USA > Massachusetts > Suffolk County > Roxbury > Report of the Record Commissioners, containing the Roxbury land and church records > Part 17
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This winter was one o' mildest yt ever we had, no snow all winter long, nor sharp weath', but they had long floods at Conec- ticot, weh was much spoyle to yr corne, in the medows ; we never had a bad day to goe p'ch to the Indians all this winter, praised be the Lord.
1647. This spring we of Roxbury wth some of Dorcheser ven- tured to sea in a small vessell but the master wanted sufficient experience, & the vessel overmasted & was over-sett, & many weeks after came whole allmost, ashore to shew the error of men
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to goe to sea so rawly : many m' cast away in her, mris stoughtons eldest sonne, m' Howards Eldest sonne wth many others.
This spring we heard p'bable tidings of New haven ship wch either was over sett, or foudered at sea, she was too tendersided, & therefore its to be feared she over sett. a very sad blow was yt to N. E. to loose so many at once, of yt to N. E. to loose so many at once, of yt note & worth.
At the time appoynted the Synod assembled. But at that time the hand of the Lord was very strang among vs, by sickness ; it being an extreame hot time by thunder weather & vnwholsome.
At the begining of wech weath", we had a great thunder storme in the night weh at Dorchester slew 3 oxen in the feild, wthont any remarkable signe, what it was yt killed them.
Fro yt time forward a great sicknesse epidemical. did the Lord lay vpon vs, so yt the greatest pt of a towne was sick at ouc, whole familys sick young & old, scarce any escaping English or Indian.
The mañer of the sickneese was a very depe cold, wth some tinct- ure of a feaver, & full of malignity, & very dangerous if not well regarded, by keeping a low diet ; the body solluble, warme, sweat- ing, &c: at wch time of visitation, blessed mri Winthrop the Govñors wife dyed. Also a lusty strong woman of Boston Mris Stodder ; fondly eat greene peaches, wch set her to so vyolent a vomiting as yt it burst her intralls, as its thought, & so she dyed.
Gods rods are teaching o' epidemical sicknesse of colds, doth rightly by a divine hand tell the churches what o" epidemical spr'l disease is. Lord help vs to see it, & to have such colds in the height of the heat of sumer, shews vs, yt in the height of the means of grace, peace, liberty of ordinances &c. yet may we then fall into malignant & mortal colds, apostacys, & coolings, &e. This visitation of God was exceeding strange, it was suddaine, & gen- erall : as if the Lord had imediatly sent forth an angel, not wih a sword to kill, but wth a rod to chastize ; & he smot all, good & bad, old & young, or as if there were a generall infection of the aer ; wch went fro North to South by degrees infect'g all, yea such as were on the seas neere o' Coasts were so infected, & smitten : And this is remarkable, yt though few dyed yet some did ; and generally those yt dyed were of or choycest flowers, & most p'cions saints among others yt were then taken to rest, was yt worthy & blessed light M' Hooker, who haveing a cold & p'ched twice on the Sab: (Mr Stone not being at home) and ministred both the sac: the Lds supper in the forenoone, & Baptism in the afternoone, he was so over spent, & his spirits sunk, yt he never could recover them againe.
God so graciously p'sp'ed m' Winslows indeavours in England, against Gorton & his complices yt all theire great hopes were dashed ; & they among vs, a little pulled in theire heads, & held theire peace.
About the end of the 10' month of this yeare were very many colds againe among the people, though not so generall, nor so deepely seasing vpon theire spirits, as in the summer time it was.
This winter we had a gracious p'vidence of God befell two brothers Edward & Georg Dennison, who had been pryude incen-
1
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diarys of some trobls among us, & full of distemp', and disaffec- tion. but the Lord left them to open and shamefull drunkennesse at Boston : espec'. edward. Wch did so greatly humble them both yt though George (being a membr) was excomvnicated, yet in a short time was taken in againe. And Edward humbling himselfe so effectually yt he was also speedyly received in to the Church, this is the tryvmph of grace, to magnify grace by sinne.
This summer we had notice of a very great & dismal storme at Newfound Land wch
[The remarks end thus abruptly on page 249. The following pages of the Roxbury Church Records, from 251 to the com- mencement of page 262, are taken up by the Register of Mr. Eliot's colleague, the Rev. Samuel Danforth. The last entry made by Mr. Danforth was 24. 7m. 1674. " A day of Publick Thanksgiving." We pass over Mr. Danforth's portions for the present, in order to have Mr. Eliot's record continuous. ]
[1674] 15ª 9m we first met & worshiped God in of new meeting house, but the I'd touched or thigh because yesterday my bro. Dan- forth fell sick.
19. 9m. My bro. Danforth dyed in the Lord. it pleased the Lord to brighten his passage to glory. he greatly increased in the pow' of his ministry, especially ye last summer. he cordially joyned wth me in maintaining the peace of the church. we consulted about the beautifying the house of God wth ruling elders, and to order the congregation into the primitive way of Collections.
22 9m. a good Sab: & sac: blessed be the Lord, but sorrowfull, because of resp'ed Pastor was dead.
23. 9m. the solemne funeral of my broth" Danforth, whose de- parture the Lord brightened, as is above said & whose funeral was celebrated wth a great confluence.
29. 9m. mrs Burrows recommended & dismissed, she going for England and is advised to adjoyne herselfe to some church there.
6. 10m. this sab. day of church had a pub. collection for or Sister Danforth, p'tly to pay the charges of the funeral, the rest to be given the widdow, the sume collected was [blank ]. This day we restored or primitive practice for the training up of youth, first of male youth (in fitting season, stay every sab: after the evening exercize, in the Pub: meeting house, where the Elders will examine theire remem- branee yt day, & any fit poynt of catechise. Secondly yt or female youth should meet in one place, where the Elders may examine ym of theire remembrance yesterday. & about catechise, or what else may be convenient.
8. 10m. a meeting held at Lyn by some of Salem, attempting to gather a church, but being found not fit matter, the assembly brake up, & the work p'cceded not.
15. 10m. a fast held at or church to humble o'selves under the mighty & awfull hand of God, & to seek his favor & guidance of the church, for the healing o' wounds, & beautifying Gods house,
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in all things defective or out of order. God heard of prayre for sundry sicke, who yt day began to mend.
20. 10m. This sab: we had a pub: collection for Edward Howard of Boston, to redeeme him out of his sad Turkish captivity, in wch collection was gath'ed 121b. 18s. 9d. ob: weh by Gods favor made up the just sum desired.
[1674, 20. 10m.] about this time I heard sad news fro new york, where yei are p'pairing to reduce Southampton & Southhold on Long Iland by force of armes. because yei stand for theire liberty.
24. 10m. m" Oxenbridg was taken sick as he was prehing the lecture.
25. 10m being desired I went to watertowne to be present at the cuting b. livermore's daughter of a wonderfull great timpany. the opration succeeded at the prsent blessed be the Lord.
23. 10" m' Nehemiah Hubbard was ordained Pastor at Cam- bridg Village. an hopefull branch blessed be the Lord.
28. 10m M' Oxenbridg dyed. his disease was Apoplectical, he was mercyfully taken in his work. & the next lect" day was his funeral day.
The above named woman cut of a timpany, the next day dyed, there were about 15 gallons of water taken fro her p'tly afore she dyed, the rest after she was dead.
14. 11m. Boston lect. turned to a fast, to seeke the Lord to make ym a supply in ministry.
About ys time m" [Joseph] Gerish was ordained pastor at wenha. About ys time in' Woodrob a Scotchman, a scholar, had bene at Jamerca, & was too good for ym he came hithr, he is well accepted. The day y' m' oxenbridg was buryed, m' Rob: Gibbs of Boston, s iped at his owne dore, fell wth his breast upon the groundsell, bruised much, but was pretty well, untill 10 days after, & ya he suddenly dyed.
14ª. 12m. Hugh Clark was reconciled to the church.
one of the Duke of York his servants. in a ship at New York, in theire pots, drank an health to the Devil, he to wm he drank saide, no, rather to his confusion, upon it was some apparition, wch terri- fied ym. the prty sunke downe, but dyed not.
a distracted man at Hartford, stumbled or sliped at the dore, a child, by, laughed, he tooke an ax & killed the child, some say cut off the head, some say knoked it on the head & killed it.
A fisherman about Pascatoway had 2 servants, who in an angel conspired to kill yr master, did so, tooke his mony & fled, but were taken, & both executed.
1675. month 2d. day 18. Sarah Cleaves wife of will. Cleaves received to full comunion, penitently confessing.
day 25, we had a collection for m' woodrobe a scotch man, y' p"ched last lect a godly man, & we judged it charity to consid' him. yr was collected for him 31. 148. 6ª, blessed be God
month 4t. day 6. the church called bro: Bowles to the office of a Ruleing Eldr & bro Peirpoynt also named but not yet called. left to consid'ation.
This winter past, John Sossoman was murdered by wicked Indians. he was a man of eminent parts & wit, he was of late
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years convrted, joyned to the Church at Natike, baptized. & was sent by the church to Asowamsick in Plimouth Pattent to preach the Gospel. sine his death we heare by some godly English of Taunton, yt he so ap'p'ved himselfe in theire neighborhood, as yt he had the esteeme of a good Christian, & his death was much bewailed.
This June Court those yt were suspected of the murder (being before bound over to this Court) were tryed, & 3 wr found guilty, condemned, executed, the 3d brake the rope & fell, revived, beged for life, he is repreived for one month.
11th day soone after the warr wth the Indians brake forth, the history wroff I canot, I may not relate, the prophane Indians p've a sharp rod to the English, & the English p've a very sharp rod to the praying Indians.
1676. on the 7 day of the 2ª month, Capt Gookins, m' Danforth & m' Stoughton wr sent by the Councill, to order matters at long Iland for the Indians planting there yei called me wth ym in or way thithe", a great boat of about. 14 ton, meeting us, turned head upon us, (weth! wilfully or by negligenc, God he knoweth) yei run the sterne o' boate wr we 4 sat, under water, or boats saile, or some- thing tangled wth the great boat, & by Gods mercy kept to it, my Cosin Jakob. & cosin Perrie being forwarder in or boat quickly got up into the great boat, I so sunke yt I drank in salt water twice, & could not help it. God assisted my two cousins to deliver us all, & help us up into the great boat we were not far fro' the Castle, where we went ashore, dryed, & refreshed, & yn went to the Iland p'formed or work, returned well home at night praised be the Lord. some thanked God & some wished we had bene drowned. Soone after, one yt wished we had bene drowned, was himselfe drowned about the same place wr we wr so wonderfully delivered, the history w'off is . [Here ends the paragraph. ]
month 2. day 27. Major Willard was buryed, an holy man, who left a gap on the Bench.
month 3 day 4. Election day, the people in theire distemper, left out Capt. Gookins, & put him off the Bench.
day 12. the Indians came off the Iland. Capt Gookins cars for ym at Cambridg.
day 16. m' Russel Buryed, a godly man, another gap on our Bench.
day 17. m' Usher Buryed, a little afore mr Lidget dyed.
18. m' Atwater buried. 24. Cosin Jakob came home fro sea- kunk wounded in in his hand, his clothes shot through and through.
Capt Davis dyed. Capt Turner & 40 more slaine at or neere to Hadly.
month 4: day 6. a sudden gust toward night, wch overset a boat coming fro' Noddls Iland, wr were drowned m' Bendal. & his wife, & a quaker maide, and a young man a factor.
day 8 at Boston lecter. at o' meeting of elders, we p'posed for a fast, to move Authority for a gen: fast m' math' & M' Allen had moved the gen: Court, but yei did not affect it, because the motion was not accepted wth the magistrats. the Governor p'posing rather for a day of thanksgiving. M' Mather went to the Gover" to
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p'mote the motion of a fast. but he refused, & would rather have a day of thanksgiving. M' Hubbard of Ipswich concured wth the p'p'eio", whereupon the elders present thought it necessary, yª some p'ticular Churches should call a fast especially because now o' Army to Coneticot wr on yr march. & Conecticot Army to meet yın. M' Mather was willing to call a fast in his Church & being next Sab before he should speak wth the Church, we agreed yt the 4t day come seavennight, wch was the 21 day of ye 4t month should be the day of fasting and prayre, accordingly yt church appoynted yt day.
on boston lecture day following which was the 15 day of this month. M' Foster a young scholar living at charlestowne wr his parents live, had bene at Ipswich. & in the names of m' Cobbet & m' shephard did earnest presse the eld's yr p'sent, to move authority for a day of thanksgiving. we discoursed the poynt. we thought yt God called to fasting & prayre but we could joyne wth or brethren in a day of thanksgiving, but for the prsent, because the North church had all ready appoynted next 4' day to be a day of fasting & prayre, we would stay untill next 5t day, the day after the fast, & y" we will consider of moving for a day of thanksgiving, & con- sider what causes to p'pound, yr auswr we desired m' Foster to re- turne to m' Shepard.
10 day some captive women & children wr set downe, shipped to be sold for slaves.
12 day capt Tom having rendered himself, was brought downe, a great rage was against him.
14 day I was at the Court, called to be there. Cowel & othrs testified yei saw him at Sudbury fight, he denyed and saith he was y" sick & nev. ingaged agst the English, only when yei were sur- prized by the enemie a devil put it into his hd. to be willing to goe with ym knowing the rage of the English.
[1676 mo. 4] 15 day I visited the p'soners, everything looketh wth a sad face. God frowneth.
19 day Capt Tom was tryed on his life, but I had not the least knowledg of it, & y'fore was not p'sent, he was condemed, upon Cowells oath, & the others.
20 day I went to the p"son to comfort y" I dealt faithfully wth him, to confesse iť wr true, w'off he is accused & for wch he is con- demned. I believe he sayth the truth.
The same 20 day was Court at charlstowne, thither the Gov'no' went to keepe Court, because they want magistrates in ye county two being dead, & a 3d left out.
There yei did appoynt the day of thanksgiving, to be held the 5t day seavennight after, viz. on the 29t of this month.
21 day was the fast at the North church, where we saw a mighty p'senc & assistance of the spirit of grace. m' Allins prayre & m- Math's prayre & sermon w8 sad p'phesys to sick sick new Eng- land.
afore the worship began I visited to prsoners & after it was done, I went to the Gov'no' & intreated yt Capt Tom might have liberty to p've yt he was sick at the time w" the fight was at Sudbury, & yt he was not their, it might not be, but he did expresse how bad a
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man Tom was. I told him. yt at the great day he should find yt christ was of another mind, or words to yt purpose, so I dep'ted.
22 Boston lecture, afore sermon the marshal gave me a paper yt is the printed ord' for the day of thanksgiving, & after sermon he hurried away the p'soners to execution. I accompanyd him to his death, on the Ladder he lifted up his hands & said, I did never lift up hand against the English, nor was I at sudbury. only I was willing to goe away wth the enemise yt surprised us. W" the ladder was turned he lifted up his hands to heaven prayre wise & so held ym till strength failed, & y" by degres yei sunk downe.
m' Stoughton & m" Bulkly were sent to England to agent for the Country. Lord p'ty ym !
month 9, day 26 the x'n br in Dublin in Ireland sent a gracious gift of charity to relive such as suffered in of late warr, the ship arrived yt day at night the master was at Boston on the Sabboth.
day 27. next morning a dreadfull fire broke forth in Boston, wich consumed many dwelling houses & many rich shops & ware- houses, & the north meeting house, in 2 hours time, by reason of a Try feirce wind. the history wroff I leave to oth's to describe, but this is observable yt so much p'visions was consumed, & so many pore aded to such as were made pore by the war, yt (though the gift was only dispenced according as it was given to such as wr made pore by the warr) yet the seasonablenesse of their charity was very much magnifyed, and a crowne of beauty was set upon the head of their charity thereby.
So soone as we condescended to impr've or praying Indians in the warr, fro y day forward we allwayes p'sp'd untill God pleased to teare the rod in peeces, p'ly by conquest. ptly by theire sicknesse & death, & hath brought us peace, praised be his name. But no sooner was yt rod broken, p'sently the Northeastern warr broke forth the history whereoff I leave to others to relate.
God also drew forth anoth' rod upon or backs in epidemical sick- nesse weh tooke away many of us. And yet for all this it is the frequent complaint of many wise & godly yt litle reformation is to be seene of or cheife wrath p'voking sins, as pride, covetousnesse, animositys, p'sonal neglecte of gospelizing or youth, & of gospeliz- ing of the Indians &c. drinking houses multiplyed, not lessened, quakers openly tolerated.
1677, month 2. about the 10' of this month Boston was much in- dangered, by a chimny going on fire. in a very windy day, but the Lord did succeed the indeavors of men, so y' it was quenched. about the mildle of this month a blazing star appeared in the east.
The Indian war now about to finish. wherein the praying Indians had so eminent an interest in the recording whereoff I thought not my selfe so fitting. I desisted fro this work of recording p'ticular matters. & knowing yt it was commited to oth's I declined it, but now on 2ª thought I blame my selfe for it, Lord p'don all my many omissions. the successe of or Indians was highly accepted with the souldiers, & yei now welcomed where evr yei met ym yei had ym to the ordinarys, made ym drink. & bred yrby such an habit to love strong drink, it p'ved an horrible snare unto us. yei learned so to love strong drink yt yei would spend all y' wages & pawne
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aby they had for rumb or any strong drink; so drunkenesse in creased & quarreling fighting & were the sad effects of strong drink. Praying to God was quenched, the younger generation being debanched by it, and the good old generation of the first beginers gathered home by death. So yt Satan imp'ved y's op'tun- ity to defile, debase, & bring into contempt the whole work of praying to God. a great apostasy defiled us. And yet through grace some stood and doe stand, and the work is on foot to this day, praised be the Lord. when the Indians were hurried away to an Iland at half an hours warning, pore soules in terror yei left theire goods, books, bibles, only some few caryed yr bibles. the rest were spoyled & lost. So yt w" the wares wr finished, & yei returned to y' places yei wr greatly impov'ished, but yei especially bewailed yr want of Bibles, ys made me meditate upon a 2ª imp'ssion of o' Bible, & accordingly tooke pains to revise the first edition. I also intreated m' John Cotton to help in yt work, hie having obtained some ability so to doe. he read over the whole bible, & whatever doubts he had, he writ ym downe in order, & gave ym to me, to try y' & file ym over among or Indians. I obtained the favor to re- print the New testamt & psalmes, but I met wth much obstruction for reprinting the old testamt, yet by prayre to Gol, Patience & intreatye, I at last obteined yt also, praised be the Lord.
RECORDS OF REV. SAMUEL DANFORTH.
[NOTE. - Rev. Samuel Danforth, M.A., second son of Nicholas Danforth., of Cambridge, Mass., was born in Framingham, co. of Suffolk, England, in September, 1626. Ile came to New England with his father, in 1634, his mother having died when the son was three years old. He graduated at Harvard College in 1643, in the same class with the Rev. Samuel Mather, son of the Rev. Richard Mather, of Dorchester. IIe was made a freeman in 1647, and on the 24th of September, 1650, was ordained as colleague to the Kev. John Eliot, pastor of the First Church in Roxbury. Mr Danforth married Mary Wilson, daughter of the Rev. John Wilson, of Boston, Nov. 5, 1651. They had twelve children, two of whom were ministers of the gospel, John, who settled at Dorchester, and Samuel at Taunton. Rev. Samuel Danforth, the father, in addition to his services as a minister, was of some note as an astronomer, mathematician, and poet. For several years he published almanacs. John Farmer states that he Had seen " those from 1646 to 1649, inclusive," and that " some of them are valuable for the chronological tables at the end." The ministry of Mr. Danforth continned twenty-four years. He died Nov. 19, 1674, at the age of 48. Ilis colleague Eliot, who outlived him more than fifteen years, said, " My Brother Danforth made the most glorious End that ever I saw !" The widow of Mr. Danforth marriel Joseph Rock, or Ruck, of Boston, where she died, Sept. 13, 1713, in the eighity-first year of her age. See REGISTER, vii. 317; American Quarterly Register, viii. 135- 137; Sibley's Harvard Graduates, i. 88-92. The Danforth items which follow commence on page 251 of the book from which these church records are printed. - W. H. W.]
1849.
John Winthrop Esq. late Governour of Massachusetts deceased march 26. & was buryed Aprill 3.
August. 25. m' Thomas Shepard Pastour to the Church at Can- bridge rested from his labours.
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Septemb: A generall visitation by the small pox, whereof many dy ·d.
Novemb 3. our sister Bowles the wyfe of John Bowles dyed of the small pox.
Jan. 13. on the lords day the lord sent a great storme of snow & wind, which was so violent as that a certain vessell suffered shipwrack, and all the p'sons that were therein perished.
March 17. A collection for ye poor distressed Church at Baha- mah & yr was about 28 gathered in or little Congregation.
1650. mª Pen & mr Palmer were sent as Messengers fro ye chs in or Bay to Bahamah.
march 26. mr Samuel Haugh ordained Pastour to the church at Redding.
May 23. John Wooddie dyed of the small pox.
Aug. 21. m" Jonathan Mitchel was ordained Pastor to ye church at Cambridge.
July 28. This Church Elected S. Danforth to the office of a Pastor amongst them.
September 13. The church of Boston ordained 3 Ruling Elders, m' Colbron, mr Jacob Eliot & m" James Pen and three Deacons.
Sept. 24. 1650. Samuel Danforth was ordained Pastor to this church at Roxbury.
Novembr 21. A gt burning at Charlestown.
1652.
June. m' Samuel Phillips ordained Teacher to ye Church at Rowley.
Octobr 12. A church gathering & ordination at Medfield. mª John Wilson junior was ordained Pastor.
9th 10m. There appeared a Comet in ye heaven in Orion, which continued its course tow'd ye zenith for ye space of a fortnight viz. till m' Cottons death.
23d 10m. m" John Cotton B. D. Teacher to ye church at Boston rested fro his labours.
1st march. A dreadfull Conflagration at Boston.
16. march. Rumours of ye Indians Conspiracy agst ye English. 13ª 12m. Nath Garee was admonished.
Anno 1653.
31ª 5m. Thomas Dudley Esq" dyed & was bury'ed ye 6t day fol- lowing. His death was on ye Lords day at night.
Anno 1655.
In the beginning of the 5th moneth God sent an Epidemicall sicknes & faintnes : few escaped, many were very sick severall dyed. as Elisabeth Bowles &c. in or towne, m' Rogers of Ipswich the Revd Pastor there, m' Samuel Eaton at Newhaven & his wife [late m's Haines ].
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Anno 1655.
26ª 6m. Lydia Eliot cast out of ye church.
2ª 9m. 1656. Received again.
Anno 1656.
23d 5m. m" John Norton was ordained Teacher to the church of Boston.
8m. m" Hook late Teacher to ye ch. at New haven set saile for England.
8m. m' Noice that blessed light at Newbury, rested fro his labours.
2ª gm. m' Eliot our Teacher having been exercised wth ye Sci- atica, & endured much anguish, dolour, & by that meanes detained fro the house of God, & we deprived of his pretious labours, & that for ye space of 10 weekes, this day came abroad into the assembly (through Gods mercy) & gave us a taste of Gods gra- tious remembrance of him in his low estate.
Anno 1657.
2m. Certaine Elders & oth' messengers of ye churches in ye Bay went to Hartford & endeavoured to compose ye differences betw. ye church there & ye dissenting Brethren.
1657 This Winter m' Garrets ship was lost, w'in was m' Thomas Mayhew Preacher to ye Indians, m' Davis sometime schoolmaster at Hartford, m' Jonathan Ince, m' Nathaniel Pelham wth many others.
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