USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Roxbury > Report of the Record Commissioners, containing the Roxbury land and church records > Part 16
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1661
Moneth 9 A little infant of Will. Cheany jun: unbap- tized.
day 13. Abraham Morrell died, being a hopefull young man about 21 yeares old.
Moneth 10 day 1. The wife of Goodman Gibson of Cambridge. day 20. John Johnson, son to Capt. Johnson. 21. Isaac Morell, an aged brother.
1662
Moneth 4. Abraham Morrell of Salisbury fell sick in this town & dyed & was buryed upon ye 20th of 4m Mayes to John Mayes jun.
Moneth 10
An infant of Benjamin Childe unbaptized.
Moneth 11 day 6th Widdow Homes was buryed.
1663
Moneth 3 day 4. John, son of Deacon Parke. Moneth 4th day 2. A still born infant of Edward Denison. day 18. Deborah, daughter to Edwd Denison. day 26. Daniel, son to M! Thomas Welde.
Moneth 5th day 21. An infant of John Griggs unbaptized.
178
CITY DOCUMENT No. 114.
1663
Moneth 8 day 6. John Ruggles Sen.
day 23. Jonathan, sonne to Robert Pierpont.
Moneth 9 day 7. Robert Gamlin.
1664
Moneth 2 day 30. Susanna, wife to John Polly.
Moneth 3 day 1. Benjamin, son to Joseph Wise.
Moneth 4 day 12. An infant of Edwd Devotion.
Moneth 5 day 4. An infant of Henry Bowin.
Moneth 9 day 1.
M! Samuel Eliot.
day 12. Sarah, danghter to Samuel Ruggles.
Moneth 11 day 10. Esther, daughter to John Weld buried.
day 14. Elisabeth Heath, Widdow of Elder Heath.
Moneth 12 day 6. Joseph Ruggles, son to Samuel Ruggles.
day 2. Thomas Grocer, a stranger.
1665
Moneth 5 day 10. John, son to Jonathan Peak.
Moneth 7 day . Margaret, daughter to Henry Bowin.
Moneth 9 day 29. M's Sarah Alcocke ye wife of M! John Alcocke, aged 44.
Moneth 11 day 11. An infant of John Polly unbaptized.
Moneth 12 day 3. Robt. Prentice.
1666
Moneth 3 day 23.
Christopher Peak.
Moneth 5 day 22.
M: Daniel Weld aged 80, dyed and was buryeu day 23.
day 24. Elizabeth Acrees, wch was newly baptized.
Moneth 6 day 30. Mary, wife to John Polly, dyed of ye small Dox.
Moneth 8 day 25. Sarah, ye wife of John Leavins.
Moneth 10 day 19. Arthur Garee, having been distracted 18 weeks.
day 29. Rob! Hawes aged about 84.
Moneth 11 day 7. Jonathan Pason who dyed of ye small pox. Richª Griffin.
Moneth 12 day 28.
1667
Moneth 1 day 29. M! John Alcock Physician. He dyed at Boston on ye 27th day, but was brought home and buried by his wife on ye 29th day. aged 40. Deborah, daughter to Edwd Denison.
Moneth 2ª day 27. Moneth 3d day 13. Smith, ye wife of Francis Smith, aged about 84.
Moneth 4th day 8. Jolın Remington.
Moneth 5 day 2. William Cheany sen.
179
ROXBURY CHURCH RECORDS.
Moneth 9 day 28. Rebecca, the wife of John Craft, who died
Moneth 11 day
in child bed, not being able to be delivered. An infant of Isaac Heath unbaptized.
An infant of Tho. Foster stillborn.
Moneth 12 day 17. day 24. Abigail, daughter to Jolin Welde.
Alice wife of William Davis who dyed in child birth undelivered.
1668
Moneth 1 day 27. Joanna, daughter to Edward Pason.
Moneth 2 day 28. Edward Denison.
Moneth 3 day 14. day 30.
Mary Heath daughter to Isaac Heath
Jonathan, son to William Lyons.
. Moneth 4 day 9.
Moneth 7 day 30.
Elizabeth, daughter to John Hanchet. l'atman, ye wife of John Tatman.
Moneth 8 day 1. Joseph, son to John Chandler.
Moneth 9 day 20.
3. An infant of Samuel Ruggles newly born. Joseph Buckmaster.
Moneth 11 day 2.ª Thomas, son to Thomas Swan.
day 27. Edward Bugbey, aged (as is said) above 80.
Moneth 12 day 1. Silence, daughter to Henry Stevens.
1669
Moneth 1 day 17. Mrs. Anne Palsgrave, aged (as is said) 75. Moneth 3 day 26. Mary, daughter to John White, a maid of about 17 yeares of age.
Moneth 7 day 2ª
Elizabeth, wife to Edward Riggs.
day 20. Rebecca, daughter to Moses Craft.
Ezra, son to Robert Pierpoint.
day 21. day 25. Hanna, daughter to James Clark. Day, daughter to Day of Ded-
Moneth 8 day 24.
day 26.
Hanna, wife to Samuel Ruggles.
Moneth 9 day 7.
Hanna, daughter to Samuel Ruggles.
day 16. Sarah, daughter to Samuel Ruggles.
Moneth 10 day 7.
Mary, wife to Edmund Chamberlain of Chelmsford. She died at Samuel Ruggles house.
day 18.
wife to Robert Seaver.
Moneth 11 day 16. Benjamin, son to Rob! Pepper.
Moneth 1 day 9. Hanna, daughter to John Gorton.
day 18. John, son to Robt Pepper.
1670
Moneth 2 day 28. John May senior aged about 80.
Moneth 3 day 5. Sarah May, widow of John May.
Moneth 8 day 28. John Tatman.
Moneth 11 day 30. Hanna, daughter to Nath. Garee was buried Moneth 1 day 22. Margaret, daughter to John Bridge.
ham, servant to Sam! Ruggles.
180
CITY DOCUMENT No. 114.
.1671
Moneth 3 day 1. John Parmenter aged 83 sometime Deacon at Sudbury.
Moneth 7 day 11. John May aged about 40 who was blind sevall moneths.
Moneth 8 day 23. Abigail Gore, daughter to M! John Gore. Moneth 9 day 18. Peleg Heath who had a dangerous cutt on his knee & lay under ye chirurgion's hand 13 weeks.
Also a litle infant of Nath. Homes born a. cripple.
Moneth 10 day 12. John Cheanie who was found dead in our River. It was apprehended by ye Jury that he slip. in accidentally as he was catching of Eeles.
Moneth 11 day 5. John Watson Sen.
Moneth 12 day . Gideon, son to Samuel May.
Moneth 1 day 5. Edward Riggs.
1672
Moneth 2ª day 14. Thomas, son to Samuel Danforth who died the day before about noon.
Moneth 3.ª day 4.
Moses, son to Moses Craft.
Moneth 4 day 15.
Abraham Newel aged 91.
Moneth 5 day 19.
George, son to Thomas Bacon, 3 yeares old Ralph Smith aged 95.
Moneth 6 day 7. day 14. Joseph, son to Jonathan Peak.
Moneth
8 day 1.
Francis Garee widow of Arthur Garee.
day 3. Benjamin, sonn to John Mayo. day 18. to John Mayo. day 26. Elizabeth ye daughter of Samuel Danforth, died of a putrid fever & was buried on ye 28 day of Sber.
Moneth 9 day 12. Sarah Sutton ye wife of Richª Sutton.
Moneth 10 day 9. William Curtis aged 80.
Moneth 11 day 9. Sarah, widow of Isaac Morrel, aged 72.
1673
Moneth 1 day 26. Alice Craft, aged 73.
day 27. Sarah Curtis, aged about 73.
Moneth 6 day 3.ª John, son to Abraham Newel.
day 23. Daniel Holdbrook, who was wounded 2 dayes before by the knife in his pocket, as he fell down, going ofr a wall.
Moneth 8 day 4. A still born infant of Tho: Bacon.
day 6. Elizabeth Cartwright, Sister to Edw.ª Mor- rice.
day 31. Elisabeth, daughter to Samuel Danforth. She died on ye 30th day being a fortnight old, on the 5th day of ye week about 3 in ye afternoon.
181
ROX BURY CHURCH RECORDS.
Moneth 9 day 28. Ruth, daughter to John Griggs.
Moneth 11 day 27. Samuel Finch.
Moneth 12 day 4. Mary, daughter to John Harris.
day 10. Joseph, son to Benjamin Childe.
Moneth 1 day 5: Abigail, daughter to Samuel Gore.
1674
Moneth 2 day 18. Sarah, daughter to Nathaniel Seaver.
Moneth 4 day 27. Margaret, daughter to John Welde, in the 17 year of her age.
Moneth 5 day 27. Elisabeth Williams aged 80 yeares, wife of Robert Williams.
Moneth 6 day 20.
John Bridge, died of ye Winde Collick and was buried the day following. His body was opened. he had sundry small holes in his stomak & bowels, & one hole in his stomak yt a man's fist might passe through, wch is thought was rent wth vyolent strain- ing to vomit, the night before he dyed, for the watchers observed yt something seemed to rend wthin him and he saide of it I am a dead man.
Moneth 8 day 19. Ebenezer, son to William Hopkins.
day 31. Peter, son to Peter Gardiner. He died of a Consumption.
Moneth 9 day 19.
Our Rª Pastor M! Samuel Danforth sweetly rested from his labours, being sick of a putrid Fever 7 days, Who was interd ye 23 day of ye same moneth aged about 48 years
Month 10 day 6. Sister Ruggles wife to John Ruggles senior dyed. She was a meek & a godly chris- tian, much lamented by her neighbors, her feav & ague turned to a calenture, at last, disordered her head, but her very disor- ders w! holy & sanctified & so she fin- ished, buryed the 7th day of yl month.
day 9. Ebenezer, the infant of Isack Cardis, he dyed before yei had an oportunity to baptiz him.
day 10. Joseph son to Widdow Heath, the relict of Peleg Heath. The child dyed of a great stoping at his stomach.
day 18. I visited James Clark who had lived many years und a bleeding of his lungs. I com- ended him to God in prayre & about an hour after he dyed & buryed this 19t day. Month 12 day 14. Old Moth" Roote who was Tho. Ruggles widdow afore. She lived not only till past use, but till more tedious y? a child. She was in her 89 yeare.
182
CITY DOCUMENT NO. 114.
1675
Month 3 day 16. Rebecca, wife to John Curtis, dyed of hy- dropycal humors wch ocasioned the more speedy buryal of her, on the Sabath evening.
Month 4t day 11. Sister Gardner, wife of Peter Gardner, was buryed. She died in the Lord sweetly. the wife of Hadlock was buryed.
Month 5t 23 day.
24 day.
The new borne infant of Samuel Gore was buryed.
26 day.
John Druse dyed in the warrs & was there buryed. he acquited himselfe valiantly. Thomas Newel son of Abrā Newel he dyed suddainly & Sarah a litle child of Sam. Dunkan.
Month 7 day 24.
Margret Corban
day 28. Pete Swan.
Month 8 day 6.
Dorothy Swan, she expressed signes of faith above o measure of such an infant being but 2 years and half old.
Here is a great empty space w'in we had no buryals at home but we had many slaine in the warr, no towne for big- ness lost more, if any towne so many.
1678
Month 9 day 17. Jeremiah Wise, dyed of the pox.
day 30. Elizabeth, infant of Jabesh Tatman dyed of the pox.
Month 10
Stevens, dyed of the pox.
day 13. day 17. Old Mother Wright dyed of old age, being neere an hundred years old.
day 18. Willia Davis dyed of the pox at Boston, buryed in o! burying place.
day 26.
day 25. Abraha Nowell a youth of 18 years, of the pox. John Holbrook of the pox.
Woodward
day 30. Jakob Newel, dyed of the pox, & left a poore weak familie.
Mon 11. day 3.
Dorothy, daughter of Widdow Heath, dyed of the pox.
day 5. Hannah, wife of Willia Hopkins, dyed of the pox.
day 30.
Mon 12. day 11.
An Indian boy of Holbrook's dyed of the pox Nathaniel Gary dyed of the pox & after his death his breast full of blew spots
A new borne infant of Robert Peirdoint dyed by falling out of lap of a girle yt had it & slep, so leting it fall.
1
183
ROXBURY CHURCH RECORDS.
day 5. Mary the daughter Jakob Newel dyed o Pox.
day 8. Theoda Willias ) both dyed of the pox Mary Hopkins buryed yi day.
day 14. Marget, a child of Joseph Weld, dyed of the the pox.
day 17. Elizabeth, the wife of Joseph Weld, dyed of the pox.
day 18. John Goard, a young man, dyed of the pox.
day 21. Dorcas, infant of Widdow Nath. Gary, of the pox.
day 28. Phebe, the wife of Richard Goard, of the pox.
1679
Month 1 day 8. Jonathan Winchester, dyed of a feav.
.
Deborah, daughter of Widdow Gary, dyed of the pox.
John, infant of Sam. Gore.
day 10. day 20. Hanah Goss the infant last baptized.
Mon 2 day 10.
Samuel, son of Toby Davis dyed of the pox.
Mont
4 day 30.
Mon 5 day 4.
day 18. Samuel, son of Isack Curtis, scaldd in wort & dyed. An Indian girl of ME Dudly, neer well of ō pox, fell a bleeding & bled to death. Sister Scarbrow, she dyed of a consumption. Mary, the daughter of Caleb Lamb, she dyed of the pox. the eyes of the child w! forced out of the head by the volence of the disease.
day 31.
An infant new born of John Scots. buryed. An infant new born of Jabesh Totman, buryed.
M. 8. d. 27. Old John Moore, of 99 yeares old.
M. 11. d. 12. Mehitabel, daughter of Daniel Weld.
M. 12. d. 14. Benjamin, son of John Lyon, an infant lately baptized, was buryed.
1680
M. 1. day 4. A new born infant of Wilson, buryed.
day 19. A new borne twin of Joseph Davis.
M. 2. day 4. An Stebbin, wife of John Stebbin, buryed.
day 17. A new borne infant of Samuel Williams.
day 23.
The infant of John Weld junior dyed. A still borne infant of John Baker.
M. 3. day 27.
John, the infant of John Howard, was buryeu
M. 5. day 29. M. 6. day 18. John, the infant of Mr Dudley, buryed.
M. 7. day 1. Old Davy Richards buryed.
M. 8. day 8.
24. Deare Bro. Bowles was buried, he hath bene Elder above 5 yeare. An infant of Sam. Gore o same day buryed. Sister Bishop, a godly prudent women buryed. Also a new borne infant of Benjamin Gamlin A new borne infant of John Scot.
M. 11. day 15. day 30. Robert, the infant of Steven Williams.
M. 6.
184
CITY DOCUMENT NO. 114.
1681
M. 3. day 20. A young infant of Dorman Mareene an Irishman M. 5. living at Muddy River, the child not baptized. Father Portis of Boston dyed at his daughter Weld's in o! towne. y! day buryed.
M. 6. day 7. Mary the infant of Jabesh Totman buryed.
M. 7. day 7. A new born infant of John Howard's, buryed before it was baptized.
M. 8. day 17. A new born infant of John Browne, dyed before it was baptized.
M. 9. day 17. A new born infant of Isaak Heath junio!
M. 10. day 4. Elizabeth, wife of Tho. Bishop buryed.
day 7. John Stebbin buryed.
day 15. Caleb Gardner son of Tho. Gardner, a vy hope- full youth.
Aged Sister Gamlin buryed.
M. 11. day 2. day 30. Abigail, an infant of Andrew Gardner.
1682
M. 1. d. 10. A new borne infant of Dan. Weld.
d. 15. The mother of y! infant dyed. the wife of Daniel Weld.
M. 7. d. 15. Mahitabel daughter of Jabesh Totman buried.
M. 8. d. 13. Isaak, son of Isaak Curtis dyed of a flux.
d. 18. Margret, daughter of Tho. Bacon.
d. 20. Deborah Devotion buryed y! day.
d. 29. An untimely borne infant of Joshuah Gadners. d. 30. Isack Davis of a flux.
M. 10. d. 11. Joen Peirpoint senior.
M. 11. d. 8. A new borne infant of M! Dudly's
d. 9. Nicolas Grace, a poore creature.
d. 10. A new born infant to Joseph Lyon. d. 16. Moth" Newell neere 100 y. old.
d. 19. M! Tho. Weld dyed of feav.
M. 12. d. 1. Mary, the infant of Isaak Curtis.
2. Edward the 2ª son of M! Dudly.
1683.
M. 1. d. 17. Old Mother Parmiter, a blessed Saint.
M. 2. d. 4. A new born infant of Willia Lyon.
M. 3. d. 8. Old Hugh Thomas who died in o Lord.
d. 24. Mary, o infant of Joshua Seaver. d. 29. A still borne infant of Sam. Willias Senio? Robert Seaver an aged Christian, buryed.
M. 4. d. 6. d. 10. Elizabeth ō infant of Joshua Lambe.
d. 11. Joseph o infant of Caleb Lambe.
) M. 6. d. 15. Old Sister Johnson who dyed suddenly.
M. 4. d. 1. Hannah, wife of James Clark.
d. 21. A still borne infant of John Gravner, it dyed in the birth.
185
ROXBURY CHURCH RECORDS.
d. 20. Blind Fath! Goard buryed.
d. 25. Old mother Thomas buryed. Goodwife Haukins of Boston.
M. 8. d. 5. An, the infant of Edward Dorr.
7. Hannah, infant of John Weld junio?
10. Old Sister Fineh
29. An infant, new borne of Joseph White.
1683.
M. 9. d. 3. Willia Meade an aged Christian, buryed.
d. 9. Old Sister Meade, his wife, was buryed.
d. 10. Benjamin Frizal, an hopefull youth, buryed.
d. 17. John, the infant of John Scot.
d. 21. Abraham How Senio!
M. 10. d. 4. John, o infant of John Weld junio.
d. 7. Edward o infant of Edward Dor.
d. Jonathan Lyon, son of Tho. Lyon.
d. 22. William Davis, a slav buryed.
d. 23. Edward Bridg, an aged broth!
M. 11. d. 7. Old Sister Pepper a Xian woman. A new borne infant of Joh Davis senio! was buryed wth Sister Pepp. in ō same grave.
d. 11. The wife of Joseph Grigs was buryed.
d. 15. The godly wife of John Davis senio! Abrāha How junior.
d. 30. Old blind godly fath! Baker buryed.
M. 12. d. 23. Old John Hanshet buryed.
1684
M. 1. d. 12. Isaak White an hopefull son of John White junio! M. 2. d. 8. John, ō infant of Caleb Phillips.
M. 3. d. 11. John Crafts junior was drowned, about o. oyster banks, yi day buryed.
M. 4. d. 10. Sister Polly wife of John Polly.
M. 5. d. 8. Robert Pepper, an old Xistian buryed.
d. 18. Ruth Hiuningway buryed.
M. 7. d. 14. Joseph Wise buryed.
M. 10. d. 23. Isaak Heath junio!
d. 28. A new born infant of Benj. Gamlin. An infant of Edward Dor new born. Widdow Ainsworth.
M.11. d. 10.
d. 31. John Parker of Muddy River.
M. 12. d. 7. An infant of Nath. San ger.
1685
M. 1. d. 10. A new born infant of John Searle. M. 2. d. 2. Rebekkah Mayo died of a vomiting. M. 4. d. 8. An infant of Josh. Lamb wch dyed by ym in o night.
An infant of Caleb Seaver.
M. 5. d. 29. M. 6. d. 6. Old Widdow Baker.
186
CITY DOCUMENT NO. 114.
M. 7. d. 3. John Crafts.
d. 10. 1. 23. Father Devotion buried.
M. 8. d. 29. John, o infant of John Mayes.
M. 9. d 7. John o infant of M! John Page a stranger.
M.11. d. 3. An infant of Jakob Pepper.
M. 12. d. 3. Old Widdow Hinningway buryed.
1686
M. 3. d. 16. Phillip Tory was buryed.
d. 10.
Abram Newels wife dyed, both mother & child bured together.
M. 4. d. 12. An infant, grandchild of John Chandler.
Aged Sist. Cheny buryed.
M. 5. d. 3. d. 11. Hannah, wife of Ralph Bradhurst.
d. 20.
An infant of John Mayo junior.
John Weld junior.
Old Widdow Brand.
A new born infant of Samuel Weld.
A still born infant of Joshua Gardner.
M. 7. d. 2. An infant of Steven Williams.
d. 4. Aged Widdow Bowles.
d. 7. An infant of Sam. Scarbro.
d. 22.
Jabez Buckmaster buryed.
6. Hannah Corbin buryed.
" 8. d. d. 15. Richard Chik buryed.
M. 9. d. 27. A still borne infant of Parker's
M.11. d. 10. An infant o Joseph Bugby.
MI. 12. d. 3. An infant of Andrew Gardner.
d. 5. An infant of John Mayo.
1687.
M. 3. d. 5. d. 23.
Ruggles wife of Jo. Ruggles senio! Sarah, wife of John Bowles.
Sarah infant of John Bowles.
d. 24.
An infant of Jakob Pepper.
An infant of Daniel Mashcraft
M. 5. d. 11. d. 25. John, infant of Jo. Mason. d. 31. An infant of Nathaniel Page. M. C. d. 5. An infant of Ben'min Gamlin.
Pete an Indian.
John, the infant of John Holbrook. An infant of Thomas Cheny.
M. 9. d. 6.
Old Sister Gardner.
M. 11 or 12.
Hanah the wife of Mason.
Doctor Thomas Swan.
Sarah, child of Joseph Griffin.
M. 12.
Latter end, An infant of Jacob Parker.
Item. An infant of John Heminway.
d. 14. d. 27. day 20. M. 7. d. 21.
An infant of Thom. Cheny a trader.
M. 12 d. 8. d. 11. d. 22. An infant of John Ruggls medius. An infant of Uriah Clark.
M. 6. d. 1. d. 4. d. d. 8. 8.
Thomas Woodward buryed.
187
ROXBURY CHURCH RECORDS.
1688
March d. Nathaniel, the son of Caleb Seaver buried.
Apr. d. 5. John Park buried.
29. John Maio Sen! buried.
Jun. d. 8. Mary Marscraft was buried.
.July 10. An infant of John Maio buried.
REV. JOHN ELIOT'S RECORDS OF THE FIRST CHURCH IN ROXBURY, MASS.
[NOTE. - The entries now printed commence on page 245 of the record book. The reader is advised to consult the admirable notes to these records, in the New England Historical and Genealogical Register in 1879 and 1880. - W. H. W.]
1642 m 4 d 12 Tho: Wilson who had been excomyn'd received again into the Church & recommd to Chh at Hampton > Isaak Johnson who had been admoinshed, left to a future time. 1643 mº 8. Goodwife Webb reconciled to the Chh.
1643, montli 8 day 29. Robert Potter was excomunicate, his sins wr first in the tims of mris Hutchinson, wn divers of o' Church wr seduced to familesme & scizme, he was of theire side & com- pany, & so fild wth them as yt he departed to the Ila'd rath" then would forsake them, & being there he refused to heare the church who had lovingly sent after him : secondly for that he was now tossed wth othr winds of new doctrine forsakeing the Iland & joyn- ing wth Gorton & yt not only in his heresys but also in his hereti- call blaspheamous & rep'chfull writings and publikly owned them in Court, & maide himselfe guilty of all those wicked ways :
There happened (by Gods p'vidence) a dreadful example of God's judgment this yeare vpon one Willia Frankling who belonged to Boston towne, & take M' Ting his farme above muddy river be- longing to Boston ; But he spent his sab: at or towne being neerer ; & after a season desired to joyne to or church: & had app'bation so to doe, & was received.
But Satan p'sently did enter into him & having a boy whom he had bought some years time & p'ving sick & naughty ; after he was joyned to the church he grew more passionate, cruel & feirce against him, though he had bene sharpe afore, yet vnknowne or vndisposed to vs, but now he grew out-raigeous, so yt by sundry cruel strips & othr kind of ill vseage the boy dyed vnder his rigor- ous hand, and yt (by a strange p'vidence of God & his own folly) at Boston, as if God ment to bring him on the stage for an example to all oth's for wch sin that day month yt he was admitted he was excommunicated & though much paines were taken to have brought him to repentance & reconciliation to the church, yet all in vaine he p'testing p'ily to deny & p'tly to mine his cruel actions towards the boy so yt in yt estate he was executed at Boston as publick records will show.
188
CITY, DOCUMENT No. 114.
1644. A strange p'vidence of God fell out at Boston where a peece of Iron in a dung cart, one was smote into the head & brains of the daughter of Jakob Eliot deakon of the Church & brought forth some of the braines ; and after more of the braines came forth, yet the Lord cured the child, the braines lying next the skin in that place.
Soon after that one william Curtis of Roxbury was cast off from a cart of loggs vnto the ground wth such violence, yt his head & one side of his face were bruised, blood gushed out of his eare, his braine was shaken, he senseless divers days, yet hy degres thro' Gods merey he recovered his senses, yet his cheeke drawne awry & p'alitik, but in a quarter of a yeare, he was pretty well recovered, to the wonder of all men.
1645. Toward the end of the first month call'd march ; there happened (by Gods p'vidence) a very dreadfull fire in Roxbury streete ; none knoweth how it was kindled, but being a feirce wind, it suddenly p'vailed. And in this mans house was a good p't of the Countrys magazine of powder of 17 or 18 barrels ; weh made the people, yt none durst come to save the house or goods till yt none durst come to save the house or goods till yt was blowen vp, & by that time the fire bad taken the barnes & outhousing (wch were many & great) so yt none were saved.
In this fire were strang p'servations of Gods p'vidence to the neighbors & towne, for the wind at first stood to cary the fire to oth' houses ; but suddenly turned & caryed it fro' all other houses ; only carying it to the barns and out housing thereby. & it was a feirce wind, & thereby drove the vehement heat fro' the neighbour houses, wch in a calmer time would by the x'y heate heve bene set on fire.
But above all the p'servation of all people fro' hurt & other houses fro' fire at the blowing vp of the powder inany being in greate danger yet none hurt, & sundry houses set on fire by the blow & yet all quenched, through Gods rich mercy in Christ.
1645. about the 16th of 5t month was this anagra sent to m' Dudley then Govnor by some namelesse author.
Thomas Dudley ah ! old, must dye A deaths head on your hand you neede not weare a dying head you on your shoulders beare you need not one to minde you, you must dye you in your name may spell mortalitye younge men may dye, but old men these dye must (or) it can't be long t'will not be long before you turne to dust. before you turne to dust ! ah ! must; old ! dye ! what shall younge doe, when old in dust doe lye? when old in dust lye, what N. England doe? when old in dust doe lye, its' best dye too.
This yeare we had sundry strange & p'digeous signes, a storme of haile at Boston wr the stones were as big or bigger than muskett bullets, and fell terribly.
The week after the like was at Dedha', wr some were in fash'on like cross barr canon shott, othrs like musket bullets. there was
189
ROXBURY CHURCH RECORDS.
also a feirce hirricane at Brantree soone after. The Narragansets resolved a warr yt yeare, but through mercy a peace was made.
Daulny yt yeare tooke La Tours Fort.
M' Hankins & anothr ship, great vessels both cast away at Spaine. The country suffered many losses at sea, at least £10000 in lesse then 2 years besids many lives, yea some think twenty, or thirty thousand pound losse.
This winter we had much sicknesse at Roxbury & greater mor- tality then euer we had afore, in so short a time, 5 dyed in 8 days & more followed, as appeareth in the record y'off; Wm Curtis who had that dreadful fall the year afore, excommun'd but upon his repentance received again. Yet this mercy the Lord shewed N. E. this yeare, yt the Iron wrks were brought to p'fection & tryall p'veing excellent well.
This yeare yr was also a great scarcity of wine in the winter, wch had not so bene of 3 yeares afore, it was a gracious awakening the land, to consider of the excesse yt hath here bene, that way.
1646. This yeare arose a great disturbance in the country by such as are called the Petitioners a trouble raised by Jesuited agents to molest the peace of the churches & Com. w.
Gorton found favor in England, haveing none to informe against him what he was, but M' Winslow was sent over whom the Lord direct, protect, & prosper.
A synod was held this yeare at Cambridg. & adjourned to the sumer following, after some questions were discussed.
This yeare about the end of the 5t month, we had a very strang hand of God vpon vs, yt vpon a suddaine, innumerable armys of Catterpillers filled the Country all over all the English plantations, wch devoured some whole meadows of grasse, & greatly devoured barly, being the most greene & tender corne, eating off all the blades & beards, but left the Corne, only many ears they quite eat of by byting the greene straw asunder below the care, so yt barly was generally halfe spoyled, likewise they much hurt wheat, by eating the blads off, but wheate had the lesse hurt because it was a little forwarder then barly, & so harder, & dryer, & they the lesse medled wth it. As for rie, it was so hard and neere ripe yt they touched it not, but above all graines they devoured Sylly oats. And in some places they fell vpon Indian Corne, & quite devoured it, in other places they touched it not ; they would goe crosse high- ways by 1000. much prayer there was made to God about it, wth fasting in divers places : & the Lord heard, & on a suddaine tooke y'm all away againe in all pts of the country, to the wonderment of all men ; it was of the Lord for it was done suddainely.
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