
 ket there and was to proceed farther 
 south next day. The ship Barclay, 
 Capt. Glover, arrived from the coas.. 
 of California with only 1500 bbls,, 
 having been three years this day per- 
 forming the voyage. Set out four 
 cherry trees received from Boston. 
 Drank tea at Father's. 
 
 15th. Priscilla Hunt at meeting to- 
 day preached a pretty severe sermon 
 to the Old Lights. The overseers 
 presented a complaint against Ben- 
 jamin Rodman. 
 
 16th. Busily employed in dis- 
 charging the Barclay. Sylvia Russell 
 sick with a bilious fever. 
 
 17th. Weather good, with some 
 April showers. 
 
 18th. Sunday. The ship Wilming- 
 ton and Liverpool packet, Capt. 
 Briggs, sailed for the south for a 
 ireight. The ship Charles, Capt. Joy, 
 with her cargo of oil, sailed for 
 Bremen. She did not come to the 
 wharf on arrival from the Banks, but 
 discharged her sperm oil in the 
 stream and bought of us the Barclay's 
 whale oil to fill her up. The Europa 
 attempted to get to sea for Lisbon 
 with a cargo of the Richmond's oil, 
 but grounded on the Bar. 
 
 19th r The Experiment arrived. 
 Thos. Hathaway and Wm. Swain 
 came in her. Nat and Anna spent 
 the evening with us. 
 
 20th. Thomas Swain left this 
 morning for New York to take pas- 
 sage in the Iris for London on a tour 
 of pleasure. Finished discharging the 
 Barclay at breakfast time. Dr. 
 Read's daughter born this morning. 
 Capt. Smith dined with us. Nat and 
 Anna with the girls and Warren took 
 tea with us. The Timoleon arrived 
 in the evening from the Banks. The 
 Brig Hope with a cargo of oil out of 
 the Ann Alexander sailed for the 
 north of Europe. 
 
 21st. Got an account of the Bar- 
 clay's cargo. She turned out 1470 
 bbls. sperm and 73 bbls. whale oiL 
 Settled the voyage at 38 cents for 
 sperm and 22 cents for the whale. 
 Took tea at Father's. 
 
 22d. The Europa, Capt. Elisha 
 Dunbar, sailed for Lisbon this morn- 
 ing. Monthly meeting day. Benjamin 
 Rodman was disowned. 
 
 23d. The ship George and Susan, 
 Upham, arrived from the coast of 
 
 t 87 ]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 Japan with 2000 bbls. sperm and 200 
 of whale oil. Heard of the loss of 
 the Brig Nautilus in the straits of 
 Gibraltar. 
 
 24th. Very fine weather. Busy 
 delivering the Barclay's cargo. 
 
 25th. Sunday. This has been a 
 day of unusual excitement by the ar- 
 rival from eleven o'clock in the morn- 
 ing till six in the evening of the fol- 
 lowing ships, all full of oil: 
 
 The Martha Reed with 1900 bbls,. 
 
 The Millwood Burgess with 1600 
 bbls. 
 
 The Good Return Ferry with 2400 
 Lbls. 
 
 Making nearly 6000 barrels of 
 whale oil — also the ship Stanton Bur- 
 teh from the Pacific Ocean with 2000 
 bbls. sperm oil and the Commodore 
 Decatur Tilton, last from Mowhee 
 with 1400 bbls. sperm oil. 
 
 26th. Received letter by the Stan- 
 ton from Pernambuco mentioning 
 that the Minerva had been heard 
 from touching at Bahai and proceed- 
 ing to Rio, where she arrived on the 
 23d of February. 
 
 27th. Received a letter from Moses 
 at Rio the 19th of February, to sail 
 next day for Trieste. Cornelius dined 
 with us on roast beef. 
 
 28th. Rainy day. Some consider- 
 able stir in town from a black man, 
 Mr. Lewey, who arrived yesterday 
 lrom New York, being broken out 
 with Vareoloid (species of the small 
 pox). The selectmen have had him 
 removed out of town. 
 
 29th. W. R. Rotch's wife re- 
 turned from New York via the steam- 
 boat. 
 
 30th- Cornelius and family left this 
 morning for his farm at Potomska. 
 May. 
 
 1st. The Brig Indian Chief arrived 
 from a whaling voyage, last from Rio 
 
 de Janeiro where she had sold her 
 whale oil, about 500 bbls. which she 
 has Invested in sugar and coffee, and 
 has also brought 120 bbls. sperm oil. 
 Rec'd letters by her from Capt. Lum- 
 bard to the 13th March. He was dis- 
 charging his cargo at Rio, and likely 
 to make rather a slim voyage. Took 
 tea at Nat's. In the evening called 
 with Nat at Nelson's to see Mr. War- 
 ren and Mr. Seaver who has come with 
 C. Warren from Taunton. 
 
 2d. Sunday. The ship Amazon ar- 
 rived from the Banks with 1900 bbls. 
 whale oil — ship leaky. Susan, War- 
 ren and Smith spent the evening with 
 us. 
 
 3d. own meeting day. Thos. Rotch 
 was chosen a representative to the 
 General Court. The ship Triton ar- 
 rived from the Pacific Ocean with 
 only 1100 bbls .sperm oil about half 
 full, been gone 33 months — had lost 
 her captain. This is the worst whaling 
 voyage been made since Peace. 
 
 4th. Wm. T. and Warren dined 
 with us. Took tea at Father's. 
 
 5th. Bottled 114 bottles of Madeira 
 wine bought of Capt. Lumbard. Wrote 
 Henry Grinnell for bottles and corks. 
 Susan at tea with us. 
 
 6th. The ship Frances, Capt. Pad- 
 dock, sailed early this morning for the 
 Pacific Ocean on a whaling voyage. 
 Took tea at Father's. In the evening 
 the Experiment arrived from New 
 York. Capt. Grinnell and Uncle Abra- 
 ham came passengers. 
 
 7th. The Brig Elizabeth Blackmer, 
 44 days from the Cape De Verdes, ar- 
 rived. Rec'd letter this evening from 
 Capt. Lumbard at Rio. the 26th 
 March, informing us that he had in- 
 formation that flour was very high at 
 Lima and Valparaiso owing to their 
 crops of wheat being cut off and that 
 
 [ 88 ]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 he would sail in 8 days for Lima. He 
 had purchased some flour from a Bal- 
 timore ship to load him. Flour at 
 Lima, $50; Valparaiso, $35 per barrel. 
 
 8th. Concluded to load the Eliza- 
 beth with flour for South America. 
 Finished mending her copper. Two 
 new cases of the small pox made their 
 appearance today. The inhabitants 
 a little alarmed. 
 
 9th. Sunday. The Alliance, Capt. 
 Coffin, arrived last night full of sperm 
 oil, last from Valparaiso, left 25 Jan- 
 uary. Catharine and myself went 
 down to Cornelius' farm and had some 
 good fun fishing. Wm. Smith and 
 Susan also went down. They stayed all 
 night. The wind blew very strong 
 and we had not very good success. 
 
 10th. Got the Alliance to the wharf 
 in the afternoon. Commenced taking 
 in ballast in the Elizabeth. Took tea 
 at Father's. 
 
 11th. Warren and Capt. Smith 
 dined with us on roast beef. Catharine 
 spent the evening at Thos. Rotch's 
 practicing herself in dancing for a ball 
 that is to be given at the Town Hall. 
 I was so tired that I did not join them, 
 only to accompany her home at ten 
 o'clock, but stayed till 12 — fatigued 
 enough. 
 
 12th. Nat and Anna took tea and 
 spent the evening with us. 
 
 13th. Mary and Susan dined with 
 us. Had a tooth drawn this afternoon. 
 Took some cold in my jaw from which 
 I suffered most exceedingly all night. 
 
 14th. The Brig Elitus, Capt. Almy, 
 sailed for Amsterdam with a cargo ot 
 whale oil. The ship Columbus, Brock, 
 with 1800 bbls. whale oil arrived from 
 the Brazil Banks. Joseph Rotch went 
 to Boston as juryman to the District 
 Court. Wm. Rotch, Sr's wife died 
 very suddenly this afternoon without 
 
 any complaint. Worn out by length 
 of years. 
 
 15th. Stayed at home all the after- 
 noon — most beat out with pain in my 
 teeth. 
 
 16th. Sunday. Suffered most ter- 
 ribly all last night with the head and 
 tooth ache. Took considerable opium, 
 which made me sick and confined me 
 to my bed all day. 
 
 17th. Took an account of the Alli- 
 ance's cargo. She turned out 1428 V4 
 bbls. sperm oil and of the best quality 
 we have ever had. 
 
 18th. Jos. Rotch and James Arnold 
 came up from Boston. The ship Par- 
 nassus arrived from the Brazil Banks 
 full — 1500 whale, 120 sperm. At- 
 tended the funeral of Elizabeth Rotch. 
 Took tea at Father's. Cornelius and 
 Betsey there from the farm. 
 
 19th. The owners of the Stranton 
 dissatisfied with the conduct of Capt. 
 Burtch. Brought in an account against 
 him of $4000. They agreed to leave 
 it to a reference. The trial came on 
 this day and took the whole day. The 
 decision of the referees not yet made 
 known. Mrs. Arnold and Elizabeth 
 came from Boston. 
 
 20th. Concluded to fit the Barclay 
 for the Pacific Ocean and to give the 
 charge of her to Capt. Coffin who was 
 in the Alliance. Some spatting in 
 meeting today. Abram Barker was 
 nominated as representative to the 
 monthly meeting. Some objections 
 were made and the conduct of Abrarn 
 was pretty freely canvassed. His 
 name was withdrawn. Took tea at 
 Father's. 
 
 21st. The Ship Pacific arrived 
 from the Banks with 2200 bbls. whale 
 oil, also the Herald with 1400 bbls. 
 This evening with Catharine and Sus- 
 an attended the Public Ball at the 
 
 [89 ]
 
 LIFE 
 
 I N 
 
 NEW 
 
 BEDFORD 
 
 Town Hall, where about a hundred 
 persons were collected together. We 
 had as pleasant time as could be ex- 
 pected. We left before one. Many 
 stayed till daylight. The managers of 
 the ball were Robert & John Smith, 
 L. Washburn, T. G. Coffin and Thos. 
 Rotch. The last nor any of the Rotch 
 family attended, owing to the recent 
 death of their grandmother. 
 
 2 2d. Very busy all day getting the 
 Elizabeth ready for sea. 
 
 23d. — Sunday. Attended the 
 
 Friends meeting. We had some ex- 
 cellent preaching from Eliza Rotch. 
 Mary Newell and Benjamin Rodman. 
 In the afternoon Mr. Newell also 
 preached. Job Otis denounced her 
 testimony as unsound, and that he 
 had no unity with it. Ben Rodman 
 replied to him, and gave him some 
 pretty severe remarks. Mary dined 
 with us. Mr. Swain and Nat, War- 
 ren and Susan went down to Cornel- 
 ius' farm to spend the day. Weathes 
 very fine. 
 
 24th. Finished a new sink drain at 
 the house. 
 
 25th. The Elizabeth, Capt. Clark, 
 sailed this morning for Baltimore, 
 also the Brig Indian Chief, Nye, for 
 Antwerp with a cargo of whale oil. 
 
 26th. The ship Swift arrived from 
 the Pacific Ocean full of sperm oil. 
 A large number of persons from Nan. 
 tucket and the neighboring towns in 
 town to attend the consecration of the 
 Free Mason's Lodge tomorrow. 
 
 27th. This has been a grand holi- 
 day. In the morning a grand proces- 
 sion of the Free Masons took place 
 from the Lodge to Mr. Dewey's meet- 
 ing house, escorted by a band of mu- 
 sicians from Taunton, consisting of 
 eleven men. They had an address from 
 Mr. Dean of Boston, after which the 
 officers of the lodge were installed. I 
 
 did not succeed in getting into the 
 house. It was entirely filled with la- 
 dies, excepting the pews reserved for 
 the Masons. One hundred and thirty 
 of them dined at Nelson's. The wind 
 blew very hard and the streets ex- 
 tremely dusty, so they did not march 
 through the streets so much as they 
 contemplated. About midnight last 
 night we had a serenade from the 
 Band. Attended the Friends meeting 
 this morning. It was monthly meet- 
 ing. We had a long and a good ser- 
 mon from Ben and from Mary New- 
 ell. Debby had something to say. She 
 got herself into a hobble and made 
 pretty poor work of it. Mr. Newell 
 replied to her very handsomely. Cor- 
 nelius, Betsey and the girls dined with 
 us. Took tea at Father's. After tea 
 Capt. Smith came in and told us they 
 were getting up a little bit of a dance 
 at the Hall. Catharine, Susan and 
 Wm. T. and self went; we had a very 
 pleasant time. The music was very 
 fine. Got home at twelve. 
 
 28th. This evening rec'd letters 
 from Moses at Gibraltar the 17th of 
 March, 54 days from Rio. Some 
 thunder and lightning with a little 
 rain at sunset. Mary and Susan, War- 
 ren and Smith spent the evening with 
 us. 
 
 29th. The ship Commodore Rod- 
 gers Smith from the Brazil Banks 
 with 1900 bbls. whale oil arrived this 
 morning. 
 
 30th. — Sunday. Attended the 
 
 Friends meeting this forenoon. Wo 
 had an excellent meeting, good 
 preaching from E. Rotch and Mr. 
 Newell. Chas. Morgan had a few 
 words to say. Debby Otis gave us a 
 prayer. Sam. Rodman and brother 
 Cornelius would not rise. In the aft- 
 ernoon attended Mr. Dewey's meeting, 
 and in the evening the New Light 
 friends held a meeting at the Inde- 
 
 [90 ]
 
 ONE 
 
 HUNDRED 
 
 YEARS 
 
 AGO 
 
 pendent Tabernacle. Mary Rotch, 
 Mary Newell and Eliza Rotch, had a 
 good deal to say. We had a very in- 
 teresting meeting indeed. 
 31st. Nothing. 
 
 June. 
 
 1st. Mary Newell left this morn- 
 ing for Lynn. A very pleasant day. 
 Capt. Smith dined with us. 
 
 2d. The Wm. Rotch, Capt. Tobey, 
 arrived full of sperm oil this after- 
 noon. 
 
 3d. Rainy day. Got the Wm. 
 Rotch to the wharf, Cornelius and 
 the girls dined with us. 
 
 4th. More rainy weather. The 
 ship Midas, Capt. Spooner, from the 
 Banks with 2100 bbls. of oil, 85 of it 
 sperm, arrived this afternoon. 
 
 5th. Forenoon rainy. Cleared away 
 pleasantly at noon. Took tea at 
 Father's. 
 
 6th. Sunday. The Ships Rich- 
 mond and Ann Alexander sailed for 
 the Brazil Banks and the ship Com. 
 Decatur for Marseilles with a cargo 
 of whale oil. The ships Victory 
 Adams with 1200 bbls. and the Geo. 
 and Martha Chase with 1000 bbls. 
 whale oil arrived from the Banks, 
 both very bad voyages,. The Brig 
 Resident Stoddard from Rio also ar- 
 rived with some hides, sugar and 
 coffee sent us by Capt. Lumbard, be- 
 
 ing the surplus of sales he made at 
 Rio, and the purchase of flour to 
 take to Lima. He sailed from Rio 
 the 8th of April for Lima. 
 
 7th. The ship Portia Ray with 
 1400 bbls. arrived from the Pacific 
 Ocean; commenced discharging the 
 Wm. Rotch. A very warm day. 
 
 8th. Much troubled with the tooth 
 ache. Thos. Green and wife with 
 Robert Smith and wife took tea with 
 us. 
 
 9th. John Thornton here from 
 Nantucket. He intends taking 
 
 charge of the North free school. 
 
 10th. John Thornton dined with 
 us. The Experiment arrived from 
 New York. Hetty Hussey came in 
 her. 
 
 11th- Matthew Barker and wife 
 came off from Nantucket. 
 
 12th. Got an account of the Wm. 
 Rotch's cargo. Say 1810 bbls. sperm 
 oil, 28 per cent, of it head. Capt. 
 Smith and Susan went down to Cor- 
 nelius* farm. 
 
 13th. Sunday. Warren dined with 
 us. Anna Parry came from Philadel- 
 phia by the steamboat line. 
 
 14th. Joseph Rotch's lady present- 
 ed him with another daughter this 
 afternoon at 5 o'clock. Spent the 
 evening at Nat's. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 [ 91
 
 100 YEARS AGO 
 
 Was first printed in The Morning Mercury 
 in February, 1922 
 The linotype used in this book was loaned 
 by the 
 
 MERCURY PUBLISHING CO. 
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