USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Dorchester > Annals of the town of Dorchester > Part 4
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Constables, John Brown, Nathl. Holmes ; and Lt. Joshua Sever, Edwd. Capen, Consider Leeds, John Daman, George Payson, Eben. Mawdsley Jun., Joseph Leeds Jun. & Samuel Humfrey paid their Fines.
Births 37. Deaths 13. This year died Mr. Samuel Capen, often a Selectman, in ye year of his age.
1734.
Selectmen & Assessors. Votes. Voters 68.
James Blake 59
Col. Thos. Tilestone 48 Town Clerk, James Blake.
Capt. Preserved Capen 46 Treasurer, James Blake.
Capt. Thos. Wiswell 40 Capt. Robt. Spur Jun. 39
Representative, Col. Thos. Tilestone. Constables, Tho- mas Glover, George Minot ; and Saml. Paul Paid his fine.
Births 32. Deaths 15. From ye year 1657 to ye end of this year there is 2416 Births, and 921 Deaths, that is in ye Space of 78 years; which shows that many of ye Peo- ple that were Born in ye Town moved out & Died not here. And ye number of Births in a year for 40 or 50 years past were not many less than they are now, (except when Stoughton also belonged to this Town,) which shows ye People are not much more numerous (if any thing) now, than they were then. And in Capt. John Capen's time, there is left a list of Persons Seated in ye meeting-house that now is, and ye number of men then Seated were 171,
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ANNALS OF DORCHESTER.
and ye number of women were 180; which seems to be as many as can sit in those seats now.
This present year 1735.
Selectmen & Assessors. Votes. Voters 77.
James Blake 72
Capt. Preserved Capen 62 Town Clerk, James Blake
Col. Thos. Tilestone 60 Treasurer, James Blake
Capt. Robt. Spur Jun. 43
Capt. Thos. Wiswell 41
Constables, Samuel Butt, Joseph Weeks Jun. ; and John Glover, Moses Billing, Henry Bird, Jonas Humfrey, Enoch Wiswell, Jacob Humfrey, & William Withington were Chosen & Refused, and are to pay their Fines. Repre- sentatiue, Col. Thos. Tilestone.
Births 33. Deaths 18. This Year June 12th John Clap, son of Mr. Eben. Clap, was drawing a heavy Log upon a pair of Draughts, & ye Lever sliping loose ye end flew ouer & struck him on ye Forehead, of which he died in about 24 Hours, he being then at Stoughton.
1736.
Selectmen & Assessors. Votes.
Voters 77.
James Blake 67
Capt. Robert Spur Jun. 43 Col. Thomas Tilestone 40 Capt. Preserved Capen 40 Lt. Thos. Bird 35 Voters 66.
Town Clerk, James Blake
Town Treas'r, James Blake
Constables, Jonathan Davis, Edward Kilton ; and Capt. Thos. Wiswell, Stephen Fowler, Thomas Evans Jun., John Capen, Wm. Robinson, John Robinson Jun., Samuel Durant, Timothy Tilestone Jun., & Naphtali Pierce were Chosen & Refused to Serue & are to pay their fines.
Representatiue, Thomas Tilestone Esqr.
Births 41. Deaths 20. This Year Apr. 28th Died Mr. Mather Withington, Son of Mr. Eben. Withington, in ye 22d year of his age, a Candidate for ye Ministry & had begun to Preach. Also Octr. 8th Elijah Danforth Esqr.,
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ANNALS OF DORCHESTER.
(Son of our late Revd. Pastor Mr. John Danforth, Decd.) in ye 53d year of his Age. He was a good and safe Phy- sician, and had been one of ye Justices of ye Peace for ye County of Suffolk for many years together. Decr. 27th Mr. Philip Withington, Grandfather of ye Sd Mather With- ington, Decd. in ye 76th year of his age. He was some- time Selectman, & other wise Improved in ye Town. Janr. 4th Died Mr. Timothy Tilestone, in ye 74th year of his age.
This winter was very Cold & long, & ye Spring very wet & backward.
1737.
Selectmen & Assessors. Votes. Voters 47.
James Blake 37
Thos. Tilestone Esqr. 28 Town Clerk, James Blake
Capt. Robert Spur Jun. 28 Town Treasurer, James
Capt. Preserved Capen 26 Blake
Mr. Thomas Bird 24
Constables, Matthew Pimer & John Tolman Jun., also John Blake, Richard Hall, Oliver Wiswell, Ichabod Jones, & Samuel Clap, were Chosen Constables first, but Refused to Serue & Paid their Fine.
Representatiue, Mr. Benjamin Bird.
Births 32. Deaths 18. This Year Aug. 29th Died Mrs. Dorothy Quincy, Consort of ye Honble. Edmund Quincy Esq., Daughter of our former Pastor ye Revd. Mr. Josiah Flint : she died at Brantrey in ye 60th year of her age : and her mother Mrs. Esther Flint, Widow of ye Sd Mr. Josiah Flint, died at Brantrey about a month or 5 weeks before her.
The aboue mentioned Edmund Quincy Esqr. quickly after ye Death of his Wife undertook an agency to ye Court of Great Britain in behalf of ye Province about ye Settle- ment of ye Line between this Province & New-Hamshier, and set sail from Boston Decr. 20th, 1737, attended by Govr. Belcher & other Gentlemen below ye Castle, where ye Cannon were Discharged as he passed by. He had a
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ANNALS OF DORCHESTER.
Comfortable & quick passage to London ; but he not having had ye Small Pox & fearing he might take it ye Common Way (it being then in ye City) was advised to take it by Inoculation, which he did soon after his arrival, and Died of ye same at London, Febr. 23d, 1737, in ye 57th Year of his Age. The Province were at ye Expence of his Fu- neral, and ye General Assembly gaue order to erect to his precious memory a handsome Monument upon his Graue in Bunhill-Fields, London, with an elegant Latin Inscrip- tion, Englised as follows, viz.
" Here are deposited ye Remains of EDMUND QUINCY, ESQR. native of ye Massachusetts-Bay in New England, a Gentleman of distin- guished Piety, Prudence & Learning.
Who early merited Praise, for discharging with ye greatest Ability & approved Integrity, the various Imployments, both in ye Civil and Military Affairs that his Country Intrusted him with (these Espe- cially) as one of His Majesty's Council, a Justice of ye Supreme Court of Judicature, and Colonel of a Regiment of Foot.
The Publick Affairs of his Country so Requiring, he embarked their Agent to ye Court of Great Britain in order to secure their Rights and Privileges.
Being Seized with ye Small Pox, he died a premature Death, & with him, the advantages expected from his Agency with ye greatest prospect of Success : he departed the Delight of his own People, but of none more than ye Senate, who as a Testimony of their Love & Gratitude haue ordered this Epitaph to be Inscribed on his Monu- ment .* He Died at London, Febr. 23d, 1737, in ye 57th Year of his Age."
* The Monument itself was raised at ye Expense of ye Government ; viz. Twenty Pounds Sterling.
1738.
Selectmen & Assessors. Votes. Voters 65.
James Blake 57
Thos. Tilestone Esqr. 46
Town Clerk, J. Blake
Capt. Robt. Spur Jun. 41
Town Treasur., J. Blake
Mr. Thos. Bird 36
Mr. Thos. Trott 34
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ANNALS OF DORCHESTER.
Representatiue, Capt. Thomas Wiswell. Constables, Joseph Hall Junr. & Thomas Lyon Junr .; and William Clap, Samuel Durant & John Maxfield paid their Fine.
Births 48. Deaths 13.
This year Died in January 1738-9, Robert Spur Esqr. in ye 78th year of his age. He had been a long time one of ye Justices of ye Peace for ye County of Suffolk. He had been also Lt. Colonel of a Regiment of Foot. And also had served as a Selectman Eight years, & as Repre- sentatiue Fiue Years. All which Posts he managed with fidelity & applause. And a little before him, July 27th, Died his Consort Mrs. Elizabeth Spur, in ye 73d Year of her age. Also this Year Died Mr. Joseph Blake, in ye 72d Year of his age.' He had been a Selectman 4 Years: and died Febr. 1st, 1738-9. Also Mary Pimer, Widow of Matthew Pimer, Died Octr. 13th in ye 74th Year of her age.
1739.
Selectmen & Assessors. Votes.
James Blake 50
Col. Thos. Tilestone 39
Town Clerk, James Blake
Capt. Robert Spur 38 Town Treasurer, James
Capt. Thos. Wiswell 36 Blake
Col. Estes Hatch 34
Representatiue, Capt. Thos. Wiswell.
Constables, Samuel Blake, Robert Erskin. And Alex- ander Glover paid his Fine. Births 33. Deaths 21.
This Year March 6th, 1739-40, Died Priscilla Wife of Mr. James Foster, in ye 47th year of her age. And Janr. 26th Wm. Patten was drowned going ouer Neponsit Riuer on ye Ice. And War Proclaimed with Spain.
1740.
Selectmen & Assessors. Votes. James Blake 57 )
Voters 61.
Capt. Thos. Wiswell 33 S
5*
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ANNALS OF DORCHESTER.
Thos. Tilestone Esqr. 32 2 Voters 53.
Mr. Thomas Bird 28 5
Mr. Thomas Trott 39 Voters 63.
Town Clerk, James Blake. Town Treasurer, James Blake. Representatiue, Capt. Thos. Wiswell. Consta- bles, Humfrey Atherton Junr. & John White ; and Elisha Dauenport, Acquilla Tolman, Robert Searl Junr. paid their Fine.
Births 41. Deaths 12.
In ye fall of this Year the Revd. Mr. George Whitefield an Itinerant Preacher came to Boston, & ye Towns here- about, many of them, and Preached generally twice a Day, sometimes in ye Meeting-houses & often in ye Fields unto vast assemblies. He had Travelled thro' all ye Eng- lish Provinces in America, from Georgia (where I think he hath a Church & an Orphan House) down to York ; and Preached in all or most of ye Towns he passed through. And in his Return he took a Circuit to Northampton, Springfield &c., & so through Connecticut Colony. When he Preached his Farewell Sermon in Boston Common, it was Judged by ye space of ground taken up by ye Auditory, that there could not be less than 20 Thousand (which I think is Mr. Whitefield's own account in his Journal) and some said 30 Thousand. He is a very Powerful Preacher, and has a Special Gift of Striking ye Passions & Com- manding ye attention of his Hearers. The Minds of both Ministers & People were generally much moued & Quick- ened by his Preaching. After him in ye Winter Came another Itinerant, the Rev. Mr. Gilbert Tennant, (I think from ye Jerseys) who also Preached at Boston as ye other had done, & in Several Towns hereabout, and in his way down to York & back again, but I think not in ye Fields.
I think Mr. Whitefield was Educated in ye University of Oxford, & there he entered into holy Orders according to ye Canons of ye Church of England ; but he Preaches to Christians of all Persuasions. It is now when I write this aboue a year since Mr. Whitefield was here, it being now Febr. 9th, 1741, and there hath ever since been an unu-
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ANNALS OF DORCHESTER.
sual Impression upon ye Minds of People, gradually Increas- ing & Spreading from one Town & place to another, so that ye Common Conversation is upon matters of Religion; & of ye good work going on in ye Land by ye Extraordi- nary Effusions of ye Holy Spirit ; which some say was never so before Experienced in this Land, or they believe since ye Days of ye Apostles. To be sure there is abun- dance of Preaching by our Ministers ; some go to other Towns & Preach in private Houses as well as in Publick, and evening Lectures are set up; I think there is Four Evening Lectures in Boston every week; and there is a wonderful disposition in people to hear. There has also in many places been very great additions to the Churches. Doubtless there will ere long be some Printed Account of it.
And yet I am at present of Opinion that things are by some Persons carried too far, contrary to ye design of ye Holy Spirit ; as in some places where Laymen go about Exhorting (as they call it) & people crowd in large Assem- blies to hear them ; and many Cry out in ye Assembly & are so struck (as they call it) that for a time they loose their Senses & Reason, & ye like. But these things I must leave until time or further Light shall Inform my Judgment.
There was this Year an early frost that much Damni- fied ye Indian Corn in ye Field, and after it was Gathered, a long Series of wet weather & a very hard frost upon it, that damnified a great deal more, and so Spoiled it for Seed that next Spring there was but little good Seed to be had ; the most hereabout planting twice over, to ye great damage of ye next Crop.
This Summer there went 5 Companies of Soldiers from this Province of 100 men each, to war with Spain. They went to Jamaica to Admiral Vernon, & so to Carthagena, Cuba &c. We hear many or ye most of them are dead.
This Winter 1740 was very hard, beyond what has been known this 40 Years ; It began early & was very cold, attended with great Quantities of Snow. The Sea was very much Frozen, & there was abundance of travelling
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ANNALS OF DORCHESTER.
upon ye Ice. There was great Travelling from Boston to Castle-William, and a Beaten Road in ye Snow kept Open, whereon in ye way stood two Tents for Entertain- ment : and Horses & Slays as well as foot Folks were Continually passing. And Sled-Loads of Hay came near Straight up from Spectacle Island. The Snow lay long, & made ye Spring backward ; I saw some drifts of Snow upon ye Islands, not quite Consumed, the 2d or 3d Day of May following. Also this year a great number of per- sons thro' ye Province Combined to make ye Bills called ye Manufactory or Land-Bank-Bills.
1741.
Selectmen & Assessors. Votes. Voters 63.
Capt. Thomas Wiswell 50 James Blake 46
Town Clerk, James Blake
Capt. Preserved Capen 37 Town Treasurer, James
Capt. Daniel Preston 36 Blake
Mr. Robert Oliver 32
Representatiue, Capt. Thomas Wiswell.
Constables, Thomas Pimer & Stephen Haws; and Josiah Blake, Ebenezer Clap Junr., Jonathan Clap, Ebe- nezer Dauenport & Zebulun Pierce paid their fine.
Births 44. Deaths 12. This year Janr. 22d Died Mr. John Trescott, in ye 91st year of his age. And on Aug. Ist before, Rebecca his Wife, in ye 90th year of her age.
This year there was a Scarcity of Grain of all sorts : Wheat Sold for 30s. per Bushel, Rye 22s., & Indian Corn for 20s. per Bushel paper Currency ; which is about one fourth of ye Value of Proclamation Money.
1742.
Selectmen & Assessors. Votes.
Voters 49.
James Blake 43
Capt. Thos. Wiswell 31
Capt. Daniel Preston 31
Town Clerk, James Blake Town Treasurer, James
Capt. Preserved Capen 27 Blake
Capt. Robert Oliver 25
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ANNALS OF DORCHESTER.
Representative, Capt. Thomas Wiswell.
Constables, Samuel Bishop & John Pierce Junr .; and Preserved Baker, Nathanael Clap, John Trott, John Hum- frey, James Baker, Benjamin Everenden & Thomas Baker Refused and paid their fines.
Births 35. Deaths 10.
This year Sept. 19th Died Mrs. Sarah Billing, Widow of Capt. Roger Billing, in ye 85th year of her age.
This year there was many Suits against some of ye Part- ners in ye Land-bank Scheme, by Virtue of an Act of Parliament, abolishing ye Sd Scheme, and Subjecting ye Partners or any one of them to ye Suit of any person that Should be possessed of ye Sª Bills & Demands them to be Exchanged for lawful Money, and ye demand be Denied or delayed, I think for ye space of Ten Days. This Win- ter was very moderate & but little Snow; I think we did not go out of ye Lane for ye Snow all Winter.
1743.
Selectmen & Assessors. Votes. Voters. James Blake 45
Capt. Robert Spur 35 56
Capt. Thomas Wiswell 34
Capt. Joseph Bass 35
Mr. Thomas Trott 28
51
Town Clerk, James Blake Town Treasurer, James Blake
Representatiue, Capt. Thomas Wiswell.
Constables, Thomas Wiswell Junr. & Salter Searl ; and Collector of Taxes, Thomas Lyon Junr.
Births 40. Deaths 12.
This year July 7th Died Mrs. Relief Leadbetter, Widow of Mr. Henry Leadbetter, . in ye 93d year of her age; a Very Pious Woman, and much respected. This year on ye 29 and 30th Days of June, our new Meeting-house was Raised ; and on ye last of Sa Days Ephraim Wales, Son of Jerijah & Sarah Wales, a young man of about 19 or 20 years of age, assisting in ye Raising, fell from one of ye Cross Beams down upon ye lower floor, (about 26 feet) and was taken up Speechless, and to appearance Senseless,
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ANNALS OF DORCHESTER.
and so he remained from about 11 or 12 of ye clock to about 8 or 9 of ye same day at night & then Died ; his Body being bruised & his Scull Fractured. The Sd Meet- ing-house is 68 feet & 46 feet broad, besides a Steeple at ye west end of 14 feet Square, and about 52 feet high to ye top of ye Tower, and 52 feet higher to ye Vane ; with a Porch at ye East End of 14 feet Square. The Committee appointed by ye Town to Build ye Sd House are Mr. James Foster, James Blake, Benja. Bird Esqr., Mr. Thomas Bird and Capt. Thomas Wiswell ; who agreed with Mr. Edwd. Kilton, Mr. Robert Royal & Mr. Saml. Gore, Carpenters, to undertake ye Building, & to find all ye Materials & do all ye workmanship, (Except ye Charge of Provisions for Raising, & some other Conditions about ye price of Boards &c.) for ye Sum of 3300 pounds old Tenor, & to be finished by October 1744.
1744.
Selectmen & Assessors. Votes. Voters.
Capt. Robert Spur
35
Mr. Thomas Trott 34
44
Town Clerk, James Blake
James Blake 33
Capt. Thomas Wiswell 30 )
Town Treasurer, James Blake
Capt. Joseph Bass 19 32
Representative, Capt. Thos. Wiswell.
Constables, Edwd. Breck & Nathl. Langley.
Births 33. Deaths 15.
In ye Spring of this Year War was Proclaimed with France.
This year Apr. 4th Danl. Preston Junr. Son of Capt. Daniel Preston, being at Thomson's Island (with others) a Gunning, a Gun lying in a Cannoo with ye muzzle upon ye head board, accidentally went off, without any ones touching it, & he being either in another Cannoo, or on the Shore, was shot in ye head & died Immediately, in ye 23d year of his age.
In the Fall of this year Mr. Whitefield arriued from England, first at Portsmouth, & then came to Boston,
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ANNALS OF DORCHESTER.
where he staid 'till next Spring, Preaching often in Seueral Meeting-houses in Boston, as Dr. Colmans, Mr. Webbs, Mr. Gees, Mr. Moreheads, & once or twice at Dr. Sewals ; as also in Seueral Towns about Boston, as far as (I think) Attleborough ; and in all places where he could be Re- ceiued : But Ministers & People were generally Offended with his Conduct & manner of Preaching, but some were most firmly attached to him, and endeavoured to defend all that he either said or did ; which caused much Writing and Disputing; and many Letters were by the Publick Prints sent to Mr. Whitefield, Charging him with many faults in his Preaching & Conduct that he has never as yet cleared himself of.
This year June ye 3d on a Sabbath day morning a little before our meeting began (I being then in ye Meeting- house) was a Considerable Shock of an Earthquake, that shook ye Meeting-house much, & throwed down some stone wall near by, as well as at other places, & I think some Chimnies at Boston ; but not so terrible as that on Oct. 29th, 1727, when ye ground broke at Newbury & Hampton & I think other places ; and was often repeated tho' in a lesser degree than ye first Shock, for several . months together.
This year Decr. 2d, Sabbath Day, we met first in ye new Meeting-house, the House being quite or very near finished. The whole Cost of ye House that was paid for in money, (besides ye time that ye Committee gaue) amounted to £3567 10 11. Mr. Bowman Preached a Sermon Suitable to ye Occasion on Psal. 84. 1. as likewise upon leaving ye old house ye Sabbath before on Rev. 3. 3.
1745.
Selectmen & Assessors. Votes. Voters.
James Blake
56 84
Mr. Thos. Trott
51
Town Clerk, James Blake
Capt. Robt. Spur 51
Town Treasurer, James
Capt. Thos. Wiswell 49 Blake
Capt. Joseph Bass 45
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ANNALS OF DORCHESTER.
Representative, Capt. Thos. Wiswell.
Constables, Zebadiah Williams & Saml. Pierce.
Births 35. Deaths 16.
This year Octr. 21st Died Thos. Tilestone Esqr., aged 70 years & 2 Days. He had been a Justice of ye Peace for I suppose 7 or 8 years ; and before that he had gone through I think all the Military steps from an Ensign to Lievt. Colonel, and had been often out in ye Service. He had been Representatiue about Ten years, though not all successively ; and a Selectman by times 24 years.
This year ye Province of ye Massachusetts-Bay having ye winter before Projected an Expedition against the French Settlements at ye Island of Cape Britton, and Raised about 3000 men, with several Vessels of War, Transports, and all sorts of Warlike Stores, with ye assistance of about 1000 men more from New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island &c .; ours set sail from Boston ye 24th of March, 1744-5, & after waiting at Canso for ye Removal of ye Ice arrived at Cape Britton ye first day of May, where meeting with Commodore Warren with about 7 or 8 Men of War that were Ordered there from Several parts, they besieged the City & Forts of Lovisburgh ; the Men of War blocking up ye Harbour, and taking many Vessels bound there, some of them from ye East Indies & ye South Sea exceed- ing Rich, and among ye Rest one of ye French Kings Ships of War of 64 Guns & 500 men, called ye Vigilant ; a fine new Ship : and ye land army at ye same time Can- nonading & Bombarding ye Town, which held out till ye 17th of June 1745, and then Capitulated, delivering all but their Personal Estates into the hands of ye English, and were themselves transported home to France. There were but very few of our Men slain in Battle Considering ye great Strength of the place & ye desperateness of ye adven- ture ; but after our men had taken Possession of ye City & Island, a mortal Fever Seized them, and Continued all ye Summer and most part of ye Winter following, that carried off multitudes ; most that went from hereabouts that I knew either died there, or in their passage home, or soon
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ANNALS OF DORCHESTER.
after they came home; 'tis said there died of our New England Forces about 1500 men.
Our Forces kept the place until May following and then were Relieved by Forces from England, except those that Listed there. Wm. Peperil Esqr. was General of our Land Forces, who for his good service was made a Baronet, and both he & Govr. Shirley were made. Colonels of the two Regiments that were to be raised in America, & Joyned with ye old English Forces, for ye Garrisoning & defending the place. A more full Account (and I sup- pose ye best Extant) may be seen in Mr. Prince's Printed Sermon, Preached on ye Thanksgiving Day for that Vic- tory, Thursday, July 18, 1745.
1746.
Selectmen & Assessors. Votes. 45
James Blake
Capt: Robert Spur 40
Voters 67.
Mr. Thos. Trott
39
Mr. Thos. Bird
35
Mr. Richard Hall
42 Voters 65.
Town Treasurer, James Blake.
Town Clerk, James Blake.
Representative, Capt. Thomas Wiswell.
Births 32. Deaths 13.
Constables, Thomas Kilton & Timothy Foster.
This Summer & Fall proved very troublesome, not only by ye Indians (oftentimes led on by ye French) coming in many small parties, & sometimes in Considerable numbers of Several Hundreds, & falling upon our frontier Planta- tions, from East to West, and Surprizing, & in a Barbar- ous manner (many times) Butchering, killing & leading Captive a Considerable number of Men, Women and Children, (tho' not without some loss to themselves) ; but also by a strong French Fleet coming from France against us, consisting of about 30 Men of War, & 67 Transports, besides Land Forces, Forty thousand Arms, 25 Mortars, 50 Brass Field Pieces &c .; many, & I suppose ye greatest
6
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ANNALS OF DORCHESTER.
part of them, arrived at Jebucta in Nova Scotia about ye middle of September, having set sail from Rochel or Roch- ford June ye 11th. There being also about 2000 French & Indians assembled at Menis. Fourteen of ye Men of War were Ships of ye Line from 50 to 74 Guns. They had on Board about 8000 Disciplined Troops, besides those assembled at Menis, and many more of ye French in Nova Scotia would have Joyned them. This Powerful Armament spread its Terror in all ye English Northern Colonies, & especially in ye Massachusetts & New Hamp- shire. Great preparations were made to Receive them ; as Repairing ye Batteries at Boston & at Castle William ; and the work was Judged so necessary that it was prose- cuted even on the Sabbath Days : Hulks were prepared to stop up ye Channel by sinking them therein: And ye Militia in ye Country (I suppose generally about one half of ye Regiments) drawn into Boston and ye lower Towns. Great Expectation there was of Admiral Lesstock with a large Fleet from England, to follow ye Enemy and Relieve us, but by means of contrary winds that great Expectation & our high-raised Hopes failed us. But tho' outward means failed us, yet God in his Providence was pleased to work wonderfully for our Preservation, and defeat ye well concerted designs of our Enemies, and to turn their wise Counsels into foolishness. He sent sickness among them that carried off many of their men, & their Chief Com- mander & (I think) ye Second also died: He also sent Terrible Storms both before their Arrival, & after their Sailing again out of ye Harbour of Jebucta, that Cast away some of their Ships & disabled others, so that being dis- pirited they Returned to France without striking one blow, or doing anything of Consequence (Except taking some Merchant Vessels upon their Passage) and that in a poor shattered condition ; many of their Vessels as well as Men coming short home. For which deliverance God's name be praised. The best Account of this Affair that I know of is in a Thanksgiving Sermon Preached by Mr. Prince, Novr. 27, 1746, and afterwards Printed, to which I Refer.
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ANNALS OF DORCHESTER.
This year an Expedition was formed against Canada, & many Soldiers in this & other Provinces Listed for ye Kings Service, but ye Fleet in England designed for that service being Imployed other ways, the Expedition was laid aside, & ye men dismissed in ye fall 1747.
1747.
Selectmen & Assessors. Votes.
Mr. Richard Hall
66
Mr. Thomas Bird
48
Voters 74.
James Blake
41
Capt. Robert Spur Mr. Thos. Trott
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