- Pierce
- Bass Lewis.
Fine cool, clear, almost autumnal day; such as by my experience always
comes at Washington City between the 15th.
and 20th of this month— I filled a flower
Pot 8. with fresh Earth, and sowed in it white strawberries, white
currants, and huckleberries. I have repeatedly made the experiment of
raising red and white strawberries and currants from the seed to
ascertain if they would reproduce each its own kind— I have raised
strawberries, and currants, but they have all proved red— The black
currant I know, reproduces itself— There is a perseverance of pursuit
directed to the same object in all experiments to raise plants, in which
I am lamentably deficient and from which I suffer continual
disappointment— I have never succeeded in raising huckleberries from the
seed— They grow wild upon low bushes among the rocks, but are never
cultivated in gardens—and the attempt to raise them is Shandean— I
finished my Letter to Gerrit Smith
and that was the labour of the day— A man by the name of Pierce brought me a catchpenny work called
Bradford’s Atlas of the
United which I had already refused to take last Winter at Washington— I
now examined, and again declined to take it— Lewis Bass, last year Chairman of the Selectmen—this year
collector of taxes, came for payment of my parish tax which for this
year is 210 dollars and which I paid.— The town and county tax 4 I
referred for future settlement— Went up to Charles’s house after Sunset. He and his wife spent the Evening here.
List of Mount Wollaston papers continued
20. 1689. 20. May. Vote of the Town of Braintree— Revolution of 1688.
“The Inhabitants of Braintree in the County of Suffolk in the
Massachusetts Colony, in New England, being convened together, to give
their Sentiments and Minds, about a present Settlement of a Government
in the said Colony, until we shall receive orders from the crown of
England &c— It was then voted in the affirmative— That their minds
and requests are that the former Governor and Deputy with the Assistants and the Deputies
of the towns chosen and sworn in 1686 be reinstated and have full power
with the Representatives of the several Towns present; to make choice
out of the Hond. Council, or other Gentlemen
in the Colony to be Assistants, until further orders be given. We also
declare that in case the Governor and Assistants, do not accept to be
re-instated, that we give full power to the Hond. Council at Boston sitting, and the Representatives which we
have sent to act for us in all matters that shall come under present
consideration, in behalf of the Peace, safety and welfare of the
Colony.
Also Voted that the Hon’d Waitstill Winthrop be Major General of the Militia of the Colony of the Massachusetts.
Christopher Webb and Joseph Crosbey were chosen by the
Inhabitants, as their Representatives for the town of Braintree to meet
the Representatives of the rest of the Towns at Boston on the 22d of this Instant May with full power to act
as above expressed for the Town &c.
It was voted by the Inhabitants that Capt. Edmund Quincy should sign the return of the names of the Representatives and the order therein given them in the name of the Inhabitants.
1689 June 4. Braintree It being signified by Isaac Addington Clerk that the
Council of safety and preservation of the Peace of the People, desired
the Representatives of the Towns and Villages of the Massachusetts
Colony should convene together at Boston to consult with the Council
sitting in Boston fifth of this Instant June about the emergencies that
come under consideration; there was chosen Christopher Webb Senr by the voice of the Assembly met, for
their Representative”
These town votes are the only papers in the whole collection having any reference to political affairs—they relate to the overthrow of the Government of Sir Edmund Andros and shew that the inhabitants of Braintree entered heartily into that measure. The papers are in the hand writing of Norton Quincy